Personal Impact*
Waste Diversion Climate Changers Electricity Zero-Carbon Energy Solar PV Compliance
Transportation
Transportation contributes 38 percent of Connecticut's economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions.
Driving: The recent trend of driving more continued through 2019 (most recent data).
Through 2013, the daily vehicle miles traveled (DVMT) by Connecticut residents was on a steady decline. The drop in driving was likely attributed to the great recession and mirrored the national trend. As residents drove less, gasoline consumption decreased and pollution was reduced. Since 2014, the DVMT has generally been increasing, which is consistent with the reduction in bus ridership depicted in the chart below.
Riding: People got on the bus less often in Connecticut in 2019.
In 2019, ridership on fixed route, commuter, and ADA transit services declined to the lowest ridership numbers since 2011. In 2019, the passenger trips** per capita value was 10.9, which is approximately three percent lower than the 10-year average. In late 2016, CTtransit fare prices were increased in eight transit service areas; however, the fare increase might not be the sole reason for the decline in ridership. Other factors for reduced transit trips could include success in ride sharing efforts and the fact that gasoline prices have stayed well below the highs of some previous years.