If (when) gas hits $8/gallon will you take mass transit if it is safe, clean and on time?

Question

I know from experience most mass transit in the US is more of a pain than its worth to take, but sometime it might be fixed hopefully.

Answer 1

I doubt mass transit will ever be a viable alternative for most of the US.  The infrastructure just is not in place.  Carpooling and more efficient automobiles (diesles) are the way things should go.  Even at $8/gallon and 1000 miles/month, if you get 50mpg you'll only spend $160/month on gas, less if you're in a carpool!

Answer 2

No, I will ride a bike in the summer, and pay for gas in the winter. I don't know about everywhere else, but where i am from the public transportation is full of dangerous, loud, and disrespectful people. Plus I don't have the patience or time to wait each hour for a bus...

Answer 3

nope , i won't need to

Answer 4

I can't there is none where I live, and this is why mass transportation will not work.

Answer 5

Yes but there's none where I live or else I'd take it now.

Answer 6

No. Because by that time, there will be cheaper alternatives to fossil fuels. The perceived higher price will force people to demand vehicles that return better fuel mileage. There already are vehicles that use alternative fuels and get high mileage, but right now they are too inconvenient and too expensive for most people to consider. Besides, I am assuming that my income will continue to rise as fuel prices have. Adjusted for inflation, gasoline cost more in 1982 than it does now. In order to force people out of their cars, fuel prices must rise at a faster rate than incomes over a substantial period of time.

Answer 7

I would use mass transit NOW, forget $8/gal gas,  if it were in any way practical where I live.  There are very few cities in the US that have decent mass transit systems (there are a few though...I just don't live there).  

The US needs to invest BIG TIME in mass transit systems IMO.  When gas gets really expensive and people can't afford to drive as much as they do now, our economy is going to go straight in the toilet unless people have some way to get from point A to point B.

Answer 8

When I am able, I already utilize mass transit.  I find not having to worry about dealing with traffic and parking more than worth the additional inconveniences of the bus or subway.

When gasoline is $8 a gallon, I expect I will be earning almost 3 times what I'm making now.  Gasoline costs have kept pace wih inflation, just like every other commodity in the consumer basket.  We pay, in relative dollars, just as much for gasoline now as we have throught most of gasoline's history.  We were getting away with cheap gasoline prior to Katrina, but supply has not kept pace with demand pressures, especially globally.  This has caused gasoline to seem expensive lately.

In 1980, we were paying 1.50/gallon for gasoline.  Now we're paying 2.50-3.50/gallon, so let's say it's doubled.  The average cost of a new car in 1980 was $7500.  Today, the average is over $30,000, 4 times what it was then.  Had gasoline kept pace, it would cost $6/gallon right now.  The average house was 76K, now it's 225K, 3 times as much.  The average salary went from 19K to 42K, slighty more than twice as much.  So relatively speaking, gasoline remains a bargain.

Answer 9

I'd use mass transit now, if we had a really reliable system in this country. So, yeah, at $8.00 a gallon, you bet I would.

Answer 10

I don't believe gas will ever make it to $8.00 a Gallon. It will be a mess everywhere Nation wide. There is no way I would ride public transportation I have 4 children.

Answer 11

wont have to, i bike to work already...gas doesnt cost me a dime. I fill my car once a month and use it for long trips or groceries. other than that i ride.

Answer 12

The closest bus route to my house is 8 miles away and it would take me 90 minutes to get to work riding the bus. I can drive it myself in 20. I'm going to have have to go ahead and say no, I wouldn't use it.

Answer 13

I've been taking mass transit for nearly 20 years, I couldn't get around without it.

Answer 14

If gas ever hits $8/gallon, I am getting rid of my car and finding any other way to commute I can find. Either that or start a business where I can work from home...

Answer 15

BART(Bay Area Rapid Transit) is usually always on time and is cheaper than gas and bridge fees they are all at least $4 around here

Answer 16

I don't think that it's a pain at all. I take th express bus in to work every day and it only takes 17 minutes. I save about $150 on gas and another $100 on parking so I'm very happy. I would love to be able to use it more often and not have to rely on a car anymore. I only pay $25 for a month pass.