O que acontece quando o preço dos combustíveis aumenta? A resposta para os EUA é bem clara: That question is at the heart of a recent analysis conducted by Bradley Lane of the University of Texas at El Paso. Lane examined fluctuations in gas prices in 33 U.S. cities during a period stretching from January 2002 to March 2009. He then compared these changes to transit ridership patterns in the same cities over the same time. In all cities he looked at bus ridership, while in 21 places, including Los Angeles and Chicago and Washington, he considered rail travel as well.
All told, Lane found a pretty strong link between changes in gas prices and shifts in transit ridership. Every 10 percent increase in fuel costs led to an increase in bus ridership of up to 4 percent, and a spike in rail travel of up to 8 percent. These results suggest a "significant untapped potential" for transit ridership, Lane reports in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Transport Geography. In other words, a significant part of America's love for the automobile may only be its desire for inexpensive transportation.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment