Vmass, Everybody has different opinions. I was in the gas distribution business for a long time then retired from it. Do you use a tankless water heater? Those things use so much more gas, when running, many houses in our town had to install larger supply lines to the "Tankless" just to get enough gas to operate properly. Also the fastest I've ever seen the little hands spin on a residential gas meter was because of a Tankless water heater. Luck to the folks that have and like them, never run out of hot water, but for me, I'm out... Just my guess, within the next 6 or 8 yrs. they'll be like the solar panels on roofs 25 yrs. ago for hot water, we never see them any more.
I don't think the Tankless stuff is going anywhere... I had just fitted a condensing tankless gas combi boiler in my house in the UK over 20 years ago before I came here! The prior one was also Tankless and had been there at least a dozen years (not condensing though). Let's just say the US is a little ways behind on this one!!
Yep a lot of people need a bigger line, especially if it's a ways away. Really you need 1" straight off the meter for the bigger ones.