Driving Reign

Seventy-five percent of U.S. workers drive alone to their jobs, according to data from the 2000 U.S. Census, while only 4.7 percent get to work via public transportation and 0.4 percent commute by bicycle. Ridership on mass transit has increased 22 percent since 1996, says the American Public Transit Association, but highway driving has increased at a faster clip -- unsurprising, considering that roads and highways get far more government funding than mass transit projects and transportation alternatives. Another cause of our car-centric culture, say some enviros and urban planners, is that many developments are built with only automobiles in mind, making it difficult for people to get around by foot, bike, or public transit.