When I lived in LA, gas was just over $4 a gallon. It's good to see it went down. I didn't make any changes. I lived in WLA, so I walked most places (easier than finding a parking spot). I had a 25 mile one way commute. There was nothing I could do about that.
I bought my XTerra in 2000. Barrels were $88, and a gallon of gas was just under $1 in NJ. When I left LA in 2009, barrels were $89 and gas was just over $4. I tracked it because I worked as an environmental engineer for a power company. I didn't do it for kicks and grins.
Gas tax doesn't fix highways. If a state meets all of it's air quality metrics (AQMD in CA), then the federal government provides the state with money for road repair.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton