Alabamians Are Driven To Drive
Wow! That’s a real news flash…
Alabama drivers log more than 13,000 miles per year each, which means that, once again, I’m above average ;). My kids don’t have that many activities compared to their peers, but I still put at least 16,000 miles a year on my momvan.
Alabama ranks second in the Southeast for the number of vehicle miles traveled per capita, according to a report from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama.
Alabama exceeded 13,000 vehicle miles per resident, an indication of highway use, according to the report, which compares Alabama with nine other Southeastern states. Mississippi ranked first. The other states, in descending order, were: Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Florida and North Carolina, tied; and Louisiana.
If we had a decent public transportation system, I’d use it, and I’d make my kids use it too. But I’m not holding my breath waiting for one. Even with gas at almost $3.00 a gallon, Alabamians consider it our God-given right to drive our monster SUVs. I guess it’s good to be ranked near the top of something.
June 27th, 2006 at 9:16 am
When I was a kid in Chattanooga we had both a good bus system and streetcars, and both were heavily used. The downtown area was always full of people shopping and doing business. People did a lot of walking and obesity was not prevalent. Some folks rode bikes and motor scooters. In those post depression days, being in a family of 8, money was so scarce that I usually walked, hitch-hiked, or even hopped streetcars, hanging onto the outside because I didn’t have a nickel for the fare. Things change over time, and some of the changes are good, and some aren’t.