Gas prices are rising and so is pain at the pump.  But as Congress took a week off from Washington, it seems that Republicans are thrilled with rising gas prices – touting them as a political winner, even as high prices drain dollars from their constituents’ pocketbooks.

In fact, in a speech to students at the University of Miami, President Obama called out a headline that read: “Gasoline prices are on the rise and Republicans are licking their chops.”

We’ve already heard from Republicans clamoring to grant Big Oil’s wish list – drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off our coasts – all things that won’t affect the price at the pump, while endangering our national treasures. However, President Obama has put in place clean vehicle standards that promise to double the average fuel economy of new vehicles between now and 2025. These are standards that promise to deliver real relief for consumers at the pump and to significantly decrease our dependence on oil.

Just before the President spoke last week, Rep. Allen West from Florida complained bitterly about how much it costs him to fill the tank of his ultimate gas guzzler – an HR 3 Hummer.  In city driving, his gas hog will get perhaps 13 miles to the gallon. So, we thought we’d offer some useful tips to Rep. West and the offer some tips that all of us can use.

First, some pointers for Rep. West: We note he has two offices in his Congressional District –

Fort Lauderdale
6300 NE 1st Avenue – Suite 100
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334

and

West Palm Beach
3111 South Dixie Highway, Suite 308
West Palm Beach, Florida 33405

We suggest that Representative West could use Tri-Rail to go between his two district offices in Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach for only $5.65, avoiding a 36 mile drive on I-95 that would use well over two gallons of gas if his Hummer gets 16.5 mpg.

Stuck in traffic the H3 might guzzle its way through $21.20 of gas. A Google search shows the West Palm Beach Tri-Rail station is 2.4 miles from his office.  For such a short hop, we suggest looking for a bus that runs from the Intermodal Transit Center to his office, but we suppose catching a cab could be an option.

The Ft. Lauderdale Cypress Creek Tri-Rail station is even more convenient, as it’s only 0.4 miles from his office, a nice eight minute walk. One of the benefits of leaving the Hummer at home is getting some exercise along the way.  If a trip to Miami is in the plans, the train will take you there.

We estimate that the trip will take a little over an hour vs. the best case time of 36 minutes in the Hummer on I-95 (but much longer during morning and afternoon rush hours).  But, aside from getting some exercise along with the commute, a ride on TriRail offers a chance to read and perhaps more important, time to  speak with constituents who are using the TriRail system to beat the high price of gas that so vexes the Congressman who might otherwise be stuck in traffic in the H3.

The fact is that 50% of Americans have access to transit as an option for avoiding pain at the pump.  Rep. West is luckier than most Floridians, who don’t currently enjoy the option of light rail that has long served the people of Florida’s 22nd District.

We agree with the President that this is one problem we cannot drill our way out of– but we can take smart and practical steps to reduce pain at the pump:

1.    Leave your car at home – take transit if you can.
2.    Bike to work or to the store.  We have some handy resources for first time bikers.
3.    In the market for a new car? Buy a hybrid or the most fuel efficient vehicle that meets your needs.
4.    Check your tire pressure frequently and keep your tires fully inflated. Full tires can improve your fuel economy up to 10%.
5.    Use a GPS – studies show that using a navigational device can reduce miles traveled up to 16%
6.    Ask your boss if you can telecommute one or two days per week.

Check out our web page for more ways to avoid pain at the pump (scroll down on the page).

Share with us your best strategy for keeping for avoiding the pump as gas prices rise!  You don’t have experience pain at the pump alone – join our Transportation Activist network and find out how you can get involved in your local area to increase transportation choices.

GM was in some hot water after publishing this ad in a college newspaper (that quickly went viral).

(ad courtesy of BikePortland.org)

With a tag line of “Stop pedaling – start driving,” the ad attempted to ‘dis’ biking.  The companion ad went after walking.

What drove GM to even consider ads that would urge students to stop pedaling and start driving?  We know they sell cars. We even know that, thanks to a bailout with tax payer dollars GM is still GM, and thanks to the Obama Administration, their cars will use less and less oil and spew out less global warming pollution.

Maybe GM has figured out that reality does suck if you are trying to market cars to a generation that might be thinking about better transportation options.  Oil-free transportation is a winner. (Giant Bikes showed as much in their response to the GM ad).

GM has since apologized for the ad via twitter and elsewhere and withdrew it.

GM clearly hit a raw nerve trying to pedal oil addiction to a generation that may be more interested in being oil-free.  But maybe this is why GM ran the ads in the first place. Check out this tidbit from Streetsblog:

We’re facing a profound generational shift and, according to Martin: “The dynamic is aligning with transit big time.”

Gen Y is inclined to transit, too. “Gen Y is much less car centric than other generations,” Martin pointed out. Compared to their elders, folks born between 1982 and 1994 are less eager to get a drivers license, less inclined to purchase a car and less likely to view automobile ownership as a right of passage to adulthood. Some would argue the trend is based on economic need, the result of student loan debt and a tough job market. “I think it’s deeper than that,” Martin said. “Gen Y is hyper connected. They are literally digital natives… Eighty-eight percent want to live in urban settings because they can be hyper-connected.” Gen Y isn’t looking for a dream home; they’re looking for a dream lifestyle and that includes walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented neighborhoods.

I am sure GM has done its own market research.  Walking and biking are in and neighborhoods with shopping, restaurants and other attractions are in.  Bike shares are taking off in DC, Boston, Chicago and other cities.  Car shares make it easier to get a car when you need it (and choices of cars to drive). Having the latest smartphone or tablet is much less expensive than a car and much more fun anyway.

Maybe we should take GM’s ads as a sign that walking and biking are winning.  Now is time for the transportation dollars to follow.

Perhaps it is only in DC that you can catch a snippet like this of a conversation between two people walking down the sidewalk:

“I am not against spending on infrastructure,” one says to the other.  “But we need to get rid of all of the regulations.”

This being DC, these two could be lobbyists or Congressional staffers to just two folks who just love to talk infrastructure and hate on regulations.

I, however, happened to be fresh from the morning’s Moving Planet event in Fairfax, VA where the Sierra Club’s Virginia Chapter, Smart Growth America, Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, Labors’ International Union of North America, and 350.org called on Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to provide freedom of travel through funding transportation choices other than roads.

Attendees want funding for increased public transit, bike lanes, and sidewalks in order to help reduce congestion, reduce carbon pollution and move Northern Virginia beyond oil.

The event made clear that we can build infrastructure, but making it work and safe for all remains a challenge. In Northern Virginia, where congested roads are largely responsible for helping drive the Washington, DC, area to number one on the list of the most congested areas in the annual Texas Transportation Institute’s (TTI) mobility ranking.

Streetsblog points out that the TTI study is autocentric, focused on how fast a car can move down the road, not how much time a commuter could save by taking transit. And Streetsblog notes that solutions like bringing housing, transportation choices, jobs, and shopping closer together only gets a “shout out”:

Maybe your city is dense and friendly to pedestrians and bikes, so that it’s easy to glide past the automobile gridlock on your short commute to work. Or maybe transit provides an excellent and affordable alternative to traffic jams. None of that matters to TTI….TTI doesn’t bother to figure out how much time is saved if one avoids that congestion by taking transit, but they do examine how much time transit riders save drivers by taking vehicles off the road.

If there were no transit, the country’s drivers would be facing an additional 796 million hours of traffic delay. “Operational treatments” like ramp metering, traffic light timing, and removing crashed vehicles from the road have become much more effective in the last 20 years but still don’t come close to the savings provided by transit, saving about 40 percent as much as transit in terms of hours of delays, fuel, and costs.

These solutions got more than a shout out at Moving Planet – it was the point of the event.  And importantly, achieving the goals with better public transportation is creating jobs! Here are quotes from the Sierra Club’s press release for the event:

“As citizens we demand smarter solutions to transportation but we cannot get them unless we speak up.  And we as policy makers need you to lead us to the right solutions.”  Delegate Mark L. Keam, Virginia House of Delegates, 35th District.

“We should not be made dependent on our cars.  Most citizens express unqualified support for more transit, but it seems to be stalled at all levels of government.” Roger Diedrich, Transportation Chair, Sierra Club-Virginia Chapter.

“When we’re young or older we can’t or shouldn’t drive, we need choices in transportation.  Some folks; young, older and in between like to walk or bike to get around, they need to infrastructure to support these choices.”  Susan Stillman, bike rider and walker, Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling.

“Every community and every citizen deserves jobs, shops, schools, housing and transportation choices within easy reach. By joining together, the citizens of northern Virginia will demonstrate their commitment to creating great communities, supporting a thriving economy and protecting the environment.” Elisa Ortiz, Smart Growth America.

“Phase I of Dulles Rail has created thousands of new green jobs for construction and craft workers in Northern VA and the DC metro region. Not only are these jobs providing healthcare and a family-supporting wage, but the fruits of their labor will improve our air quality and help alleviate traffic by taking cars off the road. Most importantly, the project is on time and on budget and is an economic engine for the region at a time when new jobs are scarce.” Josh Collins, Labors’ International Union of North America.

The event speakers made clear – we need smart infrastructure to cut through traffic gridlock, create jobs, improve our everyday lives and move us beyond oil.