They say that the way to change anyone’s behavior is to hit them where it hurts — in the pocketbook. With Americans reeling from the high price of gasoline, there are clear signs that drivers are certainly changing their behavior by spending less time in their cars, and more using public transport.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that in June driving decreased in the United States for the eighth month in a row. This amounts to a more extreme decline in the driving habits of Americans than even during the gas shortages of the 1970s.
The Department of Transportation estimates that Americans cutback driving by 12 billion miles when compared to June of 2007. Since last November, driving has declined by over 53 billion miles. Rural areas appear to have been hit the hardest by the rising cost of gasoline: driving in rural areas has decreased by 4% since November, but only 1.2% in heavily developed and urban areas.
With Americans cutting back on driving and visiting the pump less often, tax revenue from the federal gas taxes has decreased sharply over the last year. The Department of Transportation is said to be considering alternative sources of funding, because of the lost gas tax revenue which normally funds the agency’s projects around the country.
The Department of Transportation consistently encourages Americans to use public transport. It is ironic that the agency is now suffering financially because Americans are finally beginning to do what it has encouraged all along — leave the car at home and take a bus, train or bike.
Mary Peters, the US transportation secretary, is calling for a complete rethinking of how US transportation systems and networks are funded. Traditionally, federal highways and roads had been paid for from a sizable federal gas tax. Ms. Peters points out that the trend toward more fuel-efficient cars and the use of alternative fuels make it likely that the US transportation grid will need to be funded by other means, as revenue from the gasoline tax will likely to continue to decrease.
It is also clear from recent data that the rising cost of fuel has not hit all states equally: Maine, Florida and Montana showed the biggest decreases in driving, while smaller, more urban states like Maryland have seen less extreme changes.
The environmental watchdog group Clean Air Watch has pointed out the silver lining for America’s current fuel crisis: less pollution and carbon emissions. The group has recorded a steady decrease in traffic-related pollution in the US since March of 2008.
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This is interesting..Because I think every crisis finds a solution…Ours..less polution and more people walking, riding bikes, scooters, fuel efficient cars….No longer will a fancy car be an ego boost.
And frankly eventually all of us get used to high prices …carol stanley author of For Kids 59.99 and Over
Comment by carol stanley — August 23, 2008 @ 2:11 pm