May 27th, 2008 by Liz Opsitnik
It seems the ever-increasing price of gas is making people stop and think about their driving habits. The Department of Transportation said figures from March show the steepest decrease in driving ever recorded, reports CNN.com.
Compared with March a year ago, Americans drove an estimated 4.3 percent less, or 11 billion fewer miles, the DOT’s Federal Highway Administration said Monday, calling it “the sharpest yearly drop for any month in FHWA history.” Records have been kept since 1942.
Last Memorial Day, the average price of a gallon of gas was $3.23, according to AAA. This year, the $3.936 average per-gallon price is keeping a lot of people home or closer to home.
Public transportation is increasing as drivers just don’t have the extra cash to take a long trip in the car. The American Public Transportation Association says that in 2007, Americans used public transportation to take 10.3 billion trips, the highest level in 50 years.
Riding bicycles, carpooling, walking and public transportation are on the rise as people try different ways to get from point A to point B.