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Category Archives: Peers

Successful Young Americans Seen Drifting Away From Car Culture: Smart Phones Play A Role

Saturday, April 7th, 2012 | Editor | No Comments

Original Article by John Laumer, Treehugger

Note from Editor: This is another follow-up blog posting regarding the recent report from the Frontier Group and U.S. PIRG on Transportation and the New Generation. The interesting take here is on the role of smart phone technology that is ubiquitous and moves with today’s young people.

“As always, there’s more sex in the city, better restaurants, and a far better music and theater scene than can be found in any suburb. If you can no longer afford to fly to Tortugas for a vacation, life in the city is a reliable way to keep life interesting for the long haul – especially important once you decide TV sucks. This is a given.”

Full article at original site

Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People Are Driving Less and What It Means for Transportation Policy

Thursday, April 5th, 2012 | Editor | No Comments

Original article by Benjamin Davis and Tony Dutzik, Frontier Group; Phineas Baxandall, U.S. PIRG Education Fund

“America has long created transportation policy under the assumption that driving will continue to increase at a rapid and steady rate. The changing transportation preferences of young people – and Americans overall – throw that assumption into doubt. Policy-makers and the public need to be aware that America’s current transportation policy – dominated by road building – is fundamentally out-of-step with the transportation patterns and expressed preferences of growing numbers of Americans. It is time for policy-makers to consider the implication of changes in driving habits for the nation’s transportation infrastructure decisions and funding practices, and consider a new vision for transportation policy that reflects the needs of 21st century America.”

Continued at original site

Why Are US Teenagers Driving Less?

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 | Editor | No Comments

– by Brian Wheeler
BBC News Magazine

American teenagers are taking to the road in fewer numbers than ever before. What’s behind this trend and does it mean the end of the car as adolescent status symbol and rite of passage?

If Ferris Bueller had a day off now, would he spend it on Facebook?

Recent research suggests many young Americans prefer to spend their money and time chatting to their friends online, as opposed to the more traditional pastime of cruising around in cars.

For the high school students in films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and American Graffiti, cars were the ultimate expression of individuality and personal freedom – just as they have been for generations of Americans.

Continued at original site

Rite of Passage vs. Right of Passage

Monday, November 7th, 2011 | Editor | No Comments

by Andrew Hitchcock

If we want to change driving habits in the United States, we have to start young. A large part of the high school experience and a child’s rite of passage involves the automobile. Once a person has this notion of driving everywhere planted in them, it is hard to remove.

Being a recent high school graduate from a suburban high school, I think it is sad how true this is. Younger high school students look forward to turning 16 so they can finally learn to drive and increase their mobility. Getting a driver’s license or car is probably the biggest event in most teenagers’ high school careers. My suburb was fairly affluent, so most kids had cars, but they got angry because there were not enough places around the school to park. The farthest house in the school district from the high school was only five miles away, yet very few got to school under their own power. Most opted for school bus, car, or carpool…

Read the full article at The New Colonist