More Carless Households

In America, the number of carless households has begun to rise. That’s a reversal in a trend that goes back to 1960. While the change is small, only 0.2%, that’s 500,000 households and potentially 500,000 fewer car sales. The 2015 number of 9.1% is remarkably small when compared to 1960 when it was more like 22%. Increased urbanization, increased accessibility to ride-sharing, increased remote employment, and greater difficult affording a vehicle mean fewer drivers and fewer cars. Considering that 1960 was the era of hot rods, leaded gas, and long road trips, it is remarkable that the percentage was so high. The change to the trend of increasing household car ownership was inevitable. As the trend approaches zero it must asymptote, stabilize, or reverse. The introduction and acceptance of driverless cars is expected to be so strong that the number of carless households is likely to continue to increase. What will we do with all of those garages?

(Click on the map for the link.)

“After Decades Of Decline, No-Car Households Are Becoming More Common In The US” – Quartz