AAA is reporting today that gas prices are at record highs, with the average price at $3.357 per gallon. Gas at the station just down the block from me was going for $3.459 this morning, and we haven't even reached the summer travel season. It's starting to look like predictions of $4/gallon gas may actually come true this summer.
Unfortunately, there's no quick and easy short-term solution. High gas prices are here to stay, and Ethanol, while better than gas, is not the answer.
The long-term answer lies in rethinking our style of living and our built environment. It no longer makes any sense for us to live in places where we need to drive 5 miles to get a gallon of milk; where the average commute takes over 20 minutes each way; or where more land is devoted to parking than living.
For me, living in the city is a lifestyle choice. I'm able to live without a car, walk to the grocery store, and spend my commute reading the newspaper instead of fending off crazy drivers. But it is increasingly an economic choice as well, as every increase in the price of gas increases the value of living in a neighborhood with transportation alternatives.
What will it take to improve our built environment? Well, the first step would be an administration that had any interest in transit whatsoever. The second step would be a Metropolitan Council that was not full of people who want to abolish it.
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