saving gas $ (living in, prices, cheapest)

[LilyLaLa]

Speaking of gas prices...
I was looking at the Greyhound and Amtrak routes, only to see that northern West Virginia doesn't even exist if you want to travel on the bus or train. Lucky Wheeling--it gets a drive-through on the way to Chicago.

And as for flying, jeez! A flight from Dulles Airport to Morgantown (one hour) costs more than than a flight from Ireland to get to Dulles in the first place.

Is there any alternative to driving your own car, when visiting WV? (I'm thinking of my husband driving on a different side of the car than he's used to, and on a different side of the road, on cliffside turns... ) Or would we simply have to pick a single city, and stick with it?

Do you think that the rising gas prices will improve public transportation in WV at all? Or is that a laugh?

If it makes you feel better, gas prices in Ireland are over twice what you're paying there...all conversions made, it comes out to 'bout eight dollars the gallon...

[harborlady]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

Cities now have code regulations that discriminate against livestock...disease controls.

For the past several years truckers have held to a 65 MPH limit...fuel consumption and the fact of GPS delivery times...
In our travels last week, even on I-95...and the trucking population seemed to be rather small, only one rig seemed to be doing 75 to 85. He/She stood out from the others...late for dinner?

too late DK, the horse just arrived, and when the city knocks on my door I'm blaming it all on x1x!

[harborlady]

retired I could yell about oil industry for 2 straight months. whats going on in not innocent, its called running up the market. weasel factor is running amok and making a killing. these prices will never come down even with demand changes because they literally have us over a barrel.

BUT... here is some GOOD NEWS!

General Motors finances ethanol maker Coskata - USATODAY.com

[snorpus]

Lily,

You're absolutely right, public transportation stinks. There is absolutely no way you're going to get around WV without renting a car. And air service has cut way back in the last few years.

You might want to look into flying to Pittsburgh from Dulles, and renting your car there. More choice of carriers, maybe a better price than to Morgantown.

And your husband can use the 79 mile drive south on I-79 to get used to driving on the right, before he hits the narrow two lane roads with cliffs, but no guardrails.

[Retired Navy]

I don't really see ethanol being a good alternative fuel. As stated in the article it has a relatively poor energy content so any savings in cost per gallon would be sacrificed to less miles per gallon. I do like the fact that the E85 will be made from waste materials because, in light of the global food situation, I hate to see food products turned into fuel. All I know for sure is that we as consumers must find a way to better control the cost of what we're paying for. (Darn...used a preposition to end a sentence!!) Cost me $20.00 to fill my motorcycle tank yesterday but I leave the car parked as much as possible. Can't ride the motorcycle after sunset because of the suicidal deer. I get about 42 miles per gallon on the local roads and about 54 when I can let it cruise around 60-65 MPH.

[David Kennedy]

Read your link:

The answer was in the last sentence...51 cents per gallon subsidy...and I'm familiar with that bacteria digesting process...can be varied to release several different gases...also has the capability to be done on a small scale, like at home...call it a small home grown still.
The secret of biofuels is waste products that can be had for nothing...household garbage...and pine trees are great...Why do you think those Druids were making gin a thousand years ago?
Washington and Oregon could be a west coast producer and they have the mindset for progress...if they could go back into the timber business...

All of this will be built across the border in Canada and I'm all for it...their economy needs a shot in the arm...When the USA goes under, we can move to Canada....Where's that Sarandon lady...

[David Kennedy]

Lillylala:

Rather than Dulles, consider Pittsburgh International. Internet for the hotel and car. British Airways is a carrier.
That beltway around Washington is absolutely horrible...and somewhat similar to the jitney drivers in Manila...
Driving on the otherside is not that difficult...I was in Sydney a few years ago and picked it up easily...drove through Sydney and over the Harbor Bridge...car was a small car.
Coming down I-79 is as easy as leaving the airport and traveling south...all lanes travel in the same direction. Sorry Snorpus...missed your advice here...spot on!

[LilyLaLa]

Originally Posted by snorpus

Lily,

You're absolutely right, public transportation stinks. ...You might want to look into flying to Pittsburgh from Dulles, and renting your car there. More choice of carriers, maybe a better price than to Morgantown.

Well, with five of us (and we're already used to high fuel prices!) we'll just rent the car from Dulles.

We had the same lack-of-transportation problem here--no services at all and we're all too poor to afford cars OR the gas, so we got funding for our own local transport:
Home Page
It's brilliant, it works! I wonder if the gas prices get bad enough, or folks get fed up enough, if any towns in WV might do something similar.

On the other hand, our son can't wait to get a REAL pickup truck!

[harborlady]

oh just to clarify,
-most cars cant run on e85 yet.
-51 cents per gallon is current subsidy, which would likely be transfered to new version of ethanol source for a while until conversions are paid for <--preposition, but why does it sound normal? lol
- it should reduce the amount of flaring landfills do, and convert what was waste into commodity so our demand for oil doesnt increase by going off current version of ethanol (grown in farming soil)

I'm skeptical about their $1 a gallon claim, however, even if it was $1.50 and got half the mileage, it would still be cheaper and cut the trade deficit/oil demand down considerably if easy conversions could be made

personally I think its easier to dig up their electric car blueprints & put in the new advanced batteries. the prototypes were already made, the dies are sitting on a shelf somewhere, this is completely do-able

I thought better of those razor scooters- a cartoon middle aged woman going down crescent hill at ludicrous speed

[LilyLaLa]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

Lillylala:

Rather than Dulles, consider Pittsburgh International. Internet for the hotel and car. British Airways is a carrier.

No direct flights from here to Pittsburgh I'm afraid; NYC, Chicago and Dulles (or Orlando) are our only choices.

Ye're joking about us using British Airways, I hope...

I've been camping in Pocahontas County before, and remember that drive from NoVa into West Virginia as gorgeous, so we'll be fine. After reading this thread, we'll certainly go for an economy model at the rental counter. But...

NO GUARDRAILS?
(took a while for Snorpus' comment to sink in there...)