Re:First town in America to ban new gas stations
by whatshisface on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @11:08AM
(#28222114)
I can understand your point about marginal inconvenience having a marginal benefit, but I think that car use may be so inflexible (I know that I literally need my car and would be willing to put up with any conceivable inconvenience law because I have to) that inconvenience laws, especially ones with direct gas-burning effects on anyone who keeps their car, can easily be net negative even for small increases in fuel consumption.
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Re:First town in America to ban new gas stations
by dublinben on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @11:40AM
(#28222795)
Car use (as measured by Vehicle Miles Traveled) is more elastic than you may think. There were pronounced dips during the oil price spikes of 1974, 1979, and 2008, showing that the price at the pump has a direct effect on how much people drive.[0] Last year we obviously saw an even more significant decline as many people stayed home during the pandemic.[1] There's also more positive, lasting ways of reducing VMT like improving alternatives, introducing congestion charges, or replacing gas taxes with cost per mile fees.[2]
[0]https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10315
[1]https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/us-driving-last-year-was-l...
[2]https://www.urbanismnext.org/what-to-do/congestion-vmt-reduc...
Re:First town in America to ban new gas stations
by emodendroket on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @11:37AM
(#28222738)
Right now, even if you only ever travel short distances and an electric car would be totally suitable for you, the path of least resistance is to buy a gas car. It seems smart to try and shift that calculus.