Opinion/Your Turn: Car-dependent Cape Codders hit hardest by rising transportation costs
We know Cape Cod for its beautiful scenery, but it’s also infamous for its car dependency. People on the Cape rely on cars because of the way the land is developed, which makes living expensive. To reduce car use and make public transportation more accessible, the transportation infrastructure in the region needs to be improved along with investment in compactness.
Most activities on the Cape require driving. On an average day, in 2022, according to MassDOT, Cape residents collectively drove 6.3 million miles, which is equivalent to driving around the earth about 250 times. Per the U.S. Department of Energy, Cape residents have the highest gas consumption per capita in the state, having to buy about 650 gallons of gas each year. According to the U.S. Census, as of 2022, only about 800 Cape residents use public transportation for work.
If households on the Cape have the option to drive less, they can save money. One in three Cape households earns less than $50,000 and spends about a third of it on transportation, including car payments, gas, repairs, insurance, maintenance, parking, depreciation, license, registration and taxes. A Cape household with two adults and a child spends about $14,400 per year on transportation. The total annual transportation spending of Cape Cod households is over $1.4 billion and is expected to increase further. Gas prices on Cape Cod have surged by 59% from January 1, 2021, to July 4, 2023, which means people spent an extra $900 on gas.
Shorter trips consume more gas and emit more pollution, and they are on the rise. Smart Growth Economics (SGE) projects that average daily trips will grow by 50% in 2023 compared to 2020 levels. Most of this rise is due to brief trips under three miles. Each household on the Cape emits over eight tons of greenhouse gases annually through transportation, while road and highway runoffs contribute to water pollution.
Transportation costs are increasing faster than income in Massachusetts, and Cape Codders are experiencing the brunt of it. A recent analysis by Smart Growth Economics (SGE) found that Massachusetts residents spent 18% more on cars and parts in 2021 than in 2019, with a huge jump of $1.9 billion. This was $900 million above the expected level, based on past trends. In Massachusetts, the average monthly household costs have risen to $816, as per the report from the Joint Economic Congressional Committee. Transportation costs are the primary driver of this increase. Transportation alone costs $261 more per month compared to January 2021. This is worrisome because personal income per person only increased by $2,439 compared to a $9,794 increase in the cost of living, a fourfold cost increase over income.
The Cape community needs public transportation that preserves its unique character. However, operating public transportation uncoupled from density is financially challenging. To make public transportation investments effective, Cape Cod should invest in compactness. This means creating options for communities that are close together and connected in environmentally sensible places. Compact walkable development can lead to better access to jobs, lower housing and transportation costs, more transportation options and better safety and health.
Mahesh Ramachandran Ph.D. is chief economist at Smart Growth Economics LLC and a former environmental economist for the Cape Cod Commission and former chief economist for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Opinion: Compact development key to reducing car travel on Cape Cod
