Bradford Plumer wonders why this recession has reduced vehicle miles driven when previous slowdowns didn't:
There’s … a theory floating around that Americans—especially young Americans—are simply no longer as car crazy as they were in the 1970s. In 1976, three-quarters of all 17-year-olds had drivers’ licenses. By 2008, that was down to 49 percent. Last year, Zipcar, the car-sharing company, did a survey that found that 67 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds would prefer to drive less, especially if alternatives were available. (Mind you, Zipcar is hardly a disinterested party here, but other surveys have yielded similar results.)
The best news I've read in a long time. Jared Bernstein provides an excellent chart showing the stall in miles traveled by car in the US. Globally, of course, cars are still on the rise.
The Dish 