by Ann Herron

GUEST COLUMNIST

With roughly 60 percent of our workforce commuting outside the valley, getting to work in Salt Lake City or Dugway -- or even more remote locations -- is going to cost a lot more this year as gas prices rise.

Gas prices are near record levels and expected to top $4 a gallon by Memorial Day. Let's just look at a few math facts: If you drive 35 miles to work, that's a 70-mile round trip daily. Say your car gets 25 miles to the gallon. That's 2.8 gallons of gas daily. At top prices, that's about $10 a day just to get to work. And if you drive alone in a SUV or truck that gets only half that gas mileage, and drive father than 70 miles each day, you could be spending as much as $30 a day. That equates to $600 or more per month. Ouch!

It's time to give serious consideration to riding public transportation. The Utah Transit Authority runs all kinds of bus routes between Tooele and Salt Lake City, Dugway, and even many farther-flung points. It really makes all kinds of sense to transition away from private vehicles now and start saving money.

First, it makes financial sense. A month-long pass for the bus to Salt Lake City costs around $58 -- only $14 a week to get to work. If you do the ride-share vans, it costs about $28 a week -- still way cheaper than the $50 a week you are likely paying to drive yourself to work. Factor in parking and the other costs of driving, and the bus becomes a real money saver.

Second, it makes time sense. If someone else is driving, think about all the stuff you could get done. Pay the bills, call your mom, listen to some books on tape, take a nap. You can find a transit schedule that works for you.

Third, it makes environmental sense. Pollution, gas use, emissions -- it all adds up to bad things for the planet. Driving exacerbates those negatives while riding the bus mitigates them.

Fourth, it makes sense for the future. The more riders, the greater the number of options it creates for everyone. Maybe one day we could even get a TRAX line into Salt Lake. Now that would be awesome.

Fifth, you can better plan your day. You know exactly when to leave for work, and have a reasonably accurate guess of when you will be home. Bad weather isn't so scary when you are on a huge bus whose weight holds better to slick roads.

Nationwide, thousands of people are signing up for carpools and checking bus schedules. Bus ridership started to dramatically increase when gas hit $3 a gallon back in 2005 and continues to rise as prices rise.

So be part of the good trend. Check out the local commuting options, count up the money involved. And let's jump on the bus.

Ann Herron is a journalist and former associate professor at Utah State University who lives in Tooele. She can be reached at annherron@comcast.net.