As of 2000, the mean travel time to work for Spartanburg County residents was 22.5 minutes. This was somewhat lower than the S.C. average of 24.3 minutes. By 2006, commute time for Spartanburg residents had shortened to 21.5 minutes on average. In 2006, 85% of Spartanburg County workers drove to work alone, 10% carpooled, less than 0.5% took public transportation, and 3% used other means. The remaining 2% worked at home. This measure is, in part, related to VMT. Should this number decline over time, the implication will be that more people are living closer to work with access to mixed-use communities, which impacts non-work travel. However, Table 6 indicates that, at the current rate of sprawl, VMT will increase substantially by 2015 in Spartanburg County.

In order to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled, communities will have to reduce the need to drive and invest in alternative modes of transportation. For example, because food typically travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to plate in the U.S., the increasing demand for locally grown food is expected to decrease vehicle miles traveled nationally.