The amount of miles logged by Maryland, Virginia, and District drivers fell sharply in May, contributing to a national drop of more than 9.6 billion miles, the third largest slide in the country’s history. The decrease saw local drivers notching between 1.7 and 4.2 percent fewer turns of the odometer. So, you might ask, what’s this got to do with Metro?

Well, lots. The conclusions that we can draw from this drop are many – first, the painfully obvious: the increasing cost of gasoline is causing drivers to eliminate some usage of their automobiles from their daily lives. This, taken in itself, is not a terrible thing. It’s obvious, too, that the drop in mileage is likely helping to raise ridership on public transportation. Again, it seems all well and good. But if we go a bit further, we can draw more meaningful conclusions – and just like a hole in the ground, the further you dig, the messier it gets.

Photo by Bullneck.