Car usage falls in U.S. for first time in decades
So says Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute.
U.S. car usage is still massive, with 246 million motor vehicles in use — but that number is declining.
Between 1950 and 2008 more cars were added to our roads virtually every year, as the total fleet expanded steadily from 49 million to 250 million vehicles. In 2009, however, 14 million cars were scrapped while only 10 million cars were sold, shrinking the fleet by 4 million vehicles, or nearly 2 percent.
The United States, with 246 million motor vehicles and 209 million licensed drivers, is facing market saturation. With five vehicles for every four drivers, the 4-million-vehicle contraction in the U.S. fleet in 2009 does not come as a great surprise. In a largely rural society, more cars provided mobility, but in a society that is now more than 80 percent urban, more cars provide immobility. A combination of driver frustration and the soaring congestion costs associated with wasted time and fuel are leading to a cultural shift that is reducing the role of the automobile. Almost every major U.S. city is either building new light rail or express bus systems, or expanding and upgrading existing ones to reduce dependence on cars. The peak fleet may now be behind us.
–EBR
February 1st, 2010 at 11:16 am
Well, we certainly hope so.
Someone should inform our
federal government about this,
since it seems to think saving
the economy hinges greatly on
returning auto production to
over-saturated levels.
February 1st, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Let’s hope this becomes a trend and not an economic anomaly.
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:44 pm
“Almost every major U.S. city is either building new light rail or express bus systems, or expanding and upgrading existing ones…”
…except in Chicago. -sigh-
It’s lose-lose for everyone here right now. Worse mass transmit means more bicycles AND cars on the road. Yay for more bikes! Nay for even more reckless drivers!