L.A. gas up again

The government's latest survey shows that the average price of regular is $3.43 a gallon, which compares with $3.06 on Feb. 4. Let's see, an extra 37 cents times 15 gallons to fill up your tank is $5.55 - not enough to get most of us in a panic, but enough to at least get our attention. As pointed out in this morning's WSJ story on gas prices, Americans typically discount price spikes, especially when the economy is doing fairly well. But the longer prices remain high, the more likely you'll see a response. The question is whether that response actually amounts to changing transportation habits – as in buying more fuel-efficient cars or even ditching cars altogether in favor of public transit. That's especially questionable in a place like L.A., where driving habits are nearly impossible to alter. (This is why city officials are so misguided in basing their high-density zoning plans on the belief that if you build apartments and condos near bus stops people will jump at the chance to take public transit. But don’t get me started…)