With Car Ownership Up, Car-Pooling Down
Decatur Metro | February 4, 2011The New York Times tells me that car-pooling was a big deal in the 1970s. A quarter of the commuting population participated in some sort of ride-share situation back then. It was promoted as a potential solution to traffic congestion in metro areas throughout the country.
Unfortunately, no one was actually doing it BECAUSE they were hoping to do their small part to ease traffic congestion. I mean, the only thing worse than being stuck in traffic, is being stuck in traffic having an awkward conversation with some guy from accounting who just happens to live two streets over from you.
The reason people car-pooled was out of necessity. They couldn’t afford cars. Or at least a SECOND car.
But then more women got jobs, cars got cheaper, cities decentralized and work hours became more erratic. Forget any benefit that social media tools could potentially have on making car pool organization a breeze in the present day. We’re comfortably neck-deep in the age of driving alone. Car ownership is up 60% since 1980, while the population has only grown 30%. Why? Cause we can afford it.
Even those of us who move back to the city, citing environmental concerns and quality of life, often refuse to give up the second car, let alone the first. It’s just too convenient.
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I think it is more complex than that.What was much more prevalent in the 70s was the central city business district. Atlanta is a lot like the rest of the country – many businesses have located in suburban areas, and there are far more dual working households. Finally, I think one of the other main reasons contributing to the popularity of car pooling at the time was the oil situation and related gas rationing.
Not so sure I agree with “cause we can afford it” statement. If by afford it you mean
‘instead of saving money for the future”, ok, yeah. But look at the savings rates from previous eras.
One of the greatest financial and quality of life decisions my wife and I have made was the decision to go to one car. Sure, it’s sometimes inconvenient, but the extra time we get to spend together, and the extra money that goes into actual investments, far outweigh any considerations of convenience.
‘more women got jobs,’ How heteronormative of you DM…
Cars have definately not gotten cheaper!!! One cannot hardly find a decent car nowadays for less than 10K. I am in the market for a car at the moment, wanting to spend about 5K. Let me tell you there is nothing out there unless it has been wrecked multiple times, or has 100K+ miles.
I think a lot of times, though not always, a concept called “hedonics” is used in these comparisons. A certain good may cost the same or more, but its quality has improved to the extent that it can be called “cheaper.” Computers are the classic example (of course, they actually do cost less too). I know the Consumer Price Index uses this concept, but some economists say this gives a distorted account of inflation because hedonics doesn’t actually put any money in your pocket. It certainly doesn’t help my mother-in-law who lives on a fixed income that this years ipad is better than last year’s.
Another big factor is that both parents are now working and need to be able to get home/to school if Junior gets sick during the day.
My husband and I only have one car – it’s doable. We rent a car the handful of times we need two which is WAY cheaper than owning two cars. And, “gasp,” we also had only one car when we lived in Southern California. People thought we were crazy!
Perhaps ‘women entered the workforce’ would have been better : )
You’re probably right. I was struggling with that post, otherwise I most likely would have been a bit more elegant in my phrasing.
No cars here…