WASHINGTON – A recent report from the Pew Charitable Trusts recounts the growing national trend of people who are giving up cars for their daily commutes. According to their report analyzing census numbers nationwide, the percentage of workers who commute by car declined from 88% in 2000 to 86% in 2010-2013. Car commuting percentages decreased dramatically in some urban areas, but also in smaller Western towns that are making a focused effort to promote alternatives.

The places with the most dramatic declines include Washington, D.C., where the rate declined 11% to 39%; the Bronx, New York, where it was down 9% to 28%; and Hudson County, New Jersey (home of Jersey City), where it was down 8% to 47%. The rate of driving commuters increased in only three states — Louisiana, North Dakota and South Dakota — where new oil and gas jobs prompted people to travel long distances to work.

According to Pew, state and local transportation officials are now facing a new world after decades of increased driving, citing a U.S. PIRG study released last year that advised city and state planners to discard transportation models based on ever-growing car traffic.

Several studies have noted that Millennials are driving less than earlier generations, and making shorter car trips when they do. People between the ages of 16 and 24 are the least likely to use cars, but driving is declining among all groups younger than 55, according to census data.

The downward trend in American driving habits has also been tracked in new research from the Fuels Institute. In January, the Fuels Institute will release one of the most comprehensive evaluations of the driver population ever published. “Driver Demographics: The American Population’s Effect on Vehicle Travel and Fuel Demand,” takes a critical look at historical market trends and presents a profile of the American driver that will have a lasting impact on the fuels and vehicles market.