By Evelyn Mitchell for TLS. Research released by a Census on September 20 has revealed that American drivers are cutting down on solo commuting journeys. The national Census has revealed that the number of workers driving to work on their own has fallen slightly between 2010 and 2011. This came alongside the revelation that the number of people taking public transport to work in cities, such as New York, is on the rise.

The Census results will come as good news to the citizens of Lakewood who, in previous years, have endured an increasing build-up of congestion during rush hours. A popular commuting town for those working in New York, Lakewood enjoys excellent bus services into the city – such as the Monsey Trails commuter bus – which are fast becoming an attractive alternative to sky-high fuel prices and never-ending traffic.

The Census also found that New York commuters were leading the way in mass transit travel – defined as taking a bus, train, using the subway or sharing a car or van with other workers. The city saw a two percent rise on figures from the previous year. Almost a third of its commuters now use public transport to get to work. There were similar results in over a third of the 342 metropolitan areas that took part in the survey; they too saw a rise in group commuting. More than 200 of those metro areas surveyed also reported a rise in commuters using public transport.

Rising cost of fuel

The most likely cause of this rise in group commuting is, of course, the steep and continuous rise in gas prices. Regular gasoline now costs an eye-popping $3.85 per gallon on average, compared with $3.59 per gallon at the same time last year. Some gasoline stations across the country have even been charging more than $4 per gallon.

Sharing a lift to work could be the answer to dealing with these costs. “Once people try pooling, they tend to enjoy not having the stress, saving money and they make friends,” says Eddie Caine, who heads up a van pooling programme. The Census shows that a large proportion (60%) of mass transit trips are commutes to work. This proportion is significantly larger in cities that offer van pool shuttle services, like New York’s innovative rideshare company, Easy Street. This offers commuters in towns such as Lakewood the opportunity to find other people to travel with, as well as offering employers the option of initiating an Easy Street programme for their workers.

Cycle to New York?

This news is welcome for the environment, as many cities are seeing an increase in bike usage. In cities such as New York, which has never previously enjoyed a reputation as a cycle-friendly destination, people are starting to consider the option of riding to work. The American Public Transport Association this week released figures that showed the sixth consecutive quarterly increase in cycling. This figure rose 1.6% in the second quarter of this year alone.

It is clear that fuel costs are pricing drivers out of their cars and on to bikes. However, many analysts also suggest that this is due to growing concern over the environment; public interest in helping reduce carbon footprint is consistently increasing. Further analysis suggests a shift in people’s attitudes and lifestyles is also a contributing factor. John Robert Smith, the CEO of Reconnecting America, said: “You have an aging population of Baby Boomers, the bulk of whom are winding their years in the work force, who have started to explore other ways of getting around. At the other end of the spectrum, you have the millennials, who many recent polls have shown do not have the same urgency to get their driver’s license.”

People not prepared to cut holiday travel

The rise in car pooling and cycling also indicates people are finding ways to cling onto pleasures such as holidays; a recent survey by AAA Travel projected a 2.9 percent increase in the number of Americans that travelled 50 miles or more from home during Labor Day weekend when compared with the same period last year. The annual travel insurance industry is currently booming – showing no signs that people are prepared to cut down on holiday travel like they are on home-to-work travel. The AAA estimated that 33 million Americans travelled on holiday during Labor Day weekend. This shows that industries such as travel, tourism and insurance will continue to boom despite people’s ever-dwindling budgets, and that the car pooling industry will continue to enable people to enjoy the same privileges they once had in pre-recessionary times.