Stable high energy prices would do a great job of discouraging this behaviour, as they've done in Europe. Unfortunately, in North America we're stuck with "an energy policy that encourages consumption" and leads to energy price volatility (with the accompanying economic volatility), coupled with governments that are terrified to do anything that looks like raising people's gas prices.
Well, since much of the US was built on cheap energy prices, and no alternative seems to be able to roll out in the next 5 years, all high energy prices will do is cause people to give up other things. Many cities and rural areas have no effective alternatives. Heck, I once consulted at a place in Minneapolis, MN that had no bus stop for miles.
