Driving is on the rise again.

[Lazarus]

USA today article.

Using 12-month averages, the study found that driving increased by 0.3% in September, 0.2% in October, 0.3% in November and 0.2% in December over the same periods a year earlier, according to federal data.

[RobertSmalls]

Well, there's good news in that blurb, too:

"It's not clear whether the changes are permanent. The rebound is far from the 21% increase in miles driven from 1995 to 2007"

Hopefully, people trend towards living closer to where they work, cycling more miles, and maybe telecommuting more.

[luvit]

with all this talk about people stepping out of their showers right into their employer's office space make me worried.. are people going to stop showering to conserve water?

[cfg83]

Lazarus -

Maybe it means there are more people going to work (crazy as that seems)? My urban planning teacher said that traffic jams are a sign of a good economy (again, crazy but true).

CarloSW2

[Frank Lee]

Here in Cali, especially in Santa Cruz county, the traffic is HORRIBLE and the economy is too, I'm told.

[Christ]

I think traffic can be both a bane and a beacon in times like this.

[RH77]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Here in Cali, especially in Santa Cruz county, the traffic is HORRIBLE and the economy is too, I'm told.

That's quite a ways from the 10,000 lakes!

My observation (far from Scientific) is that traffic has improved. For example this month, I made it into Detroit without significant delay, and through Cincinnati (with construction) without coming to a stop, both during rush hours (in years past, unheard-of). Back home in KC, the 3rd snowiest Winter on record, combined with accidents / gawkers slow down highway traffic, but overall flow is smooth otherwise.

In the US, we also have to consider the Economic Stimulus and consequent construction. In my travels, infrastructure improvements are noted to be common, with highway lanes down or diverted. This generally creates the notion of congestion.

My guess is that there's a temporary (available) boost in available capital from lenders -- so the end consumer has more in the budget to hit the road. This could mean skipping car-pooling or giving up on public transit.

RH77

[Christ]

Originally Posted by RH77

This could mean ... giving up on public transit.

Heh... I couldn't blame some people for wanting to get out of public transit, really. I rode the bus for awhile in Bing area, NY, and it sucked. 2 hours to go 30 mins up the road? Really? With a lay-over and switching buses in the middle of the trip?

Lest we forget the Epic Beard Man episode... stuff like that should make people rethink public transport "solutions". In every case I've seen/been involved with, PT isn't a solution to anything. It's a poorly constructed potential cage match with a hierarchy not unlike underground fighting leagues.

There have been a few good times on the bus, but far more bad ones.

Until public transport turns into something that can be considered useful, and customer-oriented, it's just another pit for those of us who can't afford cars, insurance, and the like.

[Frank Lee]

I liked the BART in San Fran; fast, efficient, convenient, affordable. I was well served by the bus system in Seattle too. Some areas can be well served by PT but probably not all.

And... Americans get serious about using less gas

[bgd73]

Originally Posted by Christ

I think traffic can be both a bane and a beacon in times like this.

whats a bane.
I said it real fast and thought of bakin' bacon.