Positive Front Page Reportage

Today's New York Times has a lead article regarding the increse in ridership that all mass transit agencies, bus and rail, are experiencing as gasoline closes in on $4/ga. While mention of increases with established systems, such as New York and Boston, is noted, the article also addresses increases in the smaller "emerging" systems.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/busin ... ansit.html

Highly pertinent brief passage:

• Other factors may be driving people to mass transit, too. Wireless computers turn travel time into productive work time, and more companies are offering workers subsidies to take buses or trains. Traffic congestion is getting worse in many cities, and parking more expensive.
  
  Michael Brewer, an accountant who had always driven the 36-mile trip to downtown Houston from the suburb of West Belford, said he had been thinking about switching to the bus for the last two years. The final straw came when he put $100 of gas into his Pontiac over four days a couple of weeks ago.
  
  “Finally I was ready to trade my independence for the savings,” he said while waiting for a bus.

You beat me to it Mr. Norman; I was thinking about saying something about that New York Times story myself.