As gas prices continue to rise, more and more Phoenicians are relying on public transportation to get around.

The trend is nothing new, however. Gas prices have influenced use of public transit in the Valley since the gas crisis and recession in 2008, and Metro officials have used that to their advantage, Brittany Hoffman, spokesperson for Valley Metro, told radio station KJZZ.

"There was an entire campaign that was called 'Dump the Pump' back in 2008," Hoffman said. "When we saw the surging gas prices at the same time, there was a jump in ridership."

Use of the Valley Metro service has risen together with gas prices throughout the past six months, Hoffman said. Light rail service carried 42,000 riders during the weekend of March 5-6, which is the most passengers Valley Metro has seen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Ridership with Valley Metro increased a whopping 53% year over year in February, to the tune of approximately 250,000 riders in all, KJZZ reported.

Gas has reached an average of $4.62 per gallon in Arizona, which is more than 30 cents higher than the national average, AAA reported in their gas price tracker.

The national average is $4.29 per gallon, which is 3 cents less than a week ago, 77 cents more than last month, and $1.41 more than a year ago, AAA reported.

Many Americans have become fed up with high gas prices. Americans thought gas prices were too high when the nation reached an average of $3.53 per gallon recently, AAA reported. With the new average now above $4, 59% of respondents in a survey conducted by AAA said they would adjust their lifestyles accordingly. If prices jump higher than $5 per gallon, as they have in many Western states, approximately 75% of respondents said they would have to make changes.