The benefits of high gas prices

Posted by Tad Johnson - Apr 10th, 2008 at 17:04

As anyone who drives regularly is fully aware, gas prices are high. Quite high. Like $3.50 high. This may seem like a real drag when you’re paying $40 or $50 a tank, especially since prices move seemingly arbitrarily.

But as with most things, there is a silver lining!

cityplacedart2.jpgAfter dismantling our national mass transit system in the early 1900s and replacing it with sprawling suburbs and highways, this just may be the time to rebuild. (The reader may note that some of the largest cities in the U.S. have functional mass transit. I will remind the reader that every city of any size once had mass transit systems.)

The one-two punch of foreclosure fears and rising fuel prices will likely serve as strong encouragement for Americans to move back closer to the city centers at which point it becomes economical once again to build mass transit.

For this vicenarian, I can’t wait. What do you think?

6 Comments »

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  1. A solid argument for a gas tax:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/opinion/14friedman.html

    Not only would we see an increase in public transportation and more energy efficient cars, but less money would go to terrorists and more money would be kept at home.

    Comment by Erik W — April 11, 2008 #

  2. Here’s the two problems I see with the ’silver lining’.

    1. How long does it take to complete a transit project, much less building a whole system?

    I’ve seen some projects, despite being well funded, take decades to complete.

    2. How much will all this cost, especially when you consider the rising cost of materials, fuel (the stuff has to get there somehow, and horse drawn carts aren’t practical), and the fact that tax revenues are shrinking in the face of the coming recession?

    I can remember the debate in some cities back in the 70’s: Building a transit system that will come on line in 15 years, or replacing a 120 year old water system that had a major pipe break last week?

    Comment by jrandom42 — April 11, 2008 #

  3. I think you’re right, but we are also heavily subsidizing development further from city centers and people don’t want to pay for mass transit. They want their gas to be cheap. What happened in the ’50s with purposeful destruction of mass transit systems throughout the country was vile and such an unbelievable waste. It will cost cities (who tend to be cash-strapped) a lot of money to rebuild that infrastructure. I want to believe that we will become more urban and make better planning decisions because we are forced to, but I still worry that people will continue to demand what’s easy.

    Comment by Claire — April 12, 2008 #

  4. I’d like to see the return to the city. I just don’t think it’s going to happen. Perception is everything. People are worried about crime. In everyone’s mind, and in reality also. Crime’s of necessity happen more often in the city. The crime in the burbs (I believe anyway )are more crimes of passion. I think we will stay in the suburbs where we perceive it to be safer. I’m justa saying!

    Comment by Mark Krusen — April 12, 2008 #

  5. Some of the comments above suggest that we’ll keep living in the suburbs even with high gas prices. My view is that it’s just not possible–with the exception of some very wealthy communities, no one is going to voluntarily drop $100/day just to drive back and forth from their McMansion. (In my most humble opinion, of course)

    Comment by Tad Johnson — April 13, 2008 #

  6. […] a theme as of late : gasoline is getting really expensive. On these pages, I’ve offered a silver lining to the escalating costs as well as some ideas to keep the costs down. Here’s another that […]

    Pingback by thevicenarian.com » Save 17 cents per gallon — April 16, 2008 #

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