Originally Posted by JaccoW

More taxes so you can finally build proper (cycling) infrastructure is a pretty good idea, speaking from experience. At the very least it will offer people better alternatives for those that can commute in anything other than their car which will free up space on the roads for those that cannot and will decrease their commute as a consequence.

As for those 2x prices, here in the Netherlands the normal average is somewhere around $8.127 per gallon and at an average of $3.308 per gallon the USA is still well below the global average of $5.697 per gallon.

You've had it cheap and you still do. The problem is people have become accustomed to a certain standard... which is unfortunately a pretty low level of efficiency. Both in your vehicles as well as your homes.

Then again, comparing is difficult because MPG is a dumb unit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLQmwOX6Xds