Number of Cars in US Declines

Yaaah!!:

The auto fleet in the United States shrank by an estimated 2 percent in 2009...

The decline – the first seen since World War II – was driven in large part by the recession, which sharply curbed new car sales. But broader social and economic forces were also at work, including the saturation of the American market and a declining interest in cars by the latest generation of young Americans...

Shrinking auto fleets are nothing new: in Japan and a number of European nations, the number of cars on the road either stabilized or declined years ago.

...a smaller fleet will lead to lower oil use and reduced spending on oil imports, which cost the United States an estimated $327 billion in 2007.

Fewer cars will decrease traffic congestion and reduce demand for road construction and repair, potentially freeing up billions of dollars for investment in public transportation projects...