Angie Schmitt for StreetsBlog reports: “New traffic and transit data is out for 2016, and the news is not good. “Driving mileage increased for the fifth straight year, the Federal Highway Administration reports in a statement that celebrates record traffic levels as a boon for the nation. Americans logged 3.2 trillion miles last year. Traffic in December 2016 increased 0.5 percent compared to the previous December. “Meanwhile, transit ridership decreased in almost every major city. But there were two cities that bucked the trend — Seattle and Houston, which posted 4.1 and 2.3 percent increases, respectively. “Those two outliers share one thing in common: In addition to expanding light rail, they’re both redesigning their bus networks.”
