Rising fuel prices pinch rural schools, commuters

If you're a rural journalist and your news outlet hasn't done a story about how rising fuel prices are causing financial stress for school districts and local governments, and another story about the impact on rural commuters, it's probably time. In The Washington Post today, Kirstin Downey looks at the local-government situation in Maryland and Virginia.

In Loudoun County, Va., "the per-mile cost of operating its 742 school buses has almost tripled in the past eight years, climbing from 30 to 81 cents. If prices keep rising, school officials may need to curtail some services, such as field trips and extracurricular activities."

Fairfax County "is monitoring credit card purchases of fuel, reprogramming engine computers so that diesel-powered vehicles automatically shut down after a certain amount of time idling and installing data recorders to make sure automobiles are being used for appropriate purposes. They are also telling county employees to minimize idling, avoid 'jack-rabbit' starts, opt for right-hand turns to avoid long waits at traffic signals and consider riding bikes to work instead of driving county cars." (Read more)

Commuting is an economic lifeline to rural areas. The Census Bureau's American Fact Finder site has detailed commuting data for most places. One example: For the 379 residents of New Castle, Ky. (Encarta map) who are in the labor force, the average commute in 2000 lasted 25.6 minutes -- longer than the national average. Surrounding Henry County was added to the Louisville metropolitan area after that census because more than a fourth of its workers commuted to metro Louisville. The site will also tell you how many commuters carpooled, drove alone or walked to work.