<p>Here in Alaska we don't even have a rail system that runs to the states. Yes, I know Alaska is a state. However, there is no rail traffic through Canada to Alaska, much less Amtrak. What is funny is that Alaskans contribute to all of these things like Boston's Big Dig, Amtrak, etc., but when we get money to build a bridge between Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley it's pork. And you tell us we can't exploit our natural resources. No wonder we have a colonial economy. Independence for Alaska! No, we couldn't do well without military spending. Oh well. </p>
<p>Looks like gas is still relatively cheap up here! Too bad I had to turn the furnace on today!</p>
<p>Here in Germany we pay upwards of $8 a gallon. Meaning= we drive less. I don't drive at all actually. And the best part is I like it. I find it crazy that people with 3 cars and huge SUV's are complaining about high fuel costs. High prices are here to stay. The US needs a long term solution not just releasing reserves to bring down the price.</p>
<p>I've always said, the best thing the gvt could have done is after the 70's energy crisis put a 2+ dollar tax on gas and stop paying for most road construction.</p>
<p>Walk? Ride public transport? Hey...you are talking to one of the fatest populations in the world.....fat and lazy. They will pay big bucks for car/gas and gripe about the cost of health care. Until they are forced to change don't look for it any too soon.......sidewalks? They move into neighborhoods without sidewalks because they drive everywhere and then wonder why they are fat, fat, fat.</p>
<p>excuse me... but we don't HAVE public transport by my house, and it's pretty much a 20-30 minute drive to get to ANYTHING around here.. my work is 20 miles from home, which is roughly 40 minutes by car. now, my car gets 33 MPG and i would never buy such a big gas hog SUV/truck... but i don't appreciate the generalizing of everything... as for being fat, I don't even weigh 120lbs.. The cost of gas isn't going to break me, but it's just a bit of a shock to the wallet with it changing in price so quickly. for example, my fathers job is over an hour away from my house.. he typically fills his gas tank up three times a week for 25 dollars each time. that's now became 40 dollars each time... so it's an extra 45 dollars in gas out of his pocket this week that was completely unexpected. if it continues to stay like this, then people will know to budget that amt. of money towards gas each week..</p>
<p>if the gas keeps going up to a certain point, i may just get an apartment near my job.. that way ill be saving all that money on gas and putting it towards my place. i guess we shall see.</p>
<p>Of course you have no public transportation.....most of suburbia and in fact most cities/towns in US don't have....it is considered low class and undesirable. Bicycle lanes......not too common either. Communities have no demand from citizens for public transport and therefore it doesn't exist. How high does the price of fuel have to rise before Americans begin asking/planning/demanding and demonstrating willingness to pay for public transport? $7.00/gal?? </p>
<p>White flight from the cities and thus reluctance to fund public transport is returning to haunt the suburbanites. Growing gearth and growing numbers of vehicles.....it is all coming home to roost. It is a fat goose ready for the roaster. Of course you don't appreciate generalizing....but the facts show that the state of American health is as described.</p>
<p>We love public transportation in Fairbanks! As a matter of fact, it is free all winter. I even take kids on field trips to Fairbanks so we can ride the buses. I don't know where you live that it is undesireable! Here the buses actually have bike racks on the front. You can ride to the bus stop and then tie on the bike and go where you need to go. The problem is, I don't live in Fairbanks. And I really don't want to ride my bike all the way to the nearest bus stop when it's 60 below. No thank you. The bike tires stay flat on the bottom at that temp anyway! Like riding a Flintstone bike! Of course, in the summer, when it's light round the clock, I just ride everywhere, forget the bus!</p>
<p>I think light-rail would be great for us, but y'all would never help us pay for it, much less allow us to mess up the pristine landscape with (gulp) railroad tracks! So, we'll suffer with the $2.65 a gallon gas knowing that our Permanent Fund Dividend and State Coffers will be well funded by oil at $70.00 a barrel. :)</p>
<p>Public transportation is great.. i love the subways and busses in new york and dc, things of that nature.. but the fact of the matter is that it doesn't exist here.. and installing public transportation for my town of roughly 500 people... well I just don't see it happening anytime in the next few centuries. and I don't care if gas is 3 dollars a gallon, or 7, i still need to get to work. even if we had public transportation in this area.. i'd still need to drive to work, as it's 40 minutes away.. we don't have any businesses to work at anywhere in this general area.. so all the public transportation would be used for would be going shopping or visiting people.. not driving to work, which is what a majority of our driving actually is.</p>
<p>I live in a village of less than 300. We have a train and four or five bus stops. There isn't such a negative connotation with riding trains and buses. Everyone does. </p>
<p>America turned its back on public transport years ago when it could have made a difference. It is too late for most cities now. Suburbanites with their SUV's are just going to have to live with their high fuel prices. Perhaps learn to conserve a little bit more.</p>
<p>don't know if this was mentioned but supposedly the gas prices aren't getting higher. the news reported the prices went down 6% around the nation and an average of 2 cents. not much but its better than it going up.</p>