Transportation Solutions In The News

From Staff Reports

The cost of gasoline gobbled up economic stimulus checks received by households in North Carolina, according to a group pushing for more funding for public transportation.

Since President Bush signed the tax rebates into law Feb. 13, the average household has spent more than $1,500 on gas, the N.C. Public Interest Research Group said in a report Wednesday. The standard stimulus check for a married couple with a child is $1,500.

The group sponsored a gathering Wednesday at Moore Square in Raleigh to call for a bigger budget for public transportation as an alternative to high gas prices.

Legislation that could go before the U.S. House today would provide $1.7 billion to public transit agencies to reduce fares and expand services. According to the N.C. PIRG, Raleigh would receive $2.3 million over two years, and Durham would receive $2.2 million.

Public transportation saved 3.4 billion gallons of oil in 2006, or enough to fuel 5.8 million cars, the N.C. PIRG said.

The organization said that households in Triangle neighborhoods with the best access to transit spent an average of $775 a month on transportation, compared with $946 for those with the least access to transit.