A lot goes into our transportation system, some we see – but there is a whole lot more that we don’t see or understand. Whether it’s on the road, below the ground, or up in the air, Americans and the goods we rely on are always on the move.
As described by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), transportation requires the use of resources—labor, equipment, fuel, and infrastructure. The cost of transportation is the use of these resources. It doesn’t take long to realize this is a big, complex, and essential process. Moreover, it all adds up – what do you think? It’s gotta’ be in the trillions, right?
Drawing from BTS statistics, an analysis prepared by 20SomethingFinance.com concludes the average transportation costs in the U.S. per two-person household is $11,403 per year, and 93 percent of that cost comes from the price of vehicle ownership – or the cost of owning/leasing, insuring, maintaining, and fueling your car.
That makes transportation the second highest expense category for Americans – 31 percent higher than the third highest spending category – the food we eat to keep us alive.
That also means we put a lot into both the value and reliance, on our ability to move about and get on with our day. If time is money, then we can’t afford to sit still for very long.
It’s no wonder that so many of us have emphasized modernizing our transportation. Whether it was Walt Disney and his cartoons about the “Magic Highway” or Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster film Back to the Future, we’re fascinated with the ability to move things and move things quickly.
Moreover, there’s one key component that helps make it all happen: energy. Without affordable energy, lots of things slow down – or come to a screeching halt – including our transportation system.
In Minnesota, pipelines provide gasoline for our cars and trucks, help us save and store food, and insulate us from the cold, wet and heat with products made through unique engineering like jackets, shirts, and shorts that are dry-fit wicking, and UV protected. Pipelines are also the safest and most efficient way to transfer energy and raw materials for both the community and the environment.
Pipeline infrastructure is the backbone of Minnesota, and it is critical that Line 3 is replaced and upgraded to continue meeting the energy needs of Minnesotans, like you, across the state. So, whenever you get to where you’re going today, pause for a minute to realize what go you there. Energy.