Americans spend USD 1/2 Trillion/year on gasoline

The Peak Oil Crisis: The Energy Trap | Falls Church News-Press Online: "The Energy Trap study found cases in which more than 50 percent of a family's income was going into paying for and fueling the car. What is most alarming is that 30 years ago the spike in gasoline led to a 12 percent reduction in the demand for gasoline as consumers drove less, switched to smaller cars, and sort of adhered to the 55 mph speed limit that had been put in place to save gasoline. It is now more than three years since the $4+ price spike of 2008 and demand has only fallen some 3 percent."

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We Pay More to Drive Than We Spend on Taxes | Moneyland | TIME.com

VISIONSOFAMERICA / JOE SOHM / GETTY IMAGES

We Pay More to Drive Than We Spend on Taxes | Moneyland | TIME.com: "By the time the costs of gas, insurance, tolls, parking, and car payments are added up, the average American family spends more on driving than on health insurance or taxes. And for the bulk of society—those who use cars every day to commute, drop the kids off at school, and run errands—it seems impossible to trim the high costs of transportation in any substantial way."

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Poor people are ground under the wheels of the auto system, while billions are wasted on autosprawl and energy wars.

Today, there are a number of families in MD, VA and DC that are struggling to perform common tasks that most of us take for granted because of a lack of transportation. Imagine trying to get to work, taking your child to a doctor, or caring for an elderly parent…all without a car. Some families must rely on several modes of public transportation, taking multiple buses and/or subways to get to one destination, or must inconvenience others by asking for a ride. This is a seemingly unending challenge for those who are motivated to achieve financial and personal independence, resulting in exhaustion and frustration. By donating your car to Vehicles For Change, you can transform lives by increasing access to better employment, and improving the self confidence and self esteem necessary for success.  VehiclesforChange

More evidence. Cars choking the economy.

Can highway spending ever be fair? - The Washington Post: "A few things stand out here. Low-population states such as Alaska, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota receive much more in federal aid than they pay in — Alaska gets $4.99 back for every $1 it contributes. But notice what’s striking. Every single state now gets more federal highway aid than it pays in gas taxes. Even Texas. There’s not a state in the union where federally funded highways “pay for themselves.”"

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Streetsblog Capitol Hill » TTI: Mass Transit Saved Drivers 45.4 Million Hours Last Year

Streetsblog Capitol Hill » TTI: Mass Transit Saved Drivers 45.4 Million Hours Last Year: "Last year, the D.C. region ran away with the dubious honor of Most Congested Metro Area. D.C. area drivers wasted 74 hours and 37 gallons of fuel sitting in traffic last year, which would have cost about $100 over the course of the year. But the gasoline cost is just the tip of the iceberg."

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Highway system an albatross on the neck of the economy

Business groups want multiyear highway funding extension to prevent “billions” in delayed projects | Texas on the Potomac | a Chron.com blog: "The U.S. government spends roughly $50 billion a year on transportation projects through the Highway Trust Fund, which is funded mostly through the 18.4-cent-per-gallon federal tax on gasoline sales. The U.S. Congressional Budget Office projects the trust fund could run dry by the summer or fall of 2012 because it has spent more money than it has taken in; higher prices at the pump and a weak economy have caused gasoline sales to drop."

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