Living Car Free - But.. won't the prayer team reverse this trend?

The Christians were claiming prayerful success for bringing prices down, now we find out that fatalities came down
as prices went up, and non-linearly. I hope they get back out there at the pumps and pray for the fatalities to stay
down- by some miracle or other.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080825/ap_on_go_ot/gas_prices_impact_4

The tail part of the article relates to car free issues:
"
The impact of high gas prices appears to extend well beyond traffic fatalities, also reshaping the way in which Americans travel and where they choose to live. Public transit, from trains to buses, is enjoying a revival. Amtrak, the passenger rail service that once struggled to attract riders, is now so popular it may soon not have enough trains to meet demand.

The increased cost of commuting to work by car is making close-in urban neighborhoods more attractive, accelerating a shift away from suburbs on the fringes of metropolitan areas — neighborhoods that have already been battered by the mortgage credit crisis.

"This is really the first time since the 1970s that people are thinking about driving and about what is the cost of an individual trip," said Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wachovia.

Christopher B. Leinberger, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert on metropolitan development trends, predicts that in many metropolitan areas fringe suburbs will become tomorrow's slums, while walkable neighborhoods close to employment and city amenities become more desirable because of a variety of demographic changes that have been under way for several years.

High gasoline prices that drive up the cost of commuting by car "will just accelerate that," Leinberger said. "

But gas is cheap now! They're practically giving it away!



:bang:

The going rate for gasoline around here is at least 3.48 / gallon. Hardly "giving it away". :cry:

I hope fuel efficient options like amtrak and bicycles keep their popularity.

Christopher B. Leinberger, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert on metropolitan development trends, predicts that in many metropolitan areas fringe suburbs will become tomorrow's slums, while walkable neighborhoods close to employment and city amenities become more desirable because of a variety of demographic changes that have been under way for several years.

High gasoline prices that drive up the cost of commuting by car "will just accelerate that," Leinberger said. "

It shouldn't take a Phd to figure this out. I'm not sure they will all be slums, but the highest real estate will naturally exist close to a city's core ... if all current trends continue. Suburbs that have larger backyards may become desirable for market gardeners, although I can't imagine who will find the 10,000 sq ft houses affordable. Suburbs that can evolve may become viable communities, where citizens band together to create markets and employment within their own boundaries.

I don't subscribe to the notion that outside city limit will degenerate into some Mad Max scenario. But it will take some adapting to avoid it.

The SUV driving soccer mom crowd is alive and well. The suburbs aren't going downhill. The guy who drives a half hour to work alone in a gigantic four-door is just fine. Nothing has changed. Anyway, that's my report from Lansing, Michigan.

I don't subscribe to the notion that outside city limit will degenerate into some Mad Max scenario.

Neither do I, I wouldn't really wish it on anyone and I probably shouldn't share this thought as it reveals something ugly about me, but there is something appealing about the thought of all those McMansions in various states of disrepair with rusting mega-SUVs parked on weed-infested lawns.

Neither do I, I wouldn't really wish it on anyone and I probably shouldn't share this thought as it reveals something ugly about me, but there is something appealing about the thought of all those McMansions in various states of disrepair with rusting mega-SUVs parked on weed-infested lawns.

There are still parts of the world where those mega-SUVs would be considered decent housing- or a step up. Earlier in the summer when I was scouting routes through the suburbs I found some sad neighborhoods with many foreclosure auction sales. I also rode through some with not a single for sale sign. The ones with the auction sales seemed to have more cheaply made houses.

The SUV driving soccer mom crowd is alive and well. The suburbs aren't going downhill. The guy who drives a half hour to work alone in a gigantic four-door is just fine. Nothing has changed. Anyway, that's my report from Lansing, Michigan.

I can assure you the same is true here. For the most part, it seems like no one here has changed their habits yet, regardless of gas prices. For a little while I saw a few scooters and more motorcycles, but that's mostly gone now that gas is "cheap" again. :rolleyes: Most people I know are relieved at how "cheap" gas is now, even though just a few months ago they were outraged at these exact same prices. :roflmao2:

What is the old adage...be careful what you pray for:innocent:

Aaron:)

There was a news article online here recently about a fight at a local mall.

Many of the reader comments were along the lines of "that's why I live out in the suburbs", and "I would never live anywhere that was on a bus line".

Around here, there are still HUGE numbers of people that are still scared to death of poor people and brown skin. They will continue to segregate themselves for as long as they possibly can. It is only after urban areas have been thoroughly gentrified by others that they would even begin to consider changing their lifestyles. Even on the lower income end of the scale, it will be quite some time before gas prices endangers this way of life. On the higher end? They couldn't care less.

Of course gas prices will go down, there is less of a demand of it. Once people start using it it'll go right back up.

Also everything may seem the same, but at what cost? BlueCollarJoe cant afford wholesome meals anymore, relying more fast food. SecretaryJason cant afford his tuition for this semester. TeacherMary is unable to afford class supplies for her class this year. But they are all still driving, and they'll all be driving still when gas prices reach $6.00. Because they have to drive, it's either drive and get to work. Or dont drive and starve.

A neighbour of mine is now selling her house to move closer to work. She's noticing the higher fuel prices, but the time factor is much more of an issue for her. At present, she's commuting at least one hour each way. Once she moves, she may be in what she'd consider walking distance.

Housing will be a little more expensive for her but she believes the quality of life will be much better.

Of course gas prices will go down, there is less of a demand of it. Once people start using it it'll go right back up.

Also everything may seem the same, but at what cost? BlueCollarJoe cant afford wholesome meals anymore, relying more fast food. SecretaryJason cant afford his tuition for this semester. TeacherMary is unable to afford class supplies for her class this year. But they are all still driving, and they'll all be driving still when gas prices reach $6.00. Because they have to drive, it's either drive and get to work. Or dont drive and starve.

Relying MORE?:twitchy::roflmao2: Actually from the obesity rates in the US I would say a fair number of the population have been eating junk for years.

Aaron:)