Looking forward to fewer cars on the road?
May 23rd, 2006 | by mbhunter |The American Automobile Association is predicting that the increase in motor traffic will be the smallest ever:
High fuel prices to curb US holiday travel: AAA
But you know what? This is all right. I can’t really say that I enjoy getting stuck in traffic. I’ll be on the way up to my parents’ house this coming weekend.
In short, the higher gas prices aren’t really stopping me from traveling — yet. I don’t really know how high fuel prices would need to get before the HOV lanes are obsolete. For people who commute 100 miles each day (~25,000 miles per year), their gas bill at $3/gallon with a 25-mpg average would be $3,000. $4 or $5/gallon ($4,000 or $5,000 a year) would get people selling their SUVs, trucks, and minivans. $6 or $7/gallon might encourage people who’ve already done that to carpool.
I’m not sure how many people are affected by $3/gallon gas. I certainly don’t see an awful lot less traffic than I used to, and people where I work aren’t too concerned about carpooling yet.
How high would gas need to get before you looked into a more efficient vehicle? Before you started to carpool? Or do you already have these things taken care of?
3 Responses to “Looking forward to fewer cars on the road?”
By samerwriter on May 23, 2006 | Reply
Here’s the problem –
As gas prices increase, making a more fuel efficient car more attractive, the value of my gas-guzzler decreases, making it more difficult to afford a fuel efficient car!
By LoveThemV8's on May 23, 2006 | Reply
If you’ve paid off your gas guzzler, and it is older (meaning lower insurance and license tag fees), then it may be cheaper overall to use the gas guzzler. Nothing like an old Chev C10 pickup for low cost transportation – at least over short distances…