For more than 11 years I've lived 3.5km from work, got the job and then found a house close to work. There is a bus stop 100m from my house, and one right in front of my work, but taking the bus cost more than the car despite the car never reaching temperature so I'm using > 15L/100km. The bus also takes about half an hour because the 2 stops are on different routes so I would need to change over. There are 3 buses in the morning and afternoon that bridge the route, goes straight from my home to work, but it is charged the same as the 30 minute trip. So I use my car.

Point is, I'll probably revisit using my car when petrol gets to $4 or so, until then it is worth it for me... but then bus fares will have gone up as well. So for me no point complaining about cost of petrol. But have you checked how much it cost to own your car before you put petrol in it? Cost of registration, WOF and insurance?

What I would like to see is traffic flow improvement. You do it with slipways that do not end/merge 100m after an intersection, and use of roundabouts (especially mini or "mountable" roundabouts in urban areas). Abandon speed bumps - boy racers take them at speed as it is fun with hard suspensions and people that must go over them every day wear out their cars. Mini roundabouts are so much more effective, it is a bit hard speeding over them. Synchronize traffic lights. My consipracy theory is that traffic is slowed down and delayed rather than improved so that we use more petrol while idling our cars so that there is more tax money paid towards roading.

We are getting a new intersection in Pakuranga, Auckland. I saw the presentation, amazing how much gets spent on specialists and consultants and designing fancy bridges and how many houses will be taken away where the logical solution proposed years ago is to turn the plaza into the centre of a huge roundabout. But it will not happen because they want to run 3 bus lanes down the middle of the road which is currently 4 car lanes. And then there is the 3 lane Panmure bridge with 1 lane changing direction at peak times, the improvement to the bridge will be to add another bridge for buses and bicycles but no traffic improvement to this dangerous bridge. I guess the bridge is too dangerous for buses but who cares about the cars.

Start of rant...