US towns get creative as fuel costs bite
US towns get creative as fuel costs bite
Police are doing more patrolling on bikes here, while elsewhere across America small towns are taking unusual measures to rein in rising energy costs. One Connecticut town plans to put century-old dams back to work generating electricity, while other communities are telling workers to turn off their vehicles when stopped, instead of letting them idle. Gasoline and heating oil prices have soared, electricity has grown more expensive and health-care costs keep rising, prompting municipalities to do what they can to cut costs.