When Gas is Too Pricey

While the previous years’ increase in employment and interest in the environment set the stage, gas prices rising to 4 dollars a gallon created a boom in public transportation. As seen in the graph at the left, which depicts the rise and fall of gas prices over time, they rose steeply in 2008, reaching above 4 dollars at some points. As Chris Steiner said in a recent phone interview, “it’s very clear, when the price of gas goes up, especially in an acute fashion, you see spikes in ridership” (Steiner 2012). People were shocked when the price of gas jumped. It forced them to change their habits. 


Many looked to public transportation because it offered a way out of having to pay 50 dollars plus to fill up the gas tank. As Marie Montgomery, spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California said, “You add up the gas bills over the year, and even if it drops to $1 a gallon by the end of the year, you’ve probably paid more for gas this year than any other year” (Petix). Especially with the economy plummeting, Americans needed to save money. With gas prices skyrocketing, mass transit seemed like the most viable way to cut costs. A similar occurrence was in the 70s when gas was rationed.


This was the largest reason for people riding mass transit over driving.