The average price of gas is now hovering around $4.21 a gallon in Minnesota, and it's making people explore other options to commute.
One of those ways is to use Metro Transit, which has seen a slight rise in ridership recently says General Manager Lesley Kandaras.
"Transit is an affordable way to get around," she says. "And this year, we've seen ridership climb month over month. We're just a bit above where we were this time last year, but we encourage people to try transit as an affordable way to move around our region right now."
With two dollars being the standard fare, Kandaras says riders benefit in more ways than one.
"You're not only saving the gas money, but potential parking expenses," Kandaras says. "And over time, wear and tear on your vehicle that requires maintenance investment too."
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, transit ridership fell precipitously. And it's been slow to come back, even as more and more workers return to the office.
However, if the war in Iran continues and fuel becomes even more expensive, more people are likely to start jumping back on buses and trains.
"We certainly, believe that transit provides an affordable option for people and we want to make sure that we're providing information to people, helping them plan their trips, encouraging them to give transit a try during this time," Kandara adds.
The price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. climbed 31 cents in the past week, spiking to an average of $4.54 per gallon Wednesday, a price 52% higher than before the war with Iran began, according to AAA data.
Among the most hard-hit by the increase in gas prices, and more likely to use transit, are lower-income Americans who sharply reduced their gas consumption in the month following the Iran war.
Yet spiking prices still forced them to spend more at the pump, worsening the economy's economic disparities, new research released last week showed.
The main reason drivers are paying more at the pump is because the war has stranded oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil normally passes. The price of crude oil, which is the main ingredient in gasoline, climbed for most of the past two months because Iran has effectively shut the waterway located off its coast.
