Not necessarily. There are other factors at play that explain the US's declining appetite for gasoline. These factors include increased mass transit usage, increased fuel economy, and increasing Ethanol usage. Ethanol production alone nearly tripled between 2006 and 2012. And mass transit ridership is hitting new records, straining the capacity of the US mass transit systems:
Use of public transit is soaring. Transit agencies had record or near-record ridership in the first three months of the year, thanks to high gas prices, a mild winter and, in one city, the Super Bowl.
At least a dozen communities set records for the number of people riding buses, trains and light rail, even though some cut service because of tight budgets, according to the American Public Transportation Association. More people returning to work helped, says Michael Melaniphy, the association's president and CEO.
He says ridership on what's called heavy rail — subways and elevated trains — increased in 14 of the 15 systems that have such transit. Use of light rail — streetcars and trolleys — rose in 25 of the 27 cities that have it. And 34 of 37 large cities saw increases in bus ridership. "It's nationwide," Melaniphy says. The result: fuller trains and buses straining the capacity of systems.
In Indianapolis, ridership on IndyGo's 30 bus routes was up 20% in the first three months of this year compared with that period last year, from 2.1 million rides to 2.5 million. Thousands of visitors for the Super Bowl in February, combined with a mild winter that made it easier for people to wait outside for a bus, contributed to the increase, says Bryan Luellen, an IndyGo spokesman. But the agency has a tight budget, he says, and as more riders fill the buses, there is little room to expand. "There are definitely loads where you can't handle demand, such as during rush hour," he says. Many riders don't have a car or take the bus because it is cheaper than driving.
San Diego's Metropolitan Transit System saw a record first quarter: 21.8 million rides on its three light-rail lines and 89 bus routes. The previous first-quarter record was 21.4 million in 2009.
Passengers such as Milt Phegley, 60, are one reason. Phegley calls himself a "choice rider," someone who could drive to work but chooses to ride the light rail and bus. He says he became a daily rider because of rising gas prices, which averaged $4.35 a gallon in May in California. He said a 40% discount from his employer on the $72 monthly transit pass didn't hurt. Every month, Phegley says, he sees more riders.
Use of public transit is soaring in 2012Fueled partly by rising gas prices, public transportation ridership across the USA increased by 2.31% in 2011 over the previous year, the American Public Transportation Association reports. Americans last year took 235 million more trips on buses, trains and subways than in 2010. That's the most ridership since 2008, when gas prices soared to a national average of $4.11 a gallon in July.
Also driving ridership: an improving economy. Greater use came despite more than eight out of 10 transit systems either cutting service, increasing fares or both in recent years, says Michael Melaniphy, the association's president and CEO. "Can you imagine what ridership growth would have been like if they hadn't had to do those fare increases and service cuts?" An upside to recessionary times is transit agencies were forced to operate more efficiently and better care for existing systems and equipment.
Increased ridership was seen across the USA, the transportation association found. "It's not just an urban thing ," Melaniphy says. "When you look at small, rural parts of the country, cities under 100,000, the ridership increase was 5.4%, basically double the national average."
Intercity Transit in Olympia, Wash., for instance, saw its highest use in its 31-year history. Last year, there were 17,000 passenger trips a day, spokeswoman Meg Kester says. "More and more people are turning to transit as a transportation solution, not only in terms of travel to school and jobs, but also a solution for people's pocketbooks," she says.
Public transportation use up across the nation in 2011The oil barrel is half-full.
