The green transport frenzy

October 13, 1:57 PMDC Alternative Transportation ExaminerMarc Neilson

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The greenest form of transport; walking.

You may remember how quickly gas prices began skyrocketing in May and reached very un-American highs of up to $4.00/gallon in June of this year.  Of course, prices remain quite high today although they have subsided somewhat since the summer onslaught, but have you noticed how the entire phenomena reignited the green frenzy?

I was observing the initial stages of the crisis from my home in Jakarta, Indonesia where I was enjoying low fuel prices due to heavy government subsidies. It was all I could do to suppress a chuckle when I read of the dropping value of SUVs and how some people were desperate to be rid of their gas-slurping behemoths. My chuckle turned to a growl however when I reminded myself that I was moving back to DC in August and would soon see first hand this new pandemonium at the pumps.

I imagined exiting Dulles Airport and seeing a sea of little Toyota Yaris and lines of Smart Cars. Surely, people were now biking to work en mass and enjoying the many varieties of public transport available in the DC Metro area. The international media certainly gave that impression. You can imagine my shock upon actually arriving and seeing how SUVs still ruled the road with only a few new models of compact car around.

The bottom line is that higher fuel prices are not causing people to flee from their SUVs but rather, helping them drive smarter or find new ways to conserve gas and, of course, be green. However, it is not easy being green (yes that was intentional) when you are struggling to make ends meet. Similar to life in Jakarta, it is the poor who suffer most due to increased fuel prices. If someone can lay down $48,000 for an SUV then they most likely can afford the hundred or so dollars it takes to fill it up. But imagine those who struggle to make car payments and suddenly find themselves digging for any extra resources they can find to buy gas. It is within the lower income groups where you will find the more severe impact of higher prices.

The impact of higher gas prices is not always evident. Driving or bussing around town, I can safely say that I still notice an enormous amount of Land Rovers, Chevy Yukons and a multitude of moving land barges on the road. I even saw the new hybrid Yukon which is, quite frankly, a little insulting as it is barely greener than a cleaner burning compact SUV. I certainly do not feel the air is tense with any type of crisis except for that little financial one. People are still cruising around in massive, non-economical vehicles and seem intent on continuing to do so. What you do notice is how many more signs appear touting their green message or the annoyingly "naturesque" images dotted around the organic produce department at your local grocery store.

At least Washington, DC has been green for quite sometime with natural-gas burning buses and a smattering of clean-burning taxis. This is encouraging and many other larger cities have similar pollution reduction transport systems in place. But I still do not "feel" like I am in the middle of a fuel crisis. I suppose, like many Americans, we will only know for sure how serious it can get when we are finally met with empty pumps or prices so high that they are beyond anyone's reach. Only then will the message strike home. In the meantime, mix up your daily commute and note some of the green information below.