An Op-Ed piece in the New York Times by Elisabeth Rosenthal argues that car-owning and driving in America may be on a long-term–perhaps permanent–downswing. You might reflexively assume that the decline began with the economic collapse, but it predated the bust by several years. The opening:
“PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ambitious goals to curb the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions, unveiled last week, will get a fortuitous assist from an incipient shift in American behavior: recent studies suggest that Americans are buying fewer cars, driving less and getting fewer licenses as each year goes by.
That has left researchers pondering a fundamental question: Has America passed peak driving?
The United States, with its broad expanses and suburban ideals, had long been one of the world’s prime car cultures. It is the birthplace of the Model T; the home of Detroit; the place where Wilson Pickett immortalized ‘Mustang Sally’ and the Beach Boys, ‘Little Deuce Coupe.’
But America’s love affair with its vehicles seems to be cooling.”
Tags: Elisabeth Rosenthal