Fact #150: December 18, 2000
Most Important Transportation Problem in 2020
In two random phone surveys conducted for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Opinion Research Corporation, International, asked respondents which of the following transportation problems would be most important to the U.S. in 2020.
- Traffic congestion
- Deaths and serious injuries in vehicle accidents
- Availability and/or price of gasoline
- Local air pollution from vehicles
- Global warming or global climate change caused by vehicles
In both surveys, congestion was selected the most often. However, in August 1999, local air pollution was the second most frequently cited problem at 19%, while in December 2000, availability or price of gasoline was selected second at 28%. In the earlier study, only 15% of respondents felt that gasoline availability or price would be most important. Notably, the average price of gasoline rose from $1.25 per gallon on August 9, 1999 to $1.53 on December 4, 2000.
Supporting Information
| Percent of Respondents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Problem | Aug-99 | Dec-00 |
| Congestion | 29% | 34% |
| Local Air Pollution | 19% | 12% |
| Gasoline Price/Availability | 15% | 28% |
| Deaths and Injuries | 16% | 7% |
| Global Warming | 17% | 14% |
|
Source: Opinion Research Corporation for NREL, August 5, 1999 (1008 adults) and December 1, 2000 (1024 adults). Problems were read to the respondents in random order. Results have been adjusted to represent the U.S. adult population. Gasoline price data from U.S DOE Energy Information Administration, Weekly Gasoline Prices. | ||
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