Higher Gas Prices, less driving
Americans drove 42 billion fewer miles during the first 6 months of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007. The break up was:
Month | Drop in miles (billion) |
Jan | 3.6 |
Feb | 1.0 |
Mar | 11.1 |
Apr | 3.9 |
May | 10.2 |
Jun | 12.2 |
(figures from USA Today Aug 22)
As you can see as the gas prices rose over the year, the driving dropped tremendously. Personally I have always felt that there is a strong case in the US for a strong mass transit system based on railway, but somehow the oil lobby has held this entire country to ransom!