Buzz About Sacramento: Recession’s Gift to Sacramento

Recession may have its own repercussions but people of Sacramento definitely have something to cheer about- Less Traffic.

The furlough Fridays are when people take the day off from work irrespective of whether they want it or not and hit the roads for a long weekend. This day gives a peek into several years’ back population. But now, the drivers notice less traffic on furloughs in the central grid of Sac Town.

Friday commuters find more places to park their vehicles than before. The commute times have reduced in the previous year. The trip from Folsom to Sacramento in November was faster by a minute on the average when compared to last year. This observation was made by the Freeway Performance Measurement System at the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department of the California, Berkeley University. The observation showed a difference of three minutes for the afternoon drivers in the same route. This pattern was also seen in the southern route headed to Elk Grove.

Wednesdays are still the most crowded with all seats in the public transport filled and only room for standing in the evenings. The commuter buses are now much less crowded on furlough Fridays. According to the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, this trend had started even before the economy went down. The most recent numbers presented by the Department of Transportation is from a 2007 survey, it is too early to decide on the number without a detailed statistical analysis. But a few years ago in 2007, the average miles travelled per day per capita had reached a peak. From 23.6 miles per person per day in 2003, the number had raised to 25 in 2007. This trend has been observed all through the country.

Apart from the economy, there is also another reason for less traffic on furlough Friday. You guessed it right! It is indeed the gasoline price! The rise in the gasoline price that began in 2003 has almost doubled by 2008. By the end of 2008, California was paying an easy $4 for a gallon. This is expected to be a psychological reason for the decrease in the number of vehicles on a furlough Friday Street. The recent improvement in economy has however brought a fall in the gasoline price. The roads are crowded on all weekdays. This is however, in exception with the furlough Friday!

For additional resources and information please visit the following sites.

Resource Links:

http://www.gmacrealestate.com

Bill Fields All Star Coaching Program: http://www.AllStarCoaching.net
GreatWest GMAC Search all MLS Listings: http://www.LocalHomeLink.com
GreatWest GMAC Consumer Buyer/Seller Blog: http://www.GreatWestBlog.com

T. Sami Siddiqui (Broker/ Owner) Buzz About Sacramento Blog: http://www.samisiddiquiblog.com
Brodie Stephens (Executive Vice President) One Stop Blog: http://www.brodiestephensblog.com
GreatWest Podcasts- Weekly Updates on new REO, Short Sale, Bank Owned Foreclosure Listings: http://www.HouseTalkOnline.com
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