Painfully high gas prices are causing changes in American’s behaviors that haven’t been possible using any other means.
The Washington Post reports that Americans are changing vacation plans, consolidating errands, and turning to carpools and mass transit.
In a society nurtured on cheap gasoline, the Post says, the effects are rippling everywhere – the end of free pizza deliveries, a plunge in the sales of sport-utility vehicles, a steep drop in the price of houses that are far from jobs or mass transit.
Federal officials reported the first decline in miles driven on U.S. roads since 1979, business at roadside convenience stores has slowed, and the tourism industry is bracing for a downturn this summer.
8% of Americans say they have changed their commuting patterns and are taking public transportation, according to a survey conducted by NPD Group. They are planning vacations closer to home this summer.
Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Economy.com, calculates that total energy costs consume about 6.5% of the average household budget, and 10% for the poorer half of the nation’s households.
Amtrak has racked up record numbers for May – ridership rose 12.3% from a year earlier, and ticket sales climbed 15.6%. The railroad is on track to for an 11% rise in ridership this year from last year’s 26 million passengers.
Of course, the Bush administration has tried to eliminate Amtrak’s federal funding, and is currently threatening to veto legislation which would provide $14 billion in funding for five years. The legislation would also provide federal matching grants to states for projects to improve passenger service.
While Britain, France and Germany have passenger rail systems that account for 6-8% of total annual passenger travel miles, Amtrak carries under 1%. Japan, which operates the world’s busiest high-speed rail network, carries about 18%.
Sen. Barack Obama says he would fight for Amtrak funding while Sen. John McCain, has sought to block federal subsidies for Amtrak.
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