| Record gas prices
drive some off road
By Mark Ginocchio
Staff Writer
Published August 18 2005
Motorists may be turning to different modes of transportation to
cut back on record-high fuel expenses, according to data collected
by a group that promotes carpooling and mass transit.
A survey conducted by MetroPool of Stamford found that more than
500 single-occupancy vehicles have been taken off Fairfield County
roads in the past three months.
Some motorists are using buses, trains, vans, shuttles, carpools
and telecommuting, the survey said.
Though there are a "combination of factors at work,"
MetroPool President and Chief Executive Officer John Lyons said
gas prices approaching $3 a gallon are playing a leading role.
"The questions people are asking me about what other options
they have of getting to work are increasing in their intensity,"
Lyons said. "They are much closer to making a decision about
it than they were a few weeks ago."
According to MetroPool's data, which include only commuters who
have contacted the group seeking alternative transportation, during
the past three months 429 people have started using buses; 41 people
the trains; five have used shuttles; 227 carpool; 24 vanpool; and
10 have started telecommuting.
Collectively, those commuters have removed 513 single-occupancy
vehicles from the road, saved 773,100 vehicle miles, removed 116,000
tons of pollution and saved 39,000 gallons of gas, according to
MetroPool.
The cutbacks are coming at a time when oil industry analysts are
saying high consumer demand is sending gas prices to record levels.
Although oil prices dramatically dropped nearly $3 a barrel yesterday,
they had been at more than $67 a barrel at the beginning of the
week.
Higher oil prices mean higher pump prices. Gasoline jumped almost
10 cents a gallon this week to $2.58, according to the American
Automobile Association's daily fuel survey.
It's hard for motorists to cut back, because there aren't a lot
of transportation options available, said John Felmy, chief economist
of the American Petroleum Institute.
"Something is happening already, but it's hard to tell how
much demand will continue to drop," Felmy said. "For some
people, different modes for transportation won't work, like for
people who use day care. It's hard for many people to break their
routines."
Although no official data were available, officials at Metro-North
Railroad said they thought more people were turning to trains because
of high gas prices.
"We do believe people are exchanging their wheels for ours,"
railroad spokesman Dan Brucker said.
Conductors say they've noticed new customers on trains and more
people buying 10-trip passes, Brucker added. But the railroad will
be able to better gauge increases next month because ridership is
usually softest during the summer, he said.
One new alternative that may be contributing to the rise of ride-sharing
in the region is NuRide, an online service that links carpoolers
together by providing incentives such as retail coupons.
Ed Houghton, director of work force effectiveness at Pitney Bowes,
said he was telling employees to "cut gas costs in half"
and sign up for NuRide.
"We're trying to encourage people to do this, because it's
a good thing to do anyway," Houghton said.
Just reducing one or two car rides a day could make a difference
for some people, Lyons added.
"We've tried to change our philosophy in promoting this,"
he said. "What if people only did it once in a while? That's
made a tremendous difference in getting people on board."
-- Special Correspondents Alexandra Fenwick and Lauren Klein contributed
to this story.
Copyright © 2005, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.
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