Get ready for the gas crunch this summer

[sysyphus]

I was reading somewhere that 80% of SUVs in the Toronto area are exclusively used by only the driver.

Coincidently, as I was drving to work this morning, I was counting the heads in all the cars around me, and it's very sad how many were only occupied by just one person. The GO Train runs along the side of that highway, and I couldn't help but think about how many of these cars and SUVs could be replaced by but one of those carriages.

I live in the city, and it's mostly smaller cars, but as I work my way out to the suburbs, the size just grows and grows.

What's the situation like in Calgary?

 

[Damnyankee]

My overall impression is that the USA has very little public transport compared to Europe, is therefore more dependent on private cars, and thus heavily dependent on private purchases of fuel - there is no easy way for them to avoid that!

Hmm from what I recall, NYC and every major city in the US has a huge public transportation apparatus.

 

[SonicX]

Public transportation is a pain the ass, also in Europe... even in the most densily packed railroad system in the world in Belgium

If I want to drive from home to my room at campus, it takes me about 45 minutes to do 80 km (50 miles)
If I need to take public transport, which I will have to do with these outrageous prices, I takes me 30 minutes to get to the first station by bus, then I'll have a 20 minute wait for the train, then I'll be on the train for 1h15min, I'll wait 10 min for the bus which also takes 15min to bring me where I need to be.

45 minutes by car versus 2 and a half hours by public transport...

If I can choose low gas prices versus no public transport, I'd choose low gas prices without a doubt.

 

[Dida]

wide spread use of public transit for the USA is impractical, the population is not dense enough to support it, and no one will use it in the smaller towns where driving is nice and easy.
even in huge metropolis like NYC, the MTA is losing millions every year. that is puzzling, since all the trains are packed during rush hours, it is said that they move up to 10 million folks a day with those subways.
but really, major cities should spend higher percentage of their budge on improve mass transit, especially commuter rail lines that goes directly into city center, so folks living in the subs can drive to and park at the local train station and take the train to work.
at this point, driving is a must in the USA, even if you live in NYC.