Americans traveled 3.7% less in May 2008 compared to 2007 - record drop

[HoosierRon]

Once less solid gold bidet for some Saudi prince...

TRAFFIC VOLUME TRENDS

Travel on all roads and streets changed by -3.7 percent for May 2008 as compared with May 2007.

Year to date total mileage is the lowest since 2003.

Pages 9 and 10 show some great graphs.

[Carver]

I also heard that traffic deaths are down about 9%.

[tgagneguam]

Sounds like the demand of oil driving prices substantially higher is accomplishing in a brief period of time what no amount of legislation from the U.S. government could ever hope to achieve: moving this nation [begrudgingly?] toward different behaviors with respect to energy consumption.

I bet interest in and the purchase of alternative fuel sources is up. Higher oil prices have a tendency to make alternative sources more attractive. I know that come this September, when my dual-fuel furnace arrives, I will gladly be extricating myself from the home heating oil market. That's 800 gallons less of home heating oil the market will have to provide to this American this year (and in subsequent years). And I bet all the various GM and non-GM folks who are tied to the Volt are secretly praying for supra-$4.00/gallon gasoline upon its arrival.

Let's hear it for [relatively] free markets!

[zete]

Originally Posted by tgagneguam

Sounds like the demand of oil driving prices substantially higher is accomplishing in a brief period of time what no amount of legislation from the U.S. government could ever hope to achieve: moving this nation [begrudgingly?] toward different behaviors with respect to energy consumption.

I bet interest in and the purchase of alternative fuel sources is up. Higher oil prices have a tendency to make alternative sources more attractive. I know that come this September, when my dual-fuel furnace arrives, I will gladly be extricating myself from the home heating oil market. That's 800 gallons less of home heating oil the market will have to provide to this American this year (and in subsequent years). And I bet all the various GM and non-GM folks who are tied to the Volt are secretly praying for supra-$4.00/gallon gasoline upon its arrival.

Let's hear it for [relatively] free markets!

I truly hope folks are re-examining priorities, etc.

I still recall commuting with a DC area buddy of mine from north of Baltimore to Richmond. I thought he was daft. 2+ hours each way each day on a GOOD day. No thanks. And he wouldn't consider moving closer to work. I never understood it.

Then again, I saw the same daft behavior in Toronto and Silicon Valley, and I'm not even going to talk about LA. I just don't get the notion of commuting for such long periods to your job. It's why I have no use for a cottage -- who wants to go back and forth! -- and live close to downtown -- short commutes, can use public transit. I'd rather have those hours to spend on things I enjoy -- family, relaxing, whatever -- as opposed to stuck in a car.

In fact, what's kept me in Ottawa has a lot to do with those times in my career when I spent long periods in Silicon Valley, Toronto, and the DC area. For a guy used to a 15 minute commute, even at rush hour, I never did get used to a long commute. (I notice Ottawa made #19 in best places to live -- TO is higher at #15, which I fail to comprehend but I'm not a big city person)

Hopefully folks are figuring out better ways of spending their time than behind the wheel of their vehicles. It'll help the US trade deficit, too.

[K-1]

I traveled 0% less. The only places I drive to are work, the grocery store, and the golf course. Do people really drive that unnecessarily that they can cut miles out of their daily lives?

[Ming]

I know a guy who has a son who drives 6 hours one way to see him at least once a month. He stopped driving Mom's Tahoe and now drives a used Honda his father bought him. And he only does it once a month instead of maybe twice. So the driving is down, but the gas usage is down, too.

[GMC-70]

Originally Posted by tgagneguam

Sounds like the demand of oil driving prices substantially higher is accomplishing in a brief period of time what no amount of legislation from the U.S. government could ever hope to achieve: moving this nation [begrudgingly?] toward different behaviors with respect to energy consumption.

I bet interest in and the purchase of alternative fuel sources is up. Higher oil prices have a tendency to make alternative sources more attractive. I know that come this September, when my dual-fuel furnace arrives, I will gladly be extricating myself from the home heating oil market. That's 800 gallons less of home heating oil the market will have to provide to this American this year (and in subsequent years). And I bet all the various GM and non-GM folks who are tied to the Volt are secretly praying for supra-$4.00/gallon gasoline upon its arrival.

Let's hear it for [relatively] free markets!

I think you are exactly right. I have just purchased a pellet stove to supplement my oil burner for the upcoming heating season. If home heating oil stays about 4.50 or higher I may recoup all of my costs in the first year alone. I would tend to belive that there are many Americans doing this same sort of thing as pellet stoves are in short supply right now. The one downside is that pellets have pretty much doubled in cost in the last few years due to a combination of higher demand and increased costs for transportation. But it is still much cheaper and when the market stabilizes I think pellets should drop down again. It really all depends where you live--on Long Island they are now $350 a ton, but in states in where the pellets are actaully produced they are much less expensive.

[steinravnik]

Originally Posted by zete

I truly hope folks are re-examining priorities, etc.

I still recall commuting with a DC area buddy of mine from north of Baltimore to Richmond. I thought he was daft. 2+ hours each way each day on a GOOD day. No thanks. And he wouldn't consider moving closer to work. I never understood it.

Then again, I saw the same daft behavior in Toronto and Silicon Valley, and I'm not even going to talk about LA. I just don't get the notion of commuting for such long periods to your job. It's why I have no use for a cottage -- who wants to go back and forth! -- and live close to downtown -- short commutes, can use public transit. I'd rather have those hours to spend on things I enjoy -- family, relaxing, whatever -- as opposed to stuck in a car.

In fact, what's kept me in Ottawa has a lot to do with those times in my career when I spent long periods in Silicon Valley, Toronto, and the DC area. For a guy used to a 15 minute commute, even at rush hour, I never did get used to a long commute. (I notice Ottawa made #19 in best places to live -- TO is higher at #15, which I fail to comprehend but I'm not a big city person)

Hopefully folks are figuring out better ways of spending their time than behind the wheel of their vehicles. It'll help the US trade deficit, too.

From north of Baltimore to Richmond? That is a 4 hour trip with no traffic. With traffic, it's 3 hours just to DC.

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by zete

I truly hope folks are re-examining priorities, etc.

I still recall commuting with a DC area buddy of mine from north of Baltimore to Richmond. I thought he was daft. 2+ hours each way each day on a GOOD day. No thanks. And he wouldn't consider moving closer to work. I never understood it.

Then again, I saw the same daft behavior in Toronto and Silicon Valley, and I'm not even going to talk about LA. I just don't get the notion of commuting for such long periods to your job. It's why I have no use for a cottage -- who wants to go back and forth! -- and live close to downtown -- short commutes, can use public transit. I'd rather have those hours to spend on things I enjoy -- family, relaxing, whatever -- as opposed to stuck in a car.

In fact, what's kept me in Ottawa has a lot to do with those times in my career when I spent long periods in Silicon Valley, Toronto, and the DC area. For a guy used to a 15 minute commute, even at rush hour, I never did get used to a long commute. (I notice Ottawa made #19 in best places to live -- TO is higher at #15, which I fail to comprehend but I'm not a big city person)

Hopefully folks are figuring out better ways of spending their time than behind the wheel of their vehicles. It'll help the US trade deficit, too.

I work with people who commute to DC from Fredericksburg and Baltimore - some even as far as from West Virginia or Pennsylvania - but a commute from Baltimore to Richmond is insane! Why not just move to Richmond - it isn't nearly as costly as living inside the (DC) beltway...

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by HoosierRon

Once less solid gold bidet for some Saudi prince...

TRAFFIC VOLUME TRENDS



Year to date total mileage is the lowest since 2003.

Pages 9 and 10 show some great graphs.

Wow, for urban travel, check out how much May breaks from 2007 and earlier! Amazing...

[steinravnik]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

I work with people who commute to DC from Fredericksburg and Baltimore - some even as far as from West Virginia or Pennsylvania - but a commute from Baltimore to Richmond is insane! Why not just move to Richmond - it isn't nearly as costly as living inside the (DC) beltway...

When I first moved to the DC area, I lived in the Woodbrige area in northern VA. At only 20 miles away from downtown, driving took 2 hours during rush hour. I drove to the metro and cut it down to just over an hour. That wore on me after two years of it, and that is why I decided that it didn't matter what kind of house I had out there, it just wasn't worth the commute. To commute from Frednecksburg is insane. I don't know anyone that wants to live out there now. I guess that explains why house prices are plummetting in those far out exurbs and not so much inside the beltway.

[Orbit Orange]

I also heard that traffic deaths are down about 9%.

Which if true is a GOOD thing. But in my area motorcycle fatalities are UP.

[wescoent]

Ahem... let's clarify that American DROVE 3.7% less.

There are other ways to travel... my train has been absolutely jam-packed for the last few months.

[benroethig]

Originally Posted by wescoent

Ahem... let's clarify that American DROVE 3.7% less.

There are other ways to travel... my train has been absolutely jam-packed for the last few months.

You're one of the few who has that option.

[wescoent]

Originally Posted by benroethig

You're one of the few who has that option.

Well, then let's get moving on giving MORE people that option.