As I think about the transportation aspects of a sudden "oil emergency" it is clear to me that since the peninsula is virtually totally dependent on gas and diesel powered vehicles, mitigating those transportation problems will be very difficult. We have, for all practical purposes, very limited public transportation. The buses serve a very small clientele compared to rest of us using our personal vehicles, but are still a very small, but important resource. The practical question is: how do I get from A to B without affordable fuel for my vehicle? Personally, I live at the end of the road up Palo Alto and Marshall, and then up Tall tree Way. What are my choices for getting down to the store, assuming the store has food to sell? Ann and I have thought about this, and if we can't use a vehicle, we could: 1) ride our bicycles all the way there and back, but the road is steep, gravelly, and would be a heck of a trip. It would take a couple of hours probably, to get down to QFC and back. 2) We could buy a motorized tricycle from Roy the Tricycle Guy 460-8020 for $2000 (you've seen him around town) and get 120 mpg at 35mph, but who has $2000?, and it still takes some gas. It only seats one, so one of us stays home. 3) We could buy a used motor scooter at Port Angeles Power Equipment for around $1000, but this also seats one and takes gas. 4) We could buy an electric vehicle for $14,000...nah. 5) Form some kind of transportation cooperative with our neighbors, pooling gas money and making a large food run once a week.
The problem with all of this is that it leaves us virtually stranded up here almost all of the time. Do we sell our house and rent in Sequim? Not if the economy is taking a hit. We're screwed! Thanks for listening. Joe and Ann Raab