What’s your tipping point?

That’s the big question that home sellers, transportation experts and planner types are starting to ask now that Americans are getting religion about our houses, our neighborhoods and our cars.

Back in 2000, gas was about $1.57 a gallon. Throughout metropolitan Chicago, people spent about the same amount of money on gasoline, no matter where they lived. Exceptions were people in Chicago who could ride the CTA and spend less on gas, and people out in Kendall County, who spent more to live in a rural area.

Fast forward to 2008. We’ll never forget those gas prices: $4.30 and up. On a set of side-by-side maps of Chicagoland at the Center for Neighborhood Technology web site (www.cnt.org), the 2008 map turns bright red as the average household spent $3,600 or more on gasoline (compared to $900 to $1,800 in comparable dollars in 2000).

When gas was $1.57 a gallon, few people considered the price of gas as part of their home costs. But at $4.30, suddenly houses that were close to work or a train line became more valuable. They also save their owners valuable time – car commuters lose more than an hour a week to traffic jams.

A survey released last month by RE/MAX of Northern Illinois has found that in the past year, home buyers and sellers may have decided that homes near train stops are worth more than they used to be. Even though gas prices are back down below $3 a gallon, last year’s memories have tipped some of us over into the “drive less” mindset.

While regional home prices overall were down 19 percent in the first six months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, the towns served by Metra trains saw average declines of 15 percent. And homes in Metra towns were harder to come by, even in a year of stagnant sales. The Metra towns had 19.2 percent fewer homes change hands compared with all suburbs, which had 15.6 percent fewer homes sell.

“We suspect the spike in gasoline prices that occurred last year may have increased home buyers’ interest in being close to commuter train service,” said Jim Merrion, regional director of the RE/MAX northern Illinois real estate network, “which could have helped home values in the Metra communities. A more difficult question is why the number of units sold declined in transit-served communities.”

He thinks the reason is that those who live close to a Metra line liked their location and didn’t want to move. And with fewer homes for sale, the prices would be more resistant to downward pressure.

Meanwhile, metropolitan planning officials are trying to figure out what to do about the fact that traffic congestion is costing our region more than $7 billion a year.

“Places that have transportation and housing choices are more desirable,” said Kristi DeLaurentiis, a local government and community relations manager for the Metropolitan Planning Council. “That allows the resident the ability to not have two, three or four cars and reduces their household costs overall.”

Years ago the answer to traffic congestion was more roads, but today’s mindset is to think outside the lane.

Other solutions include encouraging employers to provide assistance to employees who buy or rent near work, supporting development near transit lines, telecommuting, van pools and more public transportation options for suburban residents, to name a few.

Some solutions are low cost, others are huge investments. A recent Senate bill, S.1619, the Livable Communities Act of 2009, aims to provide federal incentives for 21st century communities. Introduced by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) the bill is languishing in the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, but it is at least on the right side of history, given the predilections of the Obama administration, which has shown considerable interest in improving the nation’s metropolitan areas.

The bill would create an Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities to encourage sustainable development, coordinated regional planning, energy efficiency, transit-oriented development, coordination between agencies, more and better public transportation, the preservation of open space and a lot more.

All those things are good for our region, good for our home values and good for our families. If you’re tired of sitting in traffic, let Ill. Sens. Dick Durbin and Roland Burris know you’ve reached your tipping point and that it’s time to get the Livable Communities Act out of committee.