The folks in Charlotte got the idea. Even in a region so addicted to driving and physically dependent on car travel, by dint of its sprawling landscape, people are leaving the car at home.
One man-in-the-seat they talked to figures it would cost him nearly $200 in gas and parking fees to commute each month, but it only costs him $44 a month (with senior discount) to take the bus, and would cost non-seniors $88.
High gas prices alone didn't increase ridership in Charlotte. The city made a concerted effort to improve and expand transit service. In the short term that meant nearly doubling the number of buses. In the long term, they've already broken ground on a long-awaited and much-needed light-rail system that should be done by 2020.
If it can happen in Charlotte, it can happen anywhere.
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