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Bill in Congress would
authorize $1.7 billion for public transportation in response to high gas costs
Without sufficient options to driving, Arizona families on average spent their
entire economic stimulus check on high-priced gas. According to new analysis from the Arizona
PIRG Education Fund, since President Bush signed the tax rebates into law on
February 13th, 2008, the average American household spent over $1,500
filling their gas tanks. Gas costs were higher than average in areas without
robust public transportation.
According to the analysis released by the Arizona Public
Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG), since February when President Bush
signed the tax rebates into law, the average cost per household for gasoline
has gone from just over $60 weekly to almost $100 per week. Americans have
responded to higher gas costs by taking public transportation at record rates
in areas where it is available. American drivers traveled fewer miles last year
for the first time in almost thirty years.
Transit agencies have meanwhile struggled to
keep up with the increased ridership volume.
As early as tomorrow, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider
the Saving Energy through Transportation Act, a bill that would authorize 1.7
billion dollars to allow public transit agencies across the country to reduce
fares and to expand services. Over two years, the Phoenix
area would receive $16,682,470; the Tucson area
would receive $4,063,128; Flagstaff $248,322; Prescott $257,816; and the Yuma
area (including part of California)
$494,412. Statewide rural formula funds
would be $3,701,172 for the two years.
“If Congress wants to do something long-term about high gas
prices, it will expand options to driving,” said Diane E. Brown, Executive
Director of Arizona PIRG. “Unless it is easier to drive less, Arizona families will be stuck in neutral as
they spend more and more at the pump.”
Analysis by the
Arizona PIRG Education Fund shows that public transportation created net oil
savings totaling 3.4 billion gallons in 2006. This is enough to fuel 5.8
million cars for an entire year and to save about $13.6 billion in gasoline at
today’s prices. In the Phoenix
metro area, public transit saved 4.1 million gallons, the equivalent of saving
$16.7 million at the pump today.
The Arizona PIRG-released
analysis, which was generated by the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT),
also shows that neighborhoods around the country with the best access to
transit spent an average of $728 monthly on all transportation costs, including
gas, insurance, upkeep, and transit fares. Households in neighborhoods with the
least access to transit, by contrast, spent an average of $925 per month.
