Advice | Community | State Reports | Videos | Photos | Blogs
Join | Login
› improve your world
Sunday, March 21, 2010
  • Earth Matters

    Browse All » Climate Change Energy Politics Recycling Space Translating Uncle Sam Wilderness & Resources

  • Lifestyle

    Browse All » Arts & Culture Eco-Tourism Health & Well-being Natural Beauty & Fashion Outdoor Activities Pets & Animals Responsible Living

  • GREEN TECH

    Browse All » Computers Gadgets & Electronics Research & Innovations

  • Eco-Biz

    Browse All » Building, Products, Supplies Money & Green Jobs Sustainable Business Practices

  • food

    Browse All » Beer Healthy Eating & Recipes Organic Farming Wine & Spirits

  • Your Home

    Browse All » Around the House Green Building & Remodeling

  • Transportation

    Browse All » Alternative Transportation Cars

  • family

    Browse All » Raising a Family

MNN.COM›MNN BLOGGERS›

Jim Motavalli's Blog

Jim Motavalli

Driving less these days? Join the big American club

Last December, driving declined 1.6 percent across the U.S. compared to the previous year. That may not sound like much, but it's 3.8 billion miles.
Sun, Mar 08 2009 at 9:23 PM EST
Read more: ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION, CARPOOLING & RIDESHARE, CARS

Americans are driving less these days. (Credit: Flickr)

 

It’s official, Americans are driving a lot less, and it’s not because gas prices are high. Because they are not, in fact, high.
 
According to Doug Hecox, a spokesman for the Federal Highway Administration, our vehicles miles traveled (VMT) has declined for 14 straight months. Keep in mind that VMT has been on a steady upward curve since at least 2002. Charted, it looks like Rush Limbaugh’s blood pressure since Barack Obama was elected.
 
“The decline might have been triggered by high gas prices, but then it morphed into something else,” Hecox said. “The variables are hazy and blurry to a non-economist like me, but around the time gas prices started to go down last September, Wall Street melted down. The economy became progressively more difficult for a lot of folks, and that meant they were maybe not going to work every day, not going out for that luxury dinner or taking that road trip to Cape Cod.”
 
The largest VMT declines were in rural areas, suggesting that they’re the hardest hit economically, Hecox said.
 
The fuel economy of the average car was 22.098 mpg in 2008, compared to 22.039 in 2007. Not a huge change, of course, but when combined with the VMT drop it was enough to affect gas tax collection by the Department of Transportation: It was down $71 million in fiscal 2008 compared to the year before.
 
There are multiple good sides to this, of course. We used 5.25 billion fewer gallons of gasoline in 2008, the DOT says, and that means we imported less, too. Global warming emissions are in a direct line with fuel economy, so the worldwide drop in consumption is positive news there, too. Every gallon we burn generates 19.4 pounds of carbon dioxide, after all. Smog season is coming up, and we’re in better on that front as well.
 
Since gas tax revenues are evaporating, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had the temerity to talk about taxing VMT instead of gasoline. A global positioning device in your car can track miles traveled since your last fill-up, and the tax applied to the price you pay at the pump. Oregon tried it as a pilot project, but it’s unlikely to go national anytime soon. Barack doesn't like it.
 
After LaHood’s musing, the White House made it plain the concept will be stillborn on his watch. “It is not and will not be the policy of the Obama administration, said Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. According to the Washington Post, the exchange with reporters last month continued this way:
 
QUESTION: So was Secretary LaHood speaking out of turn here? Was he...
 
GIBBS: I would direct you to Secretary LaHood on that.
 
QUESTION: Well, we actually interviewed him. So that...
 
GIBBS: Well, call him back.
 
And here's yet another citizen unhappy with the concept of a VMT tax:
 

  • Comments
  • Link
  • EMAIL
  • Bookmark and Share
  • RSS
  • Stumble Stumble
  • Tweet Tweet
CLOSE link:
The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.
« Previous
The Future is Bright: A first look at a new plug-in hybrid
   Next »
Ridin' the rails: Auto use down as Americans discover trains

Comments

  • POST A COMMENT
You can’t fool Mother Nature
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA

ADVERTISEMENT

About Jim Motavalli

New York Times contributor blogs about green transportation.

Jim's RSS Jim's profile

From our sponsors

  • Recycling is No Longer Optional
  • Nutrition: Making a Good Dog Great
  • Quiz: Test Your Recycling Knowledge
  • 50 Money Saving Tips for Your Home
  • Taking Action on Climate Change
  • More Beer, Less Water
  • How We Made Our Car Run on Grease
  • Organic Grapes Make Better Wine
  • The Business Case for Sustainability

Mother Nature. Delivered.

MNN's weekly newsletter sent straight to your inbox.
Follow us on Twitter Fan us on Facebook

JIM'S RECENT POSTS

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GREEN TRANSPORTATION
  • Networking on wheels: Honk.com, the car shopping site for Facebook fans
  • Five myths about electric cars
  • Toyota's showdown: The company is calling the runaway Prius owner's bluff
  • Read Jim's Blog
+ add this to my site


Quick Links

  • Earth Matters
  • Lifestyle
  • Green Tech
  • Eco-Biz
  • Food
  • Your Home
  • Transportation
  • Family

 

  • Advice
  • Community
  • State Reports
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Blogs

MNN Tools

  • About us
  • Advisory Board
  • Press
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy
  • Terms of service
  • Contact us

All About MNN

  • Join MNN
  • Newsletters
  • RSS
  • Eco-glossary
  • Widgets
  • MNN Contests
  • MNN Lists
  • MNN Mobile

 

Copyright © 2010 MNN Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Website by GLICK INTERACTIVE | Powered by COLOCUBE
 
SPONSORS