Public transportation has never looked so good. Paying $4.22 a gallon for gas will do that.

Utah Transit Authority reported recently that the average number of weekday riders -- on buses, TRAX light-rail trains and FrontRunner commuter trains -- rose about 20 percent from June 2007 to June 2008, from about 115,000 to 138,000.

The connection between fuel prices and transit popularity is fairly obvious. You can now ride public transit from Utah County to Salt Lake City for $2 (less for seniors) including transfer. The same route in an economical car is going to burn more than $4-5 worth of gas, and then there's the cost of oil, tires and wear and tear.

Regular public transportation passengers learn to use their travel time profitably and enjoyably -- reading the newspaper or a book, perhaps, or just getting some time to think. And, let's face it, driving on the highways has gotten scarier. How many drivers do you see talking on a cell phone? How many are doing their nails, watching TV, surfing the Internet or sending text messages?

Weighing the risks against the rewards, nobody should want to drive anymore.

Yet lots of people still do. Many of them don't have a really good reason, it's just that they're not familiar with public transit. If they were, they'd be less hesitant.

Some of our driving friends are actually intimidated by a little old transit schedule. They're afraid they won't find the right stop, or that they'll miss their connection. Years ago, they had a point. You had to decipher a schedule more cryptic than a pirate's treasure map. Today it's way easier.

Printed schedules are available at about 50 locations across Utah County, on buses or from the UTA directly. You can find routes on the Internet at www.rideuta.com -- both schedules and maps. The online Trip Planner option is especially handy. Plug in the starting location and destination (an address or familiar landmark) and pick your times. The Web site spits out the route. That's a good, quick way to find travel options.

You can even speak to a human being if you choose, quaint as that sounds nowadays. In Utah County, call 1-888-RIDE-UTA (743-3882).

Trying all of the above for a prospective trip from Orem to downtown Salt Lake turned up three viable routes -- two bus routes to the TRAX lines, and the express bus. That's quite a few options for different kinds of trips.

Schedule info is also available on Internet-enabled handheld devices. Cellphone or PDA user? You should go to www.uta2go.com and add it to your favorites. Route and schedule information is available all the time, with no downloads or manual updates.

All the same information is available at the Timpanogos Transit Center, 1145 S. 750 East, Orem (at University Mall). Phone: (801) 227-8923.

Once you've figured out a good route, you'll find a number of advantages to using the public transit system. Riding a bike to the bus stop can give you some exercise. Bikes can be carried on special racks in the front of buses, and bike lockers are available at some locations. Park-and-ride works wonders. There are a couple dozen such lots in Utah County, and this could provide the best of both worlds. Driving allows you to do errands before or after travel, and getting to the bus stop is easy.

Are you attached to your laptop? Express buses now have free wireless Internet. That's a good way to get some work done in what would otherwise be dead time. Wi-Fi should be available on more routes, which could really pull in more riders.

Are you suddenly seeing local travel on bus or rail in a better light? We hope so. In the wake of high gasoline prices, try public transit. You'll find that it's a breeze.

Do you agree?