Column, with poll: These Ann Arbor commuters aren't worried about high gas prices

While Karoleff called her first couple of trips on the bus “a little daunting” she now calls it “one of the best things I’ve done for my wallet. It seems pretty effortless now!” Since her employer provides her with a go!pass, she doesn’t even have to pay for the bus trip to work.

Karoleff isn’t alone. Thousands of downtown Ann Arbor employees use their go!pass every month to ride the bus. Rides using a go!pass are at an all time high. Increasing gas prices just provide another incentive to try the bus, even for just one day a week.

For some downtown employees, biking to work offers tremendous savings over a car commute. “I save something like $700 a month just by not owning a car,” says Sandy Bledsoe III, a barista at Comet Coffee who bikes to work. Enrico Aquino, an employee at the City of Ann Arbor, only uses his car on weekends and bikes or buses to work during the week.

Kristen Schleick, architect and urban designer with Hobbs + Black Architects, has also found a great way to save on gas. Because of their short commutes to work, Kristen can take the bus while her husband takes their only car. “The absolute best way to lower commuting costs, of course, is to live close to where you work,” says Schleick.

On the flip side, even some downtown employees faced with 100-mile-a-day car commutes aren’t feeling the pinch at the pump. That’s because these employees carpool to work, which cuts down on gas costs and the stress of commuting alone.

Just ask Gordy Krueger, an IT project manager at HealthMedia. According to Krueger, the dramatic rise in gas prices over the past month has provided extra incentive to add individuals to his carpool, and he has seen more inquiries since the beginning of the year for people interested in joining hiscarpool. And reducing commuting costs isn’t the only reason Krueger carpools. “Seeing the amount of CO2 I am reducing by carpooling is awesome,” he says.

What advice do these creative commuters have for those of us looking to reduce the burden of increased gas prices? Kelly O’Doherty, an architect with Angelini and Associates, suggests running errands, such as shopping for groceries, during lunchtime or after the workday. That way, you don’t have to make a larger additional trip over the weekend.

Sandy Bledsoe offers these words of wisdom for people looking to try biking to work:

“A decent bike would pay for itself in no time, and you'll be amazed by how much cycling transforms your life, your health and your attitude. Would you believe that most motorists rate their commutes as stressful, but most cyclists rate their commutes as fun?”

If you do have to drive, carpooling may be an option. You can check out MIRideshare.org or just ask around at the office to find some carpool partners. In addition, Gordy Krueger suggests using your car’s cruise control. He estimates that by using cruise control, he saves a mile or two a gallon on his way to work, which can add up over time.

Finally, a great resource for anyone who works downtown is the getDowntown Program. We can help you find the commute that is best for you.

So while high gas prices may cause you to cringe, making the choice to try a green commute could have you shrugging your shoulders instead.