Could it be that impatience with heavy traffic and other drivers is preparing Americans to embrace, or at least accept, transportation options other than private automobiles?

The Pew Research Center released a poll this week that indicated Americans’ love affair with their cars is beginning to wane. In 1991, 79 percent of those polled said they liked to drive and 56 percent said they saw their car only as a means of transportation. In 2006, only 69 percent said they liked to drive, while 28 percent saw it as a chore, and the percentage of those who viewed their car as a means of transportation rather than “something special” had risen to 75 percent.

Some of the other figures revealed in the study offer clues to why Americans say driving just isn’t as much fun as it used to be. Interestingly, only 3 percent attributed their new attitude to higher gasoline prices. Irritation with other drivers was a key issue, along with traffic.

And it’s no wonder. Urban drivers tallied an average of 47 hours of rush-hour traffic delays in 2003, three times the delay time two decades earlier. In Los Angeles, the average driver lost almost 100 hours – four full days – to traffic delays in 2003.

There is no doubt that Americans love the independence of having their own cars, but obviously there are trade-offs. Heavy traffic and discourtesy on the road may be opening a door of opportunity for efficient public transportation ventures. And, although the cost of gasoline was a low concern for drivers in the Pew poll, higher prices at the pump, along with uncertainties about global oil supplies, could make fuel conservation a higher priority in the near future.

Given the time and aggravation of driving and particularly daily rush-hour commutes, safe, reliable, affordable public transportation is bound to start looking better to many drivers. Even here in Lawrence, more commuters are looking for car-pool partners. If they could make easy connections inside the city once they got there, how many local commuters would consider using public transportation to Kansas City or Topeka?

Asking Americans to give up their cars isn’t an easy sell yet, but the Pew poll is an indication that it may not be too long before the hassles of driving might make Americans more willing to consider other transportation options.