I don't
discount the impact of the recession on driving entirely, but I do think that, especially here in the urban hellhole, it can be overstated. I don't think the recession can explain 30%+ drops in traffic on major city thoroughfares.
In Center City, the decline in vehicle travel can be seen on local streets. Even the busiest local street, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which has 31,657 vehicles per day (vpd), saw a 28.6 percent decline in vpd between 2005 and 2010. Vehicle travel on South Broad Street dropped 28.8 percent, from 24,575 vpd to 17,504 vpd, and Columbus Boulevard saw a 39.7 percent decrease in vehicle travel.
