So says a new report:
Drivers in the South have been hit hardest by soaring U.S. gasoline costs and state governments there should take more steps to help cut fuel consumption, said a report released on Tuesday.
Average motorists in Mississippi spent nearly 8 percent of their incomes on gasoline in 2007 and drivers in South Carolina and Georgia spent more than 7 percent, according to the report released on Tuesday by environmental group the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Meanwhile, drivers in the Northeast spent the least amount of their incomes on fuel with Connecticut motorists paying just over 3 percent. Drivers in New York spent about 3.3 percent and motorists in Massachusetts spent about 3.5 percent.
The report is here [pdf]. Georgia has dithered over a regional rail system that would connect Macon and Athens to Atlanta (and its busy airport) for years, proposing a 25 lane interstate highway instead. Word is, that may soon change.
How about walking? Facing South:
WalkScore has released its annual list of the Most Walkable Cities in the United States. Sadly, no Southern cities crack the top 10 list. The highest-ranking city — Louisville, KY — comes in at #15.
In fact, out of the 40 cities profiled on the website, which is backed by the environmentally-focused Sightline Institute, seven of the bottom 10 are in the South:
31. El Paso
32. San Antonio
33. Fort Worth
34. Kansas City
35. Memphis
36. Oklahoma City
37. Indianapolis