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Blog Entry 1 of 3 Our Transportation Future

Transportation is a major element of our daily life. We use our transportation system to get to work, to home to our family, to go shopping, to do recreation and have fun in our life. We drive cars, walk, ride bicycles, ride motorcycles, ride buses, trains/light rail/communter rail, airplanes, even use boats and ships (not much in Colorado). Some of our transportation system is good and some not so good. I will discuss the future of transportation and what is going to impact us, what are the changes, and what we can do to change the future.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~MeanGene

The price of gasoline and what you get.

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Contributed by: Gene Putman on 6/24/2007

The price of gasoline has gone up by $1.00 since January 2007. We are paying more and more. What's in the price of gasoline?

Two major elements, first the product it self, from exploration, pumping it out of the ground, the piping it to a refinery, its refining from crude oil into gasoline, and then the delivery and sale of the gallon of gas we put in our vehicle.

The second element is the gas taxes that come in two parts: the federal government gas tax, and the State governement gas tax. In Colorado the two gas taxes have not been increased in 15 years since 1991, with the two taxes being 40.2 cent per gallon of gas. What was the cost of gas in 1991?

I was opening a box of papers that I had stored away and found a reciept that was from 1992 and the price of gasoline was $1.24 per gallon. I filled up the car yesterday and paid $3.18 per gallon. That is an increase of $1.94 per gallon in the 15 years. However the taxes that pay for our road, streets, traffic signals, bridges, and other roadway facilities have not gone up one red cent!

Because of the price of gasoline going up... up.... up and up.... we are requiring and buying more fuel effiecent vehicles. In 1990 I bought a SUV that got 12 miles per gallon of gas, I now have a smaller car that gets 30 miles per gallon. That means that in 1990 I was paying 3.3 cents for every mile I drove to maintain the roads and bridges, build new roads, and to plow the snow in the winter. Now I pay only 1.3 cents for every mile I drive. That is a 61% decrease in what I pay to maintain the roads I drive each day. At the same time, inflation has increase the cost to maintain those same roadways by 110%.

We wonder why we have pot holes, bridges in disrepair, congestion on our roadways, our drive times have gone up by 50%, and we have road rage. We are getting what we are paying for, not much! In addition to the problems to maintain our roadways, it is taking longer to do major transportation projects. In the past it would take two to three years to go from concept to construction of a new roadway. Now with all of the feasibility studies, environmental studies, and alike, we are now taking eight to fifteen years to do a project, and spending more and more for each project.

What You Get? Not Much! We need to do something, now!

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Submitted By: Gerry Benner

posted on 6/28/2007 @ 6:07:14 AM

Rated Blog Entry

Good article Gene. We should also calculate the costs of the car in the cost of transportation. The main point I see is that taxes DO get collected, new bridges and roadways get built, but a lot is still left to be desired (I too wonder how much is going toward studies and administrative fees).

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Submitted By: John Zwick

posted on 6/25/2007 @ 10:06:05 AM

Rated Blog Entry

I'm tempted to say "tax it to hell and back" since I do most of my commute on foot and bus. But even to hell and back may not pay for the two-pronged approach we need: road maintenance and viable mass transit options. Is "tax it to hell and back - and make two laps" the answer? Not touching that with a ten foot pole.

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Submitted By: Laura Mayo

posted on 6/25/2007 @ 9:42:18 AM

Rated Blog Entry

I forgot to rate your blog! Five stars from me.

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Submitted By: Laura Mayo

posted on 6/25/2007 @ 9:41:52 AM

Rated Blog Entry

Great blog Gene. I understand completely. I can't afford the outrageous gas prices.

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Gene Putman

Thornton , CO

Gene Putman has posted 3 blog entries and 0 comments since joining on 6/24/2007. Gene Putman 's average blog rating is 4.6.

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