Transportation Statistics by Country

Sources:

Price of gasoline: US Deptartment of Energy

On link, follow Weekly (Monday) Retail Premium Gasoline Prices, Selected Countries (U.S. Dollars per Gallon). Cost/gallon in U.S. dollars (average). Includes taxes, January 1, 1996 - Present.

Price of gasoline per gallon, based on Google web searches

European Union countries: E.U.'s European Energy Portal, March 16, 2011

United States: United States Automobile Association March 16, 2011

Canada: Canadian Autobmobile Association, March 16, 2011

The European Energy Portal, United States Automobile Association, and the Canadian Automobile Association and their figures are referenced in the article: "Why $4 per Gallon Is Damn Cheap. For more related to this article, see Notes.

Cars owned/1000: The Statistical Yearbook of the Economic Commission for Europe 2001

Table 8.1. Italy for 1999, Norway for 2000.

Vehicle kilometers traveled per capita: The WRI Center for Sustainable Transport

Estimated from figure below, from Lee Schipper, Improving Vehicle Fuel Economy, EMBARQ, 2007, and Automobile Fuel; "Economy and CO2 Emissions in Industrialized Countries: Troubling Trends through 2005/6," EMBARQ, 2007

Screen shot from the pdf used for estimates above; I could not find specific numbers.

National Geographic Greendex 2008: Consumer choice and the Environment, Market Basket Report. The United States also has the most new car registrations in this category per capita, more than the 2nd highest country by 300%.

Walking or biking frequency: Greendex

National Geographic Greendex 2008, page 41. Represents percent of population that walk or ride their bike to their destination either "all of the time" or "often."

Motor gasoline consumed per capita: Nationmaster.com

Motor gasoline consumed per capita by the transportation industry, 2005; Nationamaster.com cites Energy Statistics Database, United Nations Statistics Division.

Notes:

Bicycles

"Architect Jan Gehl's Bicycle Revolution," Canyon Kyle, February 1, 2010. Urban planner Gehl offers the same advice that Copenhagen as adopted: if given the opportunity, we can operate and thrive in a more efficient "human scale" when accommodations like infrastructure for bicycles as well as tighter city planning.

"In the Netherlands, Life Runs on 2 Wheels (Sometimes 3)," John Tagliabue, September 14, 2006. Bicycle-friendly planning is the reason why the Netherlands can now boast an average of 2 bicycles per person to which the automobile has fallen behind as a preference for transportation.

"http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/world/europe/10bike.html"European Support for Bicycles Promotes Sharing of the Wheels" Elisabeth Rosenthal, November 10, 2008. Bicycle sharing programs have fueled the emergence of an alternative for of transportation with the assistance of technological innovations that facilitate the bike sharing program.

"Riding the 'It' Factor," David Colman, April 16, 2009. Addresses bicycles as an established tradition in places in Europe, especially the Netherland, and as a raising trend. Lightweight, potable bicycles aim to fuel the continued progress of the bicycle as a mode of transportation in cities like New York City.

"Bicycle is king of the road as gas costs rise," Rick Smith, May 29, 2006. Cities which have accommodated in planning with bicycling initiatives have seen notable increases in the use of bicycles and drops in fuel consumption.

"Coming: 95% Recyclable Cars," Jim Motavalli, September 15, 2005. Legislation in Europe has affected the business culture there to such an extent that companies have taken on the responsibility quite willingly to assume the costs of producing recyclable cars.

Alternative Transportation

"Across Europe, Irking Drivers Is Urban Policy," Eliabeth Rosenthal, June 26, 2011. Many major cities across Europe have implemented numerous methods of urban planning that strongly favor pedestrians and public transportations much to the frustration of motor vehicle commuters. According to Rosenthal, the objective has been both deliberate and effective, making Europe's busiest cities a little less congested.

"Overseas, the Trains and the Market for Them Accelerate," John Tagliabue, December 30, 2005. Expanding markets (especially in Eastern Europe and also in Asia) have seen the demand for high speed rails have seen the preference for high speed trains as well as their production increase.

"Crude Arguments," The Economist Online, February 16, 2011. Chart and short article from this link demonstrate that there are other reasons than political unrest and increasing crude oil prices for the expensive costs of fuel.

"US gas is artificially cheap: What we don't pay for at the pump," Sarah Terry-Cobo, June 13, 2011. The price we pay at the pump is not fuel's only cost. Environmental and health concerns (especially in regards to how they effect those of lower socioeconomic standing) will also need to be accounted for.

Ecotax: fueltax

"Fuel Tax Could Cut Emissions U.S. Should Follow Lead of German, Japanese Policies," Craig Morris, December 17, 2006. Contends that higher prices of fuel are key to greater consumption efficiency, not cars with better gas mileage. Increase of fuel prices is suggested to be introduced progressively in order to allow citizens to make accommodations gradually.

Needed:

Current, comprehensive site on auto ownership, gasoline prices in US$ per gallon, vmt, and fleet mpg.

Lee Schipper cited above has by far the best recent discussion I've seen.

Current, comprehensive site on public transit passenger miles / 100,000 persons; % mode shares all trips