Habits change to offset gas costs

Each morning at around 8:30 a.m., David Roisen straps on his silver helmet and bicycles to his job at SNL Financial off the Downtown Mall.

When Roisen, 23, moved to Charlottesville in January, he intentionally chose to live in a Fifeville duplex that was a short distance from his workplace.

The principle reason? Gas prices.

“It was all about saving money on gas and slowing down the pace of life,” he said.

A small but growing number of Charlottesville-area residents like Roisen are beginning to change their commuting habits in response to record gas prices.

The average gas price in the Charlottesville area was $3.818 on Friday, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. To fill a 15-gallon gas tank, it costs $57.26 — up from $46.25 a year ago.

As a result, more Central Virginia residents are riding the bus, riding a bicycle, carpooling, driving a hybrid vehicle or relying on fuel-efficient scooters or motorcycles, according to more than a dozen interviews with government officials, business owners and residents.

The Charlottesville Transit Service reports that bus ridership is up by more than 12 percent over last year. While the transit system has added routes and Sunday service, gas prices have been a major factor behind the increase, CTS Director Bill Watterson said.

During peak commuting hours, the Downtown Transit Station is packed. Just a few months ago, it was closer to one-third full, said Tamika Harris, the customer service supervisor at the station.

“We are seeing a huge increase in the number of people riding the bus,” she said. “And they’re definitely mentioning gas prices.”

Harris said she has received several e-mails from University of Virginia employees who are interested in giving up their parking pass in exchange for free bus fares.

“The working community is deciding to leave their cars at home,” she said.

In an attempt to drive their gas costs down, Harris and her husband have been sharing a Toyota Camry, opting to keep their Chevy Suburban parked. “We can’t afford to fill up both vehicles,” she said.

At the Cville Bike & Tri shop off Berkmar Road, sales are sharply up for bicycles, as well as for bike commuter accessories, such as laptop bags, lights and locks.

“It’s been huge for us this year,” said Paul Hoover, a salesman and bike mechanic at the shop. “It’s been way, way up lately.”

More people are also signing up for carpooling programs run by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. In 2007, a typical month would see around 20 people signing up for carpooling. Last month, 38 people signed up.

“We’ve been very busy lately,” said Lisa Horanyi, program manager for RideShare at the commission. “It’s increasing with the gas prices.”

Horanyi said that more riders are joining the organization’s guaranteed-ride home program as well. As part of that program, commuters who take an alternative form of transportation — such as a bicycle or the bus — can have a guaranteed ride home via taxi or rental car in the case of an emergency. To qualify, the commuter must take an alternative form of transit at least twice a week. The emergency ride home can be used up to four times per year.

Horanyi and her husband have found themselves combining car trips to minimize their vehicle miles traveled.

“Now, if we’re going to Kroger, we’re going to make it worth our while,” she said. “Gas prices are hitting everybody hard. Especially people who live 20 miles or more away from work.”

Jamie Schwartz, director of marketing for Brown Automotive, said that sales of hybrid vehicles have remained strong over the past year. In the past two months, as gas prices began their skyward ascent, she said that many more car buyers are interested in fuel efficiency.

“We have a lot of people coming in who are trading in huge SUVs for something that’s more fuel efficient,” she said. “Everybody is talking about the gas prices. Everybody.”

Some analysts have predicted that many more motorists would alter their driving behaviors once gas hits $4 a gallon. Wendi Van Curen, a spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, is skeptical.

“Is $4 the breaking point? Who knows?” she said. “The trend certainly seems to be that drivers become very resilient as prices rise.”

Across Virginia, Van Curen said, the number of motorcycles and other fuel-efficient vehicles has climbed in recent months.

Also as a result of the astronomical gas prices and a slowing economy, Van Curen’s organization is projecting that fewer Virginians will travel over Memorial Day weekend. According to a report released Wednesday, AAA Mid-Atlantic expects a 3 percent decline in the number of Virginians who will travel more than 50 miles during the holiday weekend.

Though some commuters are changing their habits, the vast majority are not.

“Americans love their automobiles,” Van Curen said. “They love the freedom that it brings them. As long as they can find a way to fill their fuel tanks, they’ll keep driving their cars.”