PHOENIX – Drivers
covered nearly 67 billion miles on Arizona roads in 2016, the state’s fifth
consecutive annual increase, according to a Federal Highway Administration
estimate.
Part of a
Traffic Volume Trends report estimating a record 3.2 trillion miles driven on
U.S. public roads last year, the Arizona figure demonstrates the importance of maintaining
and improving the state’s transportation system, said John Halikowski, director
of the Arizona Department of Transportation.
“Highways
are Key Commerce Corridors that drive economic growth and jobs,” Halikowski
said. “A well-built and well-maintained transportation system positions this
growing state to capitalize on its proximity to major markets in California and
Texas as well as south of the border.”
ADOT
maintains all state and federal routes in Arizona, including six interstate
highways.
The estimated
number of vehicle miles traveled in Arizona in 2016 – 66.86 billion –
represented an increase of more than 1.8 billion miles from 2015, or 2.8
percent. Since 2011, the number of miles navigated by Arizona drivers has increased
by 7.28 billion, or 12 percent.
The 13-state
West, including Arizona, had the greatest increase in travel compared with 2015,
according to the Federal Highway Administration’s report.
ADOT reports vehicle miles
traveled for the previous year each June. The agency’s figures also show a
steady increase in recent years.
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