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The article seems to want to attribute this trend to one source and no more than one source. ? The article calls gas prices twice as well as other economic pro

The article seems to want to attribute this trend to one source and no more than one source. ? The article calls gas prices twice as well as other economic problems as reasons for the decline. For example: "Researchers have not yet been able to disaggregate how much of our current decline in driving has been attributable to gas prices, or the economy, or changing attitudes toward car ownership or urban living"

freehunter 13y ago
It does say that, yes. It also says that it's not known why, and it says that further up the article than any facts. They're implying that because researchers are looking at multiple factors they have yet to filter it down to one specific cause. I'm not discounting the researchers. I'm discounting the article, and their false sense of mystery behind this trend.
- scott_s 13y ago
  I don't think that implication is the author's intention. I read that as an opening to say "researchers are still investigating the causes", not "researchers have not yet found the cause."
VLM 13y ago
Why? I looked at the graph and whipped out the calculator and VMT has not "stagnated" as they say so much as dropped about 3% or so from peak. Then look at my commute. Scroll down to "employment" (If this doesn't work simply pull the employment graph for a decade or so for your MSA from the BLS website) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT55333405?data_tool=XGtable http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT55333405?data_tool=XGtab... How many people are sharing the highway with me going to and from work? Well, about 3% fewer than peak. My commute times do resemble this in that I can get home a little faster now than when I was younger. Less jobs to drive to seems to explain 100% of the delta in VMT, very superficially. I'm sure it depends on which area you gather data from, blah blah, but it does mostly seem to be employment stats. There exists a political axe to grind WRT encouraging urban living / mass transit / changing attitudes toward car ownership, but censoring factual data and manufacturing confusion to help grind the axe is simply unethical.

freehunter 13y ago

It does say that, yes. It also says that it's not known why, and it says that further up the article than any facts. They're implying that because researchers are looking at multiple factors they have yet to filter it down to one specific cause. I'm not discounting the researchers. I'm discounting the article, and their false sense of mystery behind this trend.

scott_s 13y ago
I don't think that implication is the author's intention. I read that as an opening to say "researchers are still investigating the causes", not "researchers have not yet found the cause."

VLM 13y ago

Why? I looked at the graph and whipped out the calculator and VMT has not "stagnated" as they say so much as dropped about 3% or so from peak. Then look at my commute. Scroll down to "employment" (If this doesn't work simply pull the employment graph for a decade or so for your MSA from the BLS website) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT55333405?data_tool=XGtable http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT55333405?data_tool=XGtab... How many people are sharing the highway with me going to and from work? Well, about 3% fewer than peak. My commute times do resemble this in that I can get home a little faster now than when I was younger. Less jobs to drive to seems to explain 100% of the delta in VMT, very superficially. I'm sure it depends on which area you gather data from, blah blah, but it does mostly seem to be employment stats. There exists a political axe to grind WRT encouraging urban living / mass transit / changing attitudes toward car ownership, but censoring factual data and manufacturing confusion to help grind the axe is simply unethical.