Yet another reason to invest in public transit and transit-oriented development: People want it!

The number of Americans hopping buses and grabbing subway straps has climbed to the highest level in half a century as soaring gasoline costs push more commuters to take mass transit.

U.S. mass transit ridership began to surge when gasoline hit the $3 a gallon level in 2005 and has continued to rise steadily ever since as pump prices top record after record, according to a report released on Monday by the American Public Transit Association.

Check out the APTA’s full report. And find out more about why public transit and transit-oriented development are key to a more equitable America at the PolicyLink Center for Infrastructure Equity.