April 24, 2006
The Upside of High Gas Prices
As some one who has been critical of overspending on Mass Transit Systems that no one uses, the fact is that if gas prices go high enough, people will use public transit.
Having just experienced the generally decent Bay Area system (BART), one has to ask why so many conservatives sneer at decent public transit.
Sure, massive payroll and pension piggery are problems that need to be solved, but what is wrong with excellent mass transit.
We haven't even started to calculate the upside to $3.00+ gas. A better US auto industry and better mass transit are two big vats of lemonade we can make out of this lemon.
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Drivers switch to public transit
Among mass transit systems:•Washington, D.C. Thursday was the sixth-busiest day in history on Metrorail, the area's train system, while Tuesday was the ninth busiest. There were no special events in the area to explain the higher ridership. "We think gas prices had something to do with it," Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority spokeswoman Candace Smith says.
•Salt Lake City. Ridership is up 50% on the 19-mile, light-rail system in Salt Lake City from a year ago. The Utah Transit Authority has added 10 used rail cars it bought from San Jose, Calif., to meet demand. But in some cases, cars are becoming so packed that the doors are dragging on the platforms at stops because of the increased weight, spokesman Justin Jones says.
Riders responding to onboard polling increasingly are saying they are motivated to take public transportation because of higher gas prices, Jones says.
•Tulsa. Tulsa Transit's March ridership was the highest since August 2003. For the fiscal year, which began in July, trips on the bus system are up 28% from the prior year.
•San Francisco. After taking a "nosedive" in recent years, ridership on Bay Area Rapid Transit is up 4.1% this fiscal year, which began July 1, spokesman Linton Johnson says. He attributes the gain to heavier traffic and higher gas prices.
The increase in ridership, or number of trips, is similar to last year when gasoline prices hit record levels, William Millar, of the American Public Transportation Association, says. The number of trips nationwide was up 5% in August and September compared with the same months in 2004. "It looks like history is repeating itself," he says. "The spike in gas prices is causing many people to look for ways to beat the high cost, and trying transit is one of the things they are doing."
Posted by Bruno Behrend at April 24, 2006 11:12 AM
Comments
Wow, I wish I could use Mass Transit in Atlanta (where I live), but there are a few barriers to entry:
1. I live in Cobb County, and MARTA only covers DeKalb and Fulton. In fact, for the five major Atlanta metro counties, there are four separate mass-transit systems.
2. Light rail in Atlanta only goes one really useful place: the airport. To get there, I have to drive 30 minutes to a rail station, then wait for a train. It does save me about $5 per day (in parking fees) but it's still a pain.
3. Cobb County buses don't have routes on either of the two main streets closest to me.
4. In order to connect from CCT to MARTA (to get to work in Fulton County), I'd have to drive ten minutes, take a bus to the transfer center DOWNTOWN, then catch several other buses to get back to where I work, which is within three miles of the Cobb/Fulton county line.
Some cities just aren't made for mass transit. More fool they. If I lived in DC or NY, I'd be all about the subway.
Posted by: Josh Cohen at April 25, 2006 10:09 AM
Josh,
All very good points. Wait for gas be above $3.00 long enough, and the market may create some alternatives for you.
That's how things are supposed to work.
Posted by: Bruno at April 25, 2006 10:42 AM
Bruno,
I take the bus to work in a system (RTD-Denver) that is generally regarded as one of the best in the nation. It has none of the issues of back-transfers that Josh mentioned, and generally hits every major employment center in the Denver metro area.
It has a big flaw: RTD used its political muscle to get the CO Lege to pass a law banning charging for carpooling. Or at least advertising for fee for services. This was done purely as a competition-purging mechanism. I would humbly submit that advertising for Fees for carpooling will do a LOT more for bringing the gas price down than any Light-rail line RTD (or any transit agency) decides to build.
BTW, it has been proven in Los Angeles that building rail-transits lines (Light-rail and Subway, in LA's case) causes cutbacks in Bus service due to financial reasons. South Central LA was often the victim of said cutbacks. LA's MTA is now under a consent decree to increase bus service in South Central to replace the cuts, at the expense of further Light-rail building. I fear the same thing could happen to a lot of poorer Denver neighborhoods with this new rail binge RTD is on.
Posted by: Brad S at April 25, 2006 01:09 PM
Brad,
Outlawing paid carpooling is one of the examples of Government policy making that should trigger public beatings of elected officials.
We live in a nation ruled by morons (and the morons who elected them). It is enough to make the thinking man believe that breaking laws is the only rational way to live in this society.
Posted by: bruno at April 26, 2006 12:27 AM