Gas prices push drivers off road

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

California today is almost certain to top its nominal record of $3.05 for a gallon of regular, set last fall after Hurricane Katrina roared ashore on the Gulf Coast. The state's inflation-adjusted record of $3.08, set in 1981, soon could fall as well.

Americans are famously loath to stop driving, even when gas prices climb. Many can't. Although San Francisco has a well-developed web of bus and light-rail routes, most cities and towns don't.

People will substitute something when they have to.