According to recent reports, ownership rates for cars have touched their highest levels in the last several years throughout the United States. American’s driving habits seemed to change in fundamental ways as a result of a rebounding economy and cheap gas. While around 2005, everyone was driving less and younger people were putting off car purchases longer than their parents’ generation did, the two factors mentioned before have changed the equation. According to the report, Richmond, VA ranked 3 for most car stuffed into people’s garages and almost 25% of occupied housing units own 3+ vehicles.
Economy and employment
The economy of Richmond seems to be a flourishing one as only 12.4% of the population has the status of poverty which is lower than the national average of 13.4%. Also, the employment in Richmond grew at a rate of approximately 1.86 in the last few years from 639k employees to 651k employees. Therefore, the relatively high incomes of the people part of the workflow and the good economic status of the overall population is considered to be one of the main factors that contribute to the results of the report regarding car ownership.
The median property ownership is 66.2% which is again higher than the national average of 63.9%. once again, Richmond’s population shows signs of good wealth and it is explicable why the report has found an average of owning 3 cars per occupied household. People in Richmond, VA have an average commute time of 24.2 minutes and they usually prefer using their personal cars for more comfort.
Education
Richmond, VA has a number of 29 colleges and universities which means that the population of students registered in higher education institutes in extremely high. Therefore, owning more than one car per occupied household is once again a necessity for the families lining in Richmond. Students need to commute to the universities, while their parents have to commute to their jobs.
Low annual registration fee
It appears that last year, the City of Richmond charged city vehicles owners a $33 annual registration fee for each of their cars. It seems like the fee has been a discount that saved vehicles owners money and has encouraged them to purchase more vehicles if they were planning to do so for a long time.
According to the specialists from WikiLawn Lawn Care, the fact that so many households own so many vehicles which make their garages crammed with cars, it is very unlikely for these owners to have lawn care equipment in their garages. Since a clean and healthy lawn contributes to the beauty of the city and provides fresh air in a city polluted by many cars, it is important for household owners to perform regular maintenance to their lawn or ask for professionals to do so.
To conclude, depending on the factors such as public transport, employment, and household income, car ownership can be seen as a measure of advantage or disadvantage within the population of Richmond. However, something that is undeniable is the fact that increasing car ownership rates can have terrible long-term effects on the environment and quality of life of the citizens.
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AFP
