LANSING – The state has created a web site to help consumers find ways to save money on commuting, household energy use, college tuition, health care and other avenues as food and gas prices eat up a greater share of household income, said Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who also said the state should consider lowering the speed limit, as states did after the 1973 oil embargo, but stopped short of proposing such a move.
Granholm, who presented an overview of the site for reporters, also promoted the concept of lower speeds for drivers, though she is not yet proposing that Michigan drop speed limits as was required in the energy crisis.
Asked if the sate should lower the speed limit, Granholm said, “We should consider it. Now that the price of gas is four bucks plus a gallon, most people will want to save money.”
Rep. Aldo Vagnozzi (D-Farmington Hills) is suggesting Congress reduce the speed limit nationally to 55 miles per hour, from the 70 miles per hour in effect on limited access highways in most states. He said for every mile per hour over 55, fuel efficiency drops by 1 percent.
“By simply lowering the speed limit and slowing down on the road, we can increase fuel efficiency, decrease our gas consumption and provide consumers some relief at the pump,” he said in announcing a resolution to urge Congress to act. He also said it would reduce emissions and highway fatalities.
Discussing the new money-saving website, Granholm said, “Because the economy is so tough, we want to offer citizens ways to save some money.”
Among the features at the new web site, Michigan.Gov/SaveMoney are resources for finding the cheapest gasoline in a zip code, connecting with other workers looking to ride-share and using public transit options and bicycle pathways, as well as a graph showing savings achieved by slower driving.
Granholm, who bicycles to work a couple of times a week, has asked the Department of Transportation for an assessment in 60 days of trunkline routes where bike lanes could be safely added and to compile a complete list of trails by August.
Some park and ride lots are at capacity, the governor added, and the state is looking to expand some and working with retailers to use portions of their parking lots for the service.
She also said she is looking to replace a Ford 500 with a hybrid vehicle to add to the two hybrids in the vehicle pool she uses.
The governor said the executive residence is “going green” with further details to follow on what is being done there to cut down on energy consumption. The residence, she added, already has installed timers and uses LED lights to save energy, and is finding ways to capture energy that it generates.
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