Take the train and take your life back
Via Brian, a story from Florida about how the surge in train use hasn't gone down as much as you'd think as gas prices creep down to where they were. This was my concern as I saw gas prices start going down at the pump. (In Austin, it's below $2 a gallon now.) If it deflates the cost of food that wouldn't be the worst thing for my pocketbook, but the environmentalist in me was hoping to see gas prices stay high until it forced this country to rebuild our infrastructure. We've already demonstrated we won't do squat until it's too late, so I was glad that it was looking too late before it might really be too late, and kicking people into gear. All discussions about taking steps towards discouraging car use and encouraging public transportation are usually met with a chorus of howls from people who may buy organic and recycle, but don't want to give up their cars and will cling to all negative side effects of the change without asking the question, "Are the negative aspects of the change worse than the negative aspects of continuing as is?"