High gas prices are not going anywhere soon, thanks to the supply shocks from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Some Americans might be able to switch to bikes or public transportation to avoid the worst of this crisis. But even for those in rural areas who cannot practically or safely make that switch, there are still alternatives.
America’s current transportation system has been designed, built and centered around the automobile, and it is a public health disaster. U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group’s latest report, Transform Transportation, identifies the numerous harmful health impacts caused by America’s car-centric transportation system and provides a three-step roadmap toward a healthier, more sustainable approach to transportation infrastructure.
North Carolinians have cut their per-person driving miles by 7.9 percent since 2005, while the nation’s long term driving boom appears to have ended, according to a new report from the NCPIRG Education Fund.
A new report released today strongly criticized politicians and policies that favor building new roadways while neglecting existing bridges and roads. The report notes that, for North Carolina car owners, rough roads increase their repair and operating expenses by an average of $251 per year. North Carolina has not prioritized preservation of its existing roadways and the state legislature and Department of Transportation have continued to plan for a spate of outer ring roads throughout the state which would further deplete funds for repair and maintenance. Despite the recent construction of much of North Carolina’s highways, 42 percent of roads are in less than good condition and 2,442 of the state’s bridges are deemed structurally deficient by government inspectors. Fourteen percent of North Carolina’s bridges are structurally deficient, compared to 12 percent nationally.
