« Taking the Slow Lane to HSR | Main | Thursday Morning at the Matt and Paula Show »
July 2, 2010
End to a Positive Trend?
Sightline reports that per-capita gasoline usage in the Northwest is seeing an uptick after nearly a decade of decline.
Posted by Chris Smith at 11:42 AM
Comments
July 2, 2010 12:20 PM
Bob R. Says:
I speculate that some small portion of this change may be attributed to the bad economy causing people to spend less on preventative maintenance - tune-ups, proper tire inflation, etc., which can impact mileage. Combine that with a lot of wet weather and the fact that on most cars with A/C engaging the defogger also engages the A/C and reduces mileage.
Certainly doesn't explain the whole thing, but I'd love to know if anyone has studied the effect of those factors on recent trends.
July 2, 2010 12:35 PM
Bob R. Says:
(And, as a commenter mentioned at the linked article, the price spike in gasoline a couple of years ago may have depressed the usage unusually prior to the 2009 uptick.)
July 2, 2010 1:02 PM
Jason Barbour Says:
I'd also agree with some of the commenters on the linked article that those who do have jobs and places to go have had to give up shifts and locations where walking, biking, and transit use aren't an option.
If one needs to be at work in a call center in a suburban business ghetto-er-park at 4 AM, there's no choice on how they can get there.
