The Atlanta Gas Shortage Is Beginning To Impact The Economy

At first it was just annoying.  I drive a tiny Toyota Corolla that gets 35+ mpg even in the city and by luck managed to fill up the day before the shortage started, so initially I wasn’t too concerned.  After all, I assumed it would just be a few days.  But the Atlanta gas shortage only got worse as the week wore on until this past weekend, several of my friends had to wait two, three hours or more for $20 of gas (most stations impose a limit).  By divine intervention, I was able to find a station to fill up monday morning, but many were not so lucky.

Can’t Find Gas?  Don’t Go To Work!

Atlanta is not exactly what you’d call a public-transporation-friendly city.  It’s a de-centralized commuter city.  Many people, especially those in the suburbs,  need their cars to get to work.  Even for many within the city, public transportation is inadequate.  As a result, many people simply couldn’t get to work over the last few days.  For many, that’s actually an advantage because it’s a perfect excuse to stay home and telecommute (it’s fun to “work” at home) but many others don’t have that option.  Restaurant servers, bartenders, and non-office workers who’s job requires a physical presence were mostly out of luck if they lacked the foresight to fill up at the beginning of the gas crisis.  That’s just as well, however, because most of the customers stayed home in an attempt to save enough gas to make it to the office the next day.  Similarly, malls and retail stores were empty.  There’s no telling what the overall direct and indirect impact the shortage has had on the local economy but it’s certainly significant.

MARTA Is Smarta

MARTA, the local public transportation system, is clearly inadequate.  If nothing else, this crisis illustrates the need to improve public transportation infrastructure not just here but everywhere.  It seems we’ve reached a point where even temporary disruptions in supply can have severe economic consequences.  Unfortunately, many local workers had no other option than to stay home.  Had the public transportation system been adequate, however, those people could have still made it to work and the subsequent drop in economic output delayed.  In the end, the gas shortage will likely have a positive effect because it so clearly demonstrated the need for better transportation and for reduced dependence on oil