Chalk it up to high gas prices, a bad economy, an aging population, better mass transit options, fewer young drivers (yes, really!) or all of the above. But don't call it a fluke. For the sixth consecutive year, the number of vehicle miles traveled in Minnesota did not grow in 2010. In fact, between 2009 and 2010, the number declined by 0.5 percent.

So said a new report by MnDOT's Office of Transportation Data and Analysis, in a finding that Dave Van Hattum of Transit for Livable Communities called "fascinating." Minnesota's population is up an estimated 300,000 since 2004, but the number of miles driven is not. That's a major change after many decades of steady increases in miles driven.

Combine that behavior change with the greater fuel efficiency of today's vehicles, and it's easy to forecast trouble ahead in paying for road repairs and reconstruction. State roadways are maintained with funds derived from gas taxes and motor vehicle sales. People who drive less buy less gasoline and need new cars less frequently.

In another climate, less driving might also mean reduced need for road repair. But the freeze-thaw cycle Minnesotans know well contributes much to highway deterioration in these parts.

Here's another prediction: Politicians are going to hear a rising chorus of demand for transit, and not just from elders whose driving days are ending. Many young people prefer auto-free living. Van Hattum reported that nationally in 2008, 31 percent of 16-year-olds had drivers' licenses, compared with 45 percent 20 years earlier.

The new driving stats should tell the transportation funding advisory commission Gov. Mark Dayton appointed in January that they have an increasingly urgent assignment. The commission's recommendations are expected in time for the 2013 legislative session.