Car Prices Soar, Drivers Stay on the Road

Los Angeles traffic keeps moving at a steady pace even as fuel costs climb higher than ever. The city’s main highways – I‑405, I‑10 and I‑5 – saw almost no change in the number of miles driven over a two‑month stretch that began after the Iran conflict escalated. Researchers from Caltrans analyzed traffic data up to late April and found that most freeway segments experienced only minor fluctuations, with some spots rising about nine percent or falling near three percent. This pattern echoes long‑standing studies that show gasoline demand in the United States is largely inelastic. Drivers tend to keep their routes and schedules unchanged, even when the price of a gallon jumps dramatically. A 2006 paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research noted that motorists were less responsive to price hikes in the 2000s than they had been during the oil shock of the 1970s.On Monday, the average price for regular gasoline in Los Angeles hit $6. 07 per gallon—roughly a 28 percent increase from the previous year and about 36 percent above the national average, according to AAA data. Despite the higher cost, many locals accept it as part of life in a car‑centric state. One resident explained that taking the bus would take three to four times longer, and for someone whose schedule is tight, time becomes a premium. Public transit ridership on weekdays rose 1. 6 percent from the previous year during March and April, while passenger miles increased by 0. 8 percent, according to LA Metro reports. The transit agency attributes part of the uptick to new stations and expanded service areas, not just fuel prices. A transportation researcher noted that even a modest 10 percent reduction in vehicle volume can dramatically cut delays on roads operating near capacity, illustrating how small changes ripple through traffic flow.