Oregon Highway Traffic Congestion

A PROBLEM WITH FUEL EFFICIENT VEHICLES ON THE ROAD IS THAT THERE MAY BE LESS TAX MONEY AVAILABLE TO BUILD AND REPAIR THE ROADS THEY DRIVE ON.  TRAFFIC VOLUME IN THE MEDFORD AREA ON INTERSTATE-5 AND THE PACIFIC HIGHWAY HAS DROPPED UP TO 15-PERCENT IN A RECENT SIX YEAR PERIOD.  PART OF THE REASON FOR FEWER CARS ON THE ROAD IS SAID TO BE REFLECTED IN THE OVERALL DOWNTURN OF THE ECONOMY. 

THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION’S GARY LEAMING SAYS FROM THEIR STATISTICS THE REDUCED NUMBER OF MILES BEING DRIVEN OVERALL SEEMS TO HAVE STABILIZED IN SOUTHERN OREGON.  AN UPTURN IN THE ECONOMY MIGHT SIGNAL A TREND SHOWING MORE DRIVERS ON THE ROAD AS WELL.  HOWEVER FUTURE COSTS OF A GALLON OF GAS COULD BE ANOTHER BIG FACTOR IN REDUCING THE NUMBER OF MILES BEING DRIVEN.