As gas prices increase, more drivers will get out of their cars and on to buses, trains and subways, a study released yesterday by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) predicts.
How many?
If regular gas prices reach $4 a gallon across the nation, as many experts have forecasted, an additional 670 million passenger trips could be expected, resulting in more than 10.8 billion trips per year.
If pump prices jump to $5 a gallon, the report predicts an additional 1.5 billion passenger trips can be expected, resulting in more than 11.6 billion trips per year.
If prices were to soar to $6 a gallon, expectations go as high as an additional 2.7 billion passenger trips, resulting in more than 12.9 billion trips per year.
Of course at $6 a gallon, it might be hard for buses to make their way through the streets because of the throngs of angry drivers shaking their fists and waving signs:
The government said yesterday in its weekly survey that a gallon of regular now averages $3.567 a gallon nationally, but it has hit $4 a gallon on average in California.
“We must make significant, long-term investments in public transportation or we will leave our fellow Americans with limited travel options, or in many cases stranded without travel options,” said APTA President William Millar. “Public transit is the quickest way for people to beat high gas prices if it is available.”
Good argument, but it’s going to be hard to get hard-core drivers out of their cars at any price.
(Source: USA Today)
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2 Responses
I find it hard to sympathise – in the UK we pay $2 PER LITRE which equates to about $8 or more per gallon!!! $3-4 is cheap by comparison. Perhaps Americans will start to buy more economical cars…
By the way when gas goes up the fact is people keep buying it b/c they have no choice – for all the talk of revolution and protest it is simple market economics – supply and demand
As the report is from a trade group that is supporting the productt they sell (public transportation), the report should be taken with a grain of salt. They are using their research to justify asking for more tax dollars – though if market forces will create more revenue for public transit, presumably the government should be able to reduce subsidies since they are no longer needed.