As gas goes up, driving goes down (Biggest driving drop ever recorded)

[Junkdrawer]

Source: CNN

As gas goes up, driving goes down

The Department of Transportation said figures from March show the steepest decrease in driving ever recorded.

Compared with March a year earlier, Americans drove an estimated 4.3 percent less -- that's 11 billion fewer miles, the DOT's Federal Highway Administration said Monday, calling it "the sharpest yearly drop for any month in FHWA history." Records have been kept since 1942.

According to AAA, for the first time since 2002, Americans said they were planning to drive less over the Memorial Day weekend than they did the year before.

Tracy and Adam Crews posted on iReport that their annual Memorial Day weekend has traditionally involved camping and fishing.

"Well, due to the continual rise in gas, we felt our only recourse was to nix the idea this year and stay home" in Jacksonville, Florida, they wrote.

....


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/26/gas.driving/index.html

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The Pittsburgh Galleria Mall was to be an economic revival project for the depressed Tarentum, PA area. Huge, record sized project with 'easy access' from the PA Turnpike. My wife and son went there yesterday to celebrate my son's birthday. We had the place to ourselves. Almost completely empty. Spoke to a few merchants and they were terrified.

[latebloomer]

1. Well, the good news is

I read greenhouse gases are going down.

[DS1]

2. We have a sort of open market weekend in our sea coast town

and this year, was it not only smaller, I was stunned at how many people had ridden their bikes there as entire families. Lots of bikes locked up everywhere, lots of people clicking around town in their pedal shoes (you'd think they'd bring some sandals). Of course, the Harley douchebags who just like to idle their bikes while talking about their bikes 10 feet away while people have to move around them still showed up. But in lower numbers.

[Junkdrawer]

3. I live within bicycle distance from work. On rainy/wintry days, I take a bus...

It was standing room only during the school year. I'm noticing more and more older riders like myself this summer. This September should be interesting.

BTW: So far, the bike rack at work is not much fuller than last year. We'll see as it gets more consistently warmer here.

[maseman]

20. Can you explain "Harley douchebags"

You have a problem with people who own Harley's? I can get around for a week on about 15 gallons of fuel versus about 40 in my car. Yes if they leave them running they might be knuckleheads but I wouldn't worry too much about the fuel it takes to idle a Harley.

[AngryAmish]

4. How could this be?

[LiberalEsto]

5. My daughter's taking on-line classes

Instead of driving 20 miles each way to community college, 5 days a week, my daughter opted to take on-line summer classes. All because of the price of gas.

[leftyladyfrommo]

7. Oh, that's kind of sad.

One of the really fun things about college is being able to be on campus - hang out, drink coffee with everyone, have discussions that go on into the nite.

[LiberalEsto]

13. It's not too bad

She previously attended a couple of other colleges and lived in dorms, but I think she wasn't ready for it at the time.

[Crowman1979]

6. Seeing that Montgomery, AL is quite bicycle unfriendly.

I've been limiting my driving to inside the city, making I buy everything I need at the grocery store and use re-usable bags. Then if I need to buy a few items, I take the bicycle. Luckily I live only 10-15 miles away from work and drive a Hyundai Accent, to bad the only way to get there is via the eastern bypass. It sucks trying to ride a bicycle along woodmere while trying to cross the bypass also. They definitely need more pederstrian overpasses and sidewalks in that city. Hopefully I can find a route that doesn't involve going 55 mph, so I can use a motor scooter.

[Bushfire]

8. Weather permitting, I bike every day now

my employer recently added a locker room, and showers too. Will be interesting to see how many more bikers there will be.

[mdmc]

9. Gas prices are causes consumer habits to change.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/26/gas.driving/index.html

[aquart]

10. Surprise!

And, oh look! at all those empty outside of town malls.

[Junkdrawer]

12. The mall in my OP opened about 2 1/2 years ago. At the opening...

I told my wife that it was a dumb idea - you don't solve unemployment due to plant closures with shopping malls.

It's like literally trying to lift yourself up by your bootstraps.

The gas increases are simply escalating an inevitable outcome.

[AndyA]

11. And yet, a decrease in fuel consumption in America will do NOTHING

to reduce worldwide demand. Which means prices will remain high.

China is still going ape sh!t crazy for fuel, which is government regulated so the price remains stable. And the Chinese do LOVE their American SUVs.

So remember that next time you think about shopping at Wal-Mart. Think about how Wal-Mart is one of China's TOP CONSUMERS. The little money you save shopping at Wal-Mart goes right back into China, improving China's economy, so they can consume more gas and keep our gas prices here in the U.S. high.

Don't shop at Wal-Mart!

You are NOT SAVING MONEY - it's a fallacy.

Support locally owned businesses whenever possible, and complain to management and owners if you can't find anything other then foreign made goods. Tell them you want American made, and will pay more for them.

We need to put AMERICA FIRST FOR A CHANGE. It is the only way we will put a stop to this abuse. And not supporting companies who do so much business overseas is a good way to start. We have to start small and make it work from the ground up.

[pokercat999]

21. Huge problem with your post. Almost all PRODUCTS are

made in China. So weather you buy them at Wal-mart or Fred's Friendly Hardware you are still feeding the China monster. We need actual FAIR (level playing field) trade with China.
True fair trade would mean China workers receive the same wages, benefits and safe working conditions that American workers receive. That companies operating in China would meet the same (low) environmental standards of America and the same type of (again very low) regulations companies operating in America meet.
Even better if we could all operate on the European model workers would be better off.

Until we can actually buy products made on a "Fair Trade" basis, no matter from which country, we are all screwed,the exploited worker in China or other low wage country or the purchaser of inferior products worldwide.

[stubtoe]

14. So this is the silver lining - we are changing our consumptive habits.

At least a little bit, and for at least as long as gas prices stay stratospheric. We are being more conscious of the way we use our cars. This is a good thing.

Next, I would like to see more pedestrian-friendly development, MUCH better public transportation options (they kinda suck out here on the Left Coast still), more bike paths and bike-friendly options in towns and cities.

[Junkdrawer]

15. Mass Transit should be one of the top five issues this year.

We desperately need to convert from cars to trains/light rails/busses and, where possible, bicycles.

I live close enough to work to ride a bicycle. Most people don't.

[matt007]

16. You wont see that untli it hits 5$

Americans hate being near each other and sharing things. Mass transit will require people changing their minds completely.

I live close to work too :)

[Township75]

17. 11 billion fewer miles! F'en Awesome! Some don't like high gas prices, but I do!

It may be an inconvenient truth, but the dangers of global warming affect everyone and everything, so they outweigh the cost we pay to drive.

[Junkdrawer]

18. Here's the problem: The wrong people are profiting from the high prices...

Instead of the marginal price increases going toward alternate energy, the obscene profits will be used to insure we remain addicted to oil.

[nwliberalkiwi]

26. Higher Gas Prices

I hope that gas prices sore. Turn the American people to thinking internally, and keep them from doing bad things abroad. The only downside is how this hurts the poor. High gas prices are Karma for America's screw the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shoelace]

19. that's March, wait until April, May figures come out

which, I think, will be even way less miles driven.

Also, I've been hearing from my California relatives that everybody is driving no faster than 50 mph on the freeways!!! Saves up to 40% on mileage I hear and apparently the word is out.

Also, for the first time ever, Interstate 5 near Portland, Oregon was totally empty for exactly 1 minute - not one car or on the freeway - it was awesome (webcam on the morning news traffic report).
It was also 8am in Monday but still.....

[RantinRavin]

22. Let's do some math here

11 billion fewer miles driven.

Assume and average of 20 miles per gallon

This arrives at something close to 1.2 million barrels of fuel not used as compared to last year.

Average refined fuel from the refineries is at about the same level as last year.

According to the DOE, fuel stockpiles fell last month.


Someone is LYING !!!

[sofa king]

23. So there we have it: W has finally lowered emissions.

(Channeling Jon Stewart) Heh heh heh.

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. AFP: Oil prices slip under 127 dollars

LONDON (AFP) — Oil prices slipped back under 127 dollars on Wednesday, falling further from record highs amid concern about the strength of US energy demand while traders digested Indonesia's exit from OPEC.

New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for July delivery, lost 1.87 dollars to 126.98 dollars, after shedding more than three dollars on Tuesday.

Brent North Sea crude for July sank 1.46 dollars to 126.85 dollars, after losing four dollars on Tuesday.

Both contracts had hit historic peaks last week, with Brent at 135.14 dollars and New York at 135.09 dollars on Thursday before sliding as many traders cashed in their gains.

more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ghcSh3dYZwEiquwkmhknsk8j21xg

[lovuian]

25. In reality we really don't need this stuff

when Electric cars comes and other resources kick in

say good bye to gas consumption

the time is coming

In away thanks OPEC

[Manifestor_of_Light]

27. The electricity the car uses has to come from SOMEWHERE.

Electricity is generated by coal or natural gas, usually.

Some form of fuel must be burned to produce electricity. So there is still the use of fuel and the residual heat.

[depakid]

28. Americans are impervious to the laws of thermodynamics

The nation is exceptional, and pesky natural laws don't apply to them.

[NuttyFluffers]

30. well, with electric, you don't have to care about such specifics immediately

the beauty of such a system is that it becomes a flexible device. as long as it's electricity, how it's generated is mostly immaterial to the motor.

and yes, you can create energy by coal and natural gas. or you can be like japan and france and have around 70% created by nuclear. or you could be fortunate like iceland and have 26% of your electricity from geothermal generation (we have a lot of geothermal activity in the US, too). or fortunate like america with the greatest source for wind generation on the planet -- a form of generation now on par with fossil fuels in cost.

or you could be really smart and make use of the latent energy that's passing us by: integrate photovoltaics on every car's roof, hood, and trunk. then grab city and county bio-waste (y'know, the sewage treatment plant -- even septic tanks eventually have the honey wagon make the rounds), sluice it, and light the natural gas just before processing.

really, not very hard at all. and this speaks of nothing about other renewable sources of energy. it naturally requires resources and effort, but guess what, just surviving at any state we're going to be spending resources and effort anyway. might as well decentralize generation and go full tilt into tapping latent sources.

or we can sit on our ass and lament our fate... but life will win out. you either adapt or you die. and there's a hell of a lot of people on earth willing to live. so things are not that bleak on the long-term whole.

[DailyGrind51]

29. The gym bag I used for the health club...

is now used to transport my groceries, leaving my car in the garage and saving gasoline for my commute on Monday.