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As oil peaks and prices of gasoline climb, there is no need for panic and perpetual war.
Probably, public transportation use will surge and the use of personal automobiles will greatly diminish.
The city of Portland, Oregon has prepared it's citizens for peak oil by offering a range of alternatives to the automobile: light rail, subways, buses, trolley cars and bicycle paths.
Moreover, more than 10,000 people bicycle to work each morning, according to the city's annual survey of bicycle traffic on three bridges during a three hour period of time.
This has a lot to do with an Oregon law that a portion of highway funds must always be set aside for bicycle paths.
As bike paths have increased, bicyclers have increased, showing that if you build it, they will come. Bike lanes make bicyclers feel safe. Without these, many won't bicycle to work.
Many in Portland are taking little Vespas to work. These are small scooters that have no bar to straddle in the front. You put your legs in front of you.
Many cyclers in Portland are able to rent a truck, mini van or car for about $8.00 an hour when they need it from the Flex Car company.
One Portland Flex Car user said she saves so much money by not owning an automobile that she is able to go to Europe for three weeks every year.
I read somewhere about an apartment complex offering a car share program.
Bicycling and walking is also enhanced in Portland by mixed-use development where housing, workplaces and shopping are intermingled rather than separated by zones. For instance, a row of stores may have apartments build above them. Thus, many people don't have so far to travel to do their shopping or to go to work.
Also significant, more than 700 businesses in Portland either subsidize or pay the entire cost of fares for public transportation. Thus, less than half the people take an automobile to work.
The businesses offer these subsidies in compliance with a regulation the state drafted for Portland to reduce exhaust emissions in compliance with the Clean Air Act.
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