Oklahoma's Painful Car Culture

[EvokeCoffee]

I read this today at CNN.com : Expansive Oklahoma gets expensive to its drivers - Jun. 12, 2008

Residents used to 70-mile commutes turn to carpooling, public transport as gas hovers at $4 a gallon. Survey ranks 2 Oklahoma cities as vulnerable.

By Lara Moscrip, CNNMoney.com contributing writer
Last Updated: June 12, 2008: 7:28 AM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- For many people in Oklahoma, life is built around the car.

With several refineries in the region, years of cheap fuel have made it possible for many people to live far from their jobs.

Now the situation is unraveling.

Cindy LaBeff, 46, drives 70 miles a day from the small town of McLoud to her job at a data processing center in Oklahoma City.

Until a few months ago, she spent $40 on gas for her work week. These days it's $60 a work week - and $80 if she wants to go to church on the weekend.

She decided she can't afford the higher prices. With no public transportation in her area, she went online to form a carpool.

LaBeff has been ridesharing for a week now, and she hopes to add two new members to her car. "That way, it's just a dollar a gallon," she said.

LaBeff's family and friends in her 4,000-person town also have long commutes and high gas bills. She thinks something should be done.

"If our governor or mayor would help set up carpooling, if they would push it better, then people would think about it," she said. "But there has been nothing."

Due to its sheer size, public transportation is a tough prospect in Oklahoma City.

City Manager Jim Couch says that at 627 square miles, Oklahoma City has the third greatest land mass of all U.S. cities.

It also ranked last among 50 U.S. cities in a recent study on areas best able to cope with high oil prices.

The study, published by the economic development group Common Current, starts from the premise that cities with strong public transit systems will likely remain competitive in the face of soaring gas prices.

Best able to survive and thrive are the highly populated cities in which people can get by without cars: San Francisco, New York and Chicago ranked 1, 2 and 3, respectively.

Cities without public transportation infrastructure can be vulnerable, said Warren Karlenzig, Common Current's president.

In addition to public transportation, the survey put weight on factors like telecommuting and how many people ride a bike or walked to work. Lesser factors included urban sprawl, the use of heating oil and the carpool rate.

Karlenzig said that while nearly 55% of New Yorkers take public transit, the rate in Oklahoma is closer to 2%.

Oklahoma City's Couch said improving public transportation is a priority.

The city is several years into a study of a rail transit system in the hopes of attracting federal money for it.

Any results are years away, but "we're making a lot of progress," Couch said.

He also said the city is looking into providing bus service to a major manufacturing distribution center on the west side of town whose employees are finding it harder to afford the drive to work.

High gas prices are also causing an increase in demand for public transport in neighboring Tulsa, Okla. Tulsa ranked second to last in the Common Cause study.

Tulsa transit manager Bill Cartwright said urban professionals, who rarely rode the bus before, are now among his customers.

"You've got people coming out of the woodwork, screaming for more bus service. We get calls and emails daily," said Cartwright.

Common Current's Karlenzig thinks public transportation is a benefit more and more people will come to appreciate.

"It's a lifeline for all citizens now, not just lower income citizens," he said. To top of page

----------------

I know that in our neighborhood, we have been promised bike lanes for months - maybe years. We are a defined bike route through our city and still do not have these lanes.

It is a bit scary that we are not prepared..

..be bold

[metro]

Keep the emails and calls to COPTA, ACOG and ODOT daily folks. We can make at least a small dent in the mindset of the authorities who control our public transit.

[Midtowner]

I don't understand how the government is supposed to set up carpools. Whatever.

The rest.. yeah, Nobel Prize.

[EvokeCoffee]

Maybe it is not as much "setting up" carpool but rather encouraging and advertising.

I have no idea what there is to do but to try and change a culture that is very car crutched. I don't know how that is supposed to work or how it should be done.

[jsibelius]

What I love is how all the answers to our current crisis are years in the future. I guess it won't matter by then. No one will need gas for their cars because no one will own cars. In fact no one will need them because we'll all be homeless and jobless anyway, since we couldn't afford the gas to get to our jobs.

[flintysooner]

no one will own cars.

That's the way it was once not so long ago.

[centaurian]

yes once again just when oklahoma is making progress in some areas around town.,
we get this bomb. tulsa is 49th and okc it 50th in 50 Best and worst-ranked cities to weather an oil crisis, per that cnn report.

Mick corrnet needs to wake up and the state legislature needs to wake up and get on the ball with some public transit .

Oh but according to Shane Jett we are the oil capital of the usa. it all started here, so lets build that dumb azz Oil derrick iconic tower.
why dont we think about doing something for the people that live here instead of trying to create a tourist attraction.

I say take that $100 million dollars that you would waste on that damn thing for out of state tourists, and put it into some public transit system for oklahomans.


It sickens me to see along I 35 that there are more and more new car lots being built. the Marc Heitz in norman Is an eye sore, and nissan has a new one north up by tecumseh road. For god s sake how many car lots do we need?

We re going to be the car lot and beer joint capitol of the usa if we keep this up.

[betts]

I still believe we're better off with careful planning rather than just jumping into public transportation without good data. Buses are an exception, as their routes can be changed easily. If we had reliable bus service, with gas prices as they are, there would start to be an increase in ridership.

What happened to the bus stop plans that were being discussed? I hate to see people sitting on the ground waiting for the bus. That is ridiculous when simple, nice stops that offer some weather protection are not that expensive.

In light of the fact that it will take years to come up with anything other than buses for public transportation, people also need to be considering fuel efficient cars when they make their next purchase. Small and fuel efficient needs to become cool. And people need to start thinking about living closer to work. The family ranch is all well and good, but not when it's 20 miles from work.

[Drake]

What does a proposed oil derrick and a new Nissan dealership at I-35 and Tecumseh Rd have any sort of relevance to a post about carpooling?

[Dar405301]

senator inhofe has got to go! wasn't it he that abandoned attempts to obtain federal funding for rail transit in okc some years ago? if it weren't for him, oklahoma city might have actually had some sort orf rail transit by now. i just wanted to take this opportunity, now that gas is over $4 a gallon, to say THANK YOU senator inhofe for a job so well done! he completely dropped the ball on mass transit in okc while supporting a light rail system in salt lake city.

[Midtowner]

Inhofe needs to go for a lot of reasons.

[oneforone]

I am tired of hearing crying about cars and the cost of gas. Car ownership is a luxury in this country. I am not saying this because I am rich millionaire. I am a working class Joe like many people are in this country.

Sure, I cringe everytime the pump inches closer and closer to $100 everytime I fill up. After I cringe, I remember I chose the vehicle I am driving. Nobody forced me to buy it therefore, I am partly responsible for what it costs for gas.

I do not think people need to be forced to drive soda cans, carpool or ride mass transit. I do think people need to be reminded to conserve if they do not like the idea of spending so much money at the pump.


These simple steps will curve the gas consumption in this country.

1. Fill up and use an entire tank, stop going to the gas station to top off.

2. Run your errands during your commute to and from work.

3. Plan your fuel usage.

3. Treat your gasoline the same way you do your electricity.

4. Move closer to work or find a job closer to home.

5. Raise the driving age to 18. Teenagers are the world's worst at wasting gasoline.


Overall, we have to remember this is America we are the product of our own decisions. The government and large corporations only have a minor role in our daily lives. We all control our final destiny.

If you wait on somebody else to solve your problems you will never be happy nor, will you become anything successful.

[FRISKY]

I'm going to sell my car and get a horse.

[flintysooner]

I'm going to sell my car and get a horse.

I bet you haven't owned a horse.

[metro]

senator inhofe has got to go! wasn't it he that abandoned attempts to obtain federal funding for rail transit in okc some years ago? if it weren't for him, oklahoma city might have actually had some sort orf rail transit by now. i just wanted to take this opportunity, now that gas is over $4 a gallon, to say THANK YOU senator inhofe for a job so well done! he completely dropped the ball on mass transit in okc while supporting a light rail system in salt lake city.

That was Istook, not Inhofe. Istook is thankfully out now. But Inhofe needs to go too.

[Superhyper]

To think we'll never make it to flying cars, sad Still, I take the amtrak to ft worth all the time. I think some rail around OKC would be pretty awesome. I just enjoy having other people doing the driving for me

[Easy180]

I live in far south Moore on the east side of I-35 and commute to Rockwell and Hefner every morning....Doubt there are very many other people stupid enough to make that drive so I'm thinking I'm outta luck on the ole carpool plan

I would have to be completely broke to even contemplate carpooling anyway...Commute to and from work is my alone time where I can listen to my god awful music and freely pick my nose in the rearview mirror...Only reason I tint my windows

[Thunder]

1. Fill up and use an entire tank, stop going to the gas station to top off.

Not really a wise idea. It is best not to let a tank to go low past half, because gas is lost more quickly. I try to fill up when the tank gets to half, so the gas will last longer. I've noticed when it is past half down and/or near empty, gas mileage goes down.

[PennyQuilts]

I don't understand how the government is supposed to set up carpools. Whatever.

In the Washington DC metro area the government has programs set up to set up carpools. I am not sure exactly how it works because I haven't participated but a lot of people use it. I think it probably has to do with building a data base of people who are going the same direction and are willing to car pool. Sort of commuter dating site.

[FritterGirl]

In the Washington DC metro area the government has programs set up to set up carpools. I am not sure exactly how it works because I haven't participated but a lot of people use it. I think it probably has to do with building a data base of people who are going the same direction and are willing to car pool. Sort of commuter dating site.

I think this is more related to those employees who actually work in specific sectors of the government, or in particular government buildings. So, in that capacity, it's not unlike any other company trying to set up carpools or encourage carpooling for its employees.

My husband used to work in the Pentagon, and they had all kinds of carpool "pools" and rideshare programs for employees who lives in various parts of the D.C./Baltimore/Virginia area.

In the D.C. area in general, one of the most popular "rideshare" systems is the "slug" system. It's more or less organized hitchhiking. A driver wanting to fill his/her car up with other passengers in order to get into the HOV lane will stop at certain locations (I think they were rail depots) and pick up people (aka "slugs") who were standing in the so-called "slugline."

My husband "slugged" all the time. It's not a formal carpool because you might slug every working day out of the year and never be picked up by the same person twice.

The advantages to the driver is that with slugs they could then drive in the HOV lanes, and the advantage to the slugs is they got a free commute into D.C. proper.

My husband said that coming in from Virginia on the highways was the worst traffic he'd ever seen. A 2-hour commute to drive 30-40 miles is not uncommon.

[metro]

In the Washington DC metro area the government has programs set up to set up carpools. I am not sure exactly how it works because I haven't participated but a lot of people use it. I think it probably has to do with building a data base of people who are going the same direction and are willing to car pool. Sort of commuter dating site.

There are some websites here that you can setup carpools as well. I don't know the names of them since my commute is 4 blocks. I was reading an article in one of the local papers the other day and it was talking about a group that commuted to OKC from McCloud and other groups that found their carpool mates online. I imagine if one was interested, they could do a Google and in a few seconds find a carpooling site for Central Oklahoma.

[FRISKY]

I bet you haven't owned a horse.

I have owned many horses. It typically costs about $300 a month per "riding" horse for feed, farrier and vet supplies. $300 for unlimited mileage doesn't sound that bad when you consider you also won't have to pay for tags, insurance, tires or oil changes.

[Thunder]

How much is the shoe changes? lol

[MadMonk]

Not really a wise idea. It is best not to let a tank to go low past half, because gas is lost more quickly. I try to fill up when the tank gets to half, so the gas will last longer. I've noticed when it is past half down and/or near empty, gas mileage goes down.

Can you explain your reasoning behind this? I've heard others say something similar, but I'm not buying it. It seems that with a full tank your car is heavier and would use more gas than at 1/2 full (assuming all the other factors are the same). Fuel gauges are not a good indicator when factoring in your miles/gallon. When I fill up it stays on F for a long time, but it goes down more quickly after it gets below 1/2 tank, but this is because of the way the sensor works, not a difference in fuel usage.
My fuel economy doesn't change drastically either way - roughly 18mpg overall (going by the "average mpg" display in my vehicle).

[Tom Elmore]

world.nycsubway.org/United States/Kenosha, Wisconsin

world.nycsubway.org/United States/Dallas, Texas/McKinney Avenue Transit Authority (MATA)

world.nycsubway.org/United States/Fort Collins, Colorado

world.nycsubway.org/United States/Fort Smith, Arkansas

world.nycsubway.org/United States/Little Rock, Arkansas

world.nycsubway.org/United States/Memphis, Tennessee

world.nycsubway.org/United States/San Francisco Bay Area, California/The MUNI Streetcar System

In cities as diverse as Kenosha, Dallas, Memphis, Little Rock and San Francisco, vintage trolleys are running again. Some are running on historic trolley tracks simply uncovered from layers of asphalt from years of disuse and pressed back into service.

This is eminently doable -- but for the hard heads obstructing reasonable transit development using existing and readily available resources.

More than simply functional, however, it would be a historic and immensely pleasant return to what was lost to GM, Standard Oil, Firestone Tire and blind leadership in 1946.

Just a thought for the "painful car culture..."

TOM ELMORE
NATI - Solutions to the Nation's Transportation Problems