Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

There is an upside to rising gas prices, increased use of mass transit. This should not be a surprise, but in the land of pedestrian killing SUVs, it is a bit surprising. > Higher gas prices are bringing some Americans back to public transit. > > The increase in ridership comes as the war in Iran has disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing the national average price of gasoline beyond $4.50 per gallon. In California, drivers are paying more than $6.15 per gallon on average. > > Rising fuel prices have historically pushed at least some Americans toward buses and trains, particularly commuter rail. But experts caution that decades of car-oriented development and inconsistent transit funding still leave most people with few practical alternatives to driving. > > For those reasons, ridership is rising most sharply in places with robust transit systems and steep fuel prices. There are a whole host of societal ills that are tied to America's pathological obsession with cars. Thould this change, it would be a good thing.