Bloomington residents search for cheaper ways to get around

With gas prices reaching almost $4 a gallon, Hoosiers are having to explore alternatives to driving to get where they need to go. To avoid the crunch at the pump, many Bloomington residents have instead turned to public transportation, carpooling or bicycling around town.\nSeveral Bloomington organizations are advocating the transition from the gas pedal to the bicycle pedal as a solution to the gas issue. The Community Bike Project in Bloomington, a volunteer-based organization that focuses on providing bike transportation and services, has seen a growing number of cyclists. \n“A lot of people I know are pedaling more if they can,” said a volunteer for the Community Bike Project who goes by the name “Homefire.” “They save money by not having to shell out that much for gas.” \nThe project has seen an increase of about 25 percent in bicycles coming to the shop, the volunteer said. \nLew May, general manager of Bloomington Transit, has seen a growing correlation between increased riders and gas prices in the last 25 years. With ridership up 12 percent from this time last year, May also sees the disadvantage of swelling prices on the budget when purchasing 300,000 gallons of diesel fuel a year for the Bloomington Transit fleet. \n“It certainly is affecting our budget but contributing to ridership,” May said. “We are already seeing that change manifested in ridership numbers.”\n2007 was a record-breaking year with 2.57 million riders using BT, and that number is increasing slightly faster this year. The numbers suggest the $1 base fare has not negatively impacted ridership for those not associated with the University.\n“People are being forced to change the way they travel,” May said. “2008 is probably going to be a record-setting year in ridership.”\nCarpooling is another option. Central Indiana Commuter Services, based in Indianapolis, is a federally funded organization that helps patrons find carpool partners or vanpool groups through a ride-matching system. \n“It is almost like a dating service,” said Ronnetta Spalding, communications manager of CICS. “Plug in your information and the dates and it will give you a list of other commuters in the area.”\nBy connecting commuters in nine central Indiana counties, including Monroe, there are a total of 81 Bloomington residents enrolled in the CICS program.\nFor more information on how to find a carpool through the Central Indiana Commuter Services, visit www.centralincommuter.net or call 1-888-737-RIDE.