The Detroit News has this report today: More Metro drivers get a ticket to ride.

A snippet:

Public transportation agencies such as SMART, Detroit Department of Transportation, Megabus and Amtrak are reporting in some cases all-time high ridership as the price of regular gasoline creeps up to $4 a gallon.

Count Nancy Burling, an administrative secretary at the international UAW headquarters in Detroit, as among those who is helping to push the number of SMART bus riders to a record. On Monday, she started taking the SMART bus to work.

So, what options do you have if you live in Monroe?

The Monroe Evening News did a recent story on the increased interest in carpooling. Given the high numbers of Monroe County residents who commute to work in Detroit, Ann Arbor or Toledo, this option is worth a serious look. There are designated park-and-ride parking lots where you can “meet up” if needed.

Lake Erie Transit also is available for getting around the Monroe area. Now, while a local bus ticket might not save you much in comparison to the price of gas; the fact that Lake Erie Transit exists could help your family (as it did mine) get by with one less vehicle when family members have to go in different directions. And then you save money by not having payments, insurance and maintenance for that backup / extra set of wheels.