Been driving less? You’re not alone

A new study out this morning confirms folks in Washington, Idaho and Oregon are buying less gas and driving fewer miles.

That’s not news to state transportation leaders who’ve seen how the; change in driving habits has led to a plunge in gas tax revenues.

The report out today from Sightline Institute in Seattle says that “total gasoline conusmption” in the three states fell about 180 million gallons between 2007 and 2008,.

And the trend continues in early 2009, report found. It estimates residents drove 643,000 miles less in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in than they did in the same period in 2007.

In terms of how many gallons used per week, Washingtonians averaged 7.4 gallons, which is a tenth more than Oregon and a tenth less than Idaho. Nationally, the average is 8.2 gallons, according to the report.

No surprise high gas prices are the major cause. And the report’s finding that more people are riiding transit is no surprise either but it’s handy to have comparative data in one place.