DECATUR - Jack Crawford used to drive to work almost every day.

With gas prices hovering at near-record prices, the Decatur man has been more likely in recent months to hop on a Decatur Public Transit System bus.

"The price of gas - it's just outrageous," Crawford said. "When you're filling up your tank and you see the price, it hurts. It's hard enough to make ends meet, especially if you've got a family."

Other bus riders echo Crawford's thoughts and actions.

Bus ridership has been up about 5.7 percent this year, said mass transit administrator Paul McChancy.

And the numbers of riders have spiked in August and September, the months since gasoline prices have hovered at about $3 a gallon.

Including Farm Progress Show and an unusually early beginning of school, the number of bus riders surged about 24 percent in August 2005, compared to August 2004.

Even removing riders for Farm Progress Show and the early school start from the list, 6,690 more riders were counted in August 2005 compared with a year before.

The number of riders in August 2005 rose to 79,224 - a spike of about 9.2 percent over last year's figures of 72,534.

The story is the same for September.

The transit system had 88,214 riders in September 2004. That number increased about 8.8 percent in 2005 to 96,002.

"This is the first time we've experienced a real spike like this," McChancy said. "But it's the first time gasoline has gone way out of line."

A monthly bus pass now is cheaper than filling up a tank of gas, McChancy said. Monthly passes for adults cost up to $27.60.

"You can't get 10 gallons of gas for that," McChancy said.

But the situation isn't just a windfall for transit systems, McChancy said. The system still has to pay for diesel to keep the buses running. Diesel prices are anything but cheap nowadays.

"We're using nearly 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel a year," McChancy said. "So when the price goes up by a dollar a gallon, we have a significant cost increase."

The transit system also soon will switch to biodiesel to comply with a state mandate.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a bill earlier this year that requires public fleets to run on a blend of at least 2 percent biodiesel next year.

The transit system had considered switching to a blend of biodiesel in years past but found the move cost prohibitive, McChancey said.

Costs have changed, and the biodiesel blend now likely would cost only about $660 more per year.

"Now it's come down to where it's almost even," McChancy said. "Now we're going to do it and get some experience with it before we're required to run it next year."

Decatur seems to track national trends with increased bus riders.

A news release from the American Public Transit Association indicates public transportation has been on the rise in metropolitan centers across the country.

The association also cited research that suggests the United States could reduce its dependence on foreign oil by more than 40 percent if Americans used public transportation for about 10 percent of daily travel.

Such a reduction in foreign oil dependence would nearly equal the amount of oil imported each year from Saudi Arabia.

"Increased use of public transportation is the single most effective way to reduce America's energy consumption, and it does not require any new taxes, government mandates or regulations," said association President William Millar in a news release. "With today's growing concern about energy security, transit is emerging as a critical part of the solution."

For many local riders, pocketbook concerns overshadow others.

Crawford said he might resume driving to work if gas prices come down. In the meantime, he'll keep riding the bus.

"A man's got to do what he's got to do for his family," Crawford said. "You've got to buy food, clothes and pay the bills. We just had a baby, and I've got to tighten my belt more."

Mike Frazier can be reached at mfrazier@herald-review.com or 421-7985.