jresta said:
. Even if you weren't i doubt that's going to change much. Americans already live everywhere. I think, in terms of personal travel, time is much more of a factor than price. And price is already nominal. Most Americans don't really care about it anyway. 16mpg anyone? If you have any sense a Honda will take you 100 miles from the nearest gas pump for less than $4.
But the second it costs big SUV owners $40 or more to fill their tanks, they're up in arms. (i.e. television: top stories on gas prices). They do care about price. As long as gas remains under $2.00/gal in the US, they don't have much to argue. They've budgeted for the gas these behemoths need.
I love listening to my uncle-in-laws or father in law talk about how horrible their trucks gas mileage is. They all have pickup trucks, all average 12-16 mpg and all complain about how much gas costs. They all rarely use their trucks, as trucks, for anything other than towing a fishing boat 4-6 times a year in the summer. Their full-size truck is their car otherwise.
It appears to me that cheap, plentiful fuel has allowed this development pattern, social system, and current high QOL to exist. It all changes when the fuel is scarce or pricey.
I was young during the late 70s/early 80s and can't comment first hand on it, but when gas prices outpaced budget amounts, cars got smaller and more fuel-efficient. Of course, the implied QOL or standard of living was also degraded because the option to purchase the large vehicle (which I assume was psychologically tied to QOL and achievement) was impractical.
In the 90s, wages increased, fuel was cheap, big cars became more common.
I think as planners, we need to plan to accommodate many modes of transportation, so that in an event when planes are grounded or airports shut down, the train is still accessible and running. When the train can’t run, cars or plains are available, when fuel is short or streets are closed or don’t get plowed, you can walk to get at least basic necessities.
Btw, if any of my assumptions or logic paths are wrong, please correct me.
