[bagekko]

No WSJ access. Is the data based on peoples commuting, errand, and/or leisure miles? Or does it take into account for commercial traffic also?

Without knowing I would call the story and data BS. Total miles driven in this country for all vehicles no way has decreased. Traffic is not improving anywhere because people are driving less. Sure many younger people are less dependent on cars and many within cities may not own cars. But all the miles added with cities and towns flooded by uber, lyft, door dash, etc certainly nearly offsets that some.

The only way the story could possibly make sense is people have to drive less now a days because every town has everything, so people dont have to drive as far as they use to in order to get the same things.

Any story like this that takes some data and then discusses a few factors is just part of an incomplete story, journalism is garbage that they will not connect and investigate all the factors involved because no one will allow them the time and resources to do so. But in todays world you can just throw some data into a story and the masses will believe it.