[Schaumburger]

It's not so much an American transit problem, it's a Michigan transit problem.
It's evident Michiganders don't realize what they can have as other more extensive transit systems that other cities and states have had now for decades. For instance, in suburban Chicago I can choose between bus or train to get around. It depends on if the society in which you live values an extensive public transport system. In many states and cities its a value that is almost taken for granted. In Michigan, its just a social service.

It's the "social service" mentality that has decimated a base for public transit in Michigan to grow. The glimmer of hope is coming from Metro Grand Rapids where a recent revelation by Holland's Mayor is calling for Holland's transit to "hook up" with Grand Rapids. It's forward thinking like that will only encourage more proactive investments (1 dollar spent on transit returns 5) in a Metro wide transit system. Michigan can no longer apply the bare bones attitude towards transit, but must invest in a network that makes the system more effective i.e. rail transit.

[JenM]

As of right now, we spend almost $500.00 a month on gas! My husband drives 200 miles a day to work, so he usually fills up about 3-4 times a week! It's costing alot. Ugh! I am dreading $3.00/ gal!

[magellan]

Considering that gas prices always "spike" just before the Summer travel season, and then "settle" down into a higher price throughout the Summer, it will be interesting to see where the new average price lands. I'm guessing higher than $3.00/gallon. If there were a rail transit system in GR, I'd gladly drop off my car at a station and ride downtown to work every day, in a heartbeat.

[wallstreet1986]

Originally Posted by JenM

As of right now, we spend almost $500.00 a month on gas! My husband drives 200 miles a day to work, so he usually fills up about 3-4 times a week! It's costing alot. Ugh! I am dreading $3.00/ gal!

No one should be driving 200 miles a day to work. Period. Rearrange your jobs or living area. I couldn't imagine that long a commute.

[TurboState]

Originally Posted by JenM

As of right now, we spend almost $500.00 a month on gas! My husband drives 200 miles a day to work, so he usually fills up about 3-4 times a week! It's costing alot. Ugh! I am dreading $3.00/ gal!

Time for a lifestyle adjustment!

My wife and I made the decision to move close to our workplaces in 2001. As a result instead of a 1 hour commute, she has a 5 minute commute. Now I work out of the home, so I have 0 commute. The days of suburban living + urban working with commutes is coming to an end.

Your monthly gasoline cost are more than our entire set of bills combined!

Natural Gas, Electric, Phone, Internet, Cable, Tivo, Car Insurance, Water Bill all combine to be much less than just your single gas bill! That is simply ridiculous when you think about it!

[MittenDweller82]

You'll see me along I-94 on my specialized road bike (j/k I don't want to be road kill). American needs to come to the realization that they are going to have to pay more for what we use. Considering we consume than many 3rd worlds combined with similar populations, 4-5 a gallon isn't far off. The UK and most of Europe have already shifted from being extremely dependent on oil (and never had the urge to buy Environmental Recking Vehicles (ERV'S) or as we call them suv's. Until we can stomach gas sipping transit and the expansion of public transit (or utilization of more frequently) we are dooming ourselves. Buy a bike, save 30 pounds a day of bad emissions from entering our atmosphere. Stop sprawl needed to develop roads for vehicles, and everything that cascades with it. Amen, lets step back in time 300 years and be happy.

[TurboState]

Originally Posted by Sociologist

Stop sprawl needed to develop roads for vehicles, and everything that cascades with it. Amen, lets step back in time 300 years and be happy.

This is more true than you probably think.. Almost everything done the old way is better.. In the process of taking our family more healthy and earth friendly, we realized that we are just going back to the older ways of living. One of the benefits of doing that today is you get the benefits but none of the major downsides. Most of what modern technology has brought us is ill health, more stressed and frantic living, and depression. What good is all of this so-called technology that is supposed to make our lives easier when all it does is have major downsides? Lets take a look;

Organic or Locally Grown meats and produce. (healthy)
Biking/walking more, driving less. (healthy)
Reading books more than watching TV (healthy mind)

We recently discovered that a WiFi system we put in our home was causing severe health issues with my kids (headaches, sleeplessness, etc). Another fine example of technology having major downsides and health consequences. Due to health concerns from new high powered microwave level cordless phones we've taken our house back to wired old fashioned phones.

Those are just a couple examples, but in general, we'd taking some major steps BACKWARDS to improve our health and lifestyles. Forgoing technology where it isn't really needed, and has significant downsides.

Ultimately, I think we'll end up cooking our own gooses and eventually we will be forced to go back to the old, natural, and more healthy ways. It might take a couple hundred years for that though - if bees keep being killed by cell phone towers, it will move it up to a couple decades. Just a guess.

[AussieMale]

Its up around $3.80 to $4.00 US a gallon over here today , its been much higher in months gone past , so the USA is still much cheaper than Australia.

Head out bush n you can pay as much as around $6.00 US a gallon n then some depending where the hell you are in the outback.

[magikald]

Originally Posted by JenM

As of right now, we spend almost $500.00 a month on gas! My husband drives 200 miles a day to work, so he usually fills up about 3-4 times a week! It's costing alot. Ugh! I am dreading $3.00/ gal!

Holy crap!!!

DH and I carpool. When gas is about $3.00 a gallon, we spend about $400 a month in gas. 90 miles a day. In a few months, we may have to end up driving seperately due to his job moving. I don't even want to think about what gas is going to cost us then.

We are seriously considering moving closer to work. Yes, we live in the country and it is nice...but with 2hrs of commute time daily, who has time to enjoy it???

[UpperPeninsulaRon]

I'm afraid that you have your facts on rail a bit incorrect. You say that Regan shut down the vast majority of rail service in the 1980's. In fact, The Rail Passenger Service Act was signed into law October 30, 1970. This act created Amtrak which eliminated the private railroads from running rail passenger service and created Amtrak to run a much more limited rail network. If memory serves, Ronald Regan was not in office in 1970 when much of the passenger rail network was eliminated.

Originally Posted by TurboState

We've all been victimized by big oil and big corporate interests.

Witness the 1970's, after the first oil crisis, many countries like Brazil worked to remove their dependency on foreign oil. Not the US, we actually dramatically INCREASED our dependency and continued to pay farmers to NOT farm crops that could be refined into oil.

Witness the 1980's when Reagan shut down a vast majority of rail transport in this country. They went even further, defunded Amtrak, and moved commercial transport to big-rigs on the open road. A time when most countries were IMPROVING mass-transit, we were tearing up rails!

Witness the 1990s, the environmental movements were on the rise, remember Earth-Day? Remember recycling craze? Remember the big 90's push towards alternative energy? Remember GM building an EFFECTIVE electric car then quietly destroying them?

Witness the 2000's, the denial years. They've successfully ended recycling in many major cities, they've squished alternative energy. They've buried new technology. In the process lined the pockets of big corporations, big oil, all at the expense of advancement.

Don't kid yourself we should all be riding in 100MPG or higher vehicles and/or cheap mass transit devices by this time. But there has been a concerted effort to keep us addicted to fossil fuels by specific big business/government interests. Tesla showed us free-energy engines over 70 years ago and the best we've been able to do is 20MPG on our average car?

Sorry, I am not buying it anymore. Its time to take a stand from these muppets and pull out their purse strings.