It's Our City is a project that uses TV, Radio and Web
to promote civic engagement in the Philadelphia region.Are You Driving Less? If so, Why?
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 at 7:48 am - by Matt Campbell. Filed under: Economy, Transportation, taxes.
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Americans are driving less / Image credit:WVS
A story in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer indicates that folks in the PA and NJ region are driving fewer miles as a result of the recession and the gas price spikes last year.
Impact on the roads
Reporter Paul Nussbaum says Pennsylvania drivers in January drove 4.5 percent fewer miles and in New Jersey the decline was even steeper at 6.5 percent.
Impact on commuter rail service
The flipside shows that ridership for both the commutter rail services SEPTA and PATCO saw increases last year. SEPTA reported 5.4 percent more riders and PATCO had 9.9 percent more travellers.
Impact on toll roads
Nussbaum says that the decrease in driving is having an impact on both states’ highway toll revenues. This is a little harder to show because all of the roads he looked at raised their toll fees last year.
NJ Turnpike = traffic down 8.9 percent but revenue was up 22 percent.
PA Turnpike = traffic down 5.9 percent but revenue was up 10.9 percent.
Impact on gas tax revenues
PA liquid fuels tax collections down $100 million from $1.2 billion.
NJ motor fuel tax collections up $2.3 million from $561million.
What about you?
Are you driving less? if so, Why?
Are you using mass transit more often?
Are you thinking about buying a more gas efficient car?
Is this the time for lawmakers to begin investing more in bike and pedestrian friendly pathways?
Is this an argument for more mass transit funding?
Is there a message in all this for the auto industry? If so, What?
March 24th, 2009 at 8:50 am
I rarely drive but that is because I choose to live in the city and am fortunate to be able to walk to work each day. Better public transit would be nice. Fuel prices will go up again so fuel efficiency in vehicles must continue to improve. We’re too spread out as a nation for public transit to be the #1 choice of commuters.
March 24th, 2009 at 10:32 am
I’m actually driving more - I used to take the train to work but I got a new job that isn’t as accessible by train so I’m driving. I could take the bus to my new job - but I hate the bus so I drive instead. I also work until 8pm some nights and not comfortable with taking the bus and walking home after dark.
We are driving less in non-work ways though - since we don’t have as much spare cash to spend we’re spending more time entertaining ourselves at home and less time driving around ‘doing stuff’
Now that I am driving more I want an electric or hybrid car even more. I have a compact car and am averaging 20mpg city driving - I want to get even better. An EV with a range of at least 30 miles (a gas range extender like the Volt would be ideal) since most days I only drive 15 miles at the most.
March 24th, 2009 at 11:31 am
I think people are just being smart about how they get to places. I for one have always been a walker; I guess that’s how I get my exercise done.
People think I’m crazy for walking from 5th & Girard to Temple University or into the city. But isn’t that why William Penn developed the city into what it is…a walkable city?