News release: “New Federal data showing further steep declines in the number of miles Americans are driving is additional proof that the country needs new means – other than the gas tax – to finance the nation’s transportation infrastructure, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters said today…Secretary Peters said that Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) in May 2008 than in May 2007, according to the Federal Highway Administration data. This is the largest drop in VMT for any May, which typically reflects increased traffic due to Memorial Day vacations and the beginning of summer, and is the third-largest monthly drop in the 66 years such data have been recorded. Three of the largest single-month declines – each topping 9 billion miles – have occurred since December.”