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Gasoline prices are up about 50% since last year. While that seems like a lot, it’s still the cheapest mode of transportation, in a lot of ways. For example, it would be entirely within the realm of possibility for my wife to take the commuter train to and from her work: both our house and her job are within walking distance of the stations. But at $1.30/L and with a car that gets a modest 8.5L/100km (that’s around 28 mpg), it’s still cheaper to drive compared to the train fare. And, of course, as fuel prices go up, the trains run on diesel engines so fares are raised. Hrm. Does anyone else see a problem here?

It’s facts like this that make me think that even facing these rising costs, we are not yet at the point where people are going to drastically reduce their use of cars. I walk to the train every morning, and at the same time only two or three other people walk from my subdivision at the same time. This number hasn’t gone up. (There’s also bus service, which is only $0.50 to the station, perhaps more people are taking it?) Meanwhile, on the northern part of our street alone, I know five people who each drive their cars to the same station that I walk to, at the same time. I really wish I could talk some sense into these people… it’s only 1.3km to the station for crying out loud! Walk, lazy bones!