Especially in the western regions. It is this way in many other states as well where large populations arent living near major urban areas. Everyone has a car that uses gas that takes them to work to generate money, even if the car is only worth $500, it is still a necessary part of life. When gas costs more working always pays less.
Bureaucrats on the coastal states and Washington DC only see their bus systems and subway systems and taxi systems and think they might as well regulate private vehicles out of practicality, because no one uses them anyways. When in reality most of the country's population lives outside of major urban areas.
___________________ "If everybody is thinking alike, somebody isn't thinking." ~~ George S. Patton