COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Wednesday’s inflation report revealed what most Americans already knew, prices are up, gas is especially high, and the overall cost of living has increased.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures the broad cost of everyday goods and services like gasoline, groceries and rent, showing costs are 4.2% higher than a year ago and at the highest level in three years.
As consumers are continually squeezed at the gas pump, Mountain Metro Transit (MMT) said their ridership also keeps increasing.
Elaine Sheridan, the MMT senior public communication specialist, said high gas prices are just one aspect for the public transit’s increased passenger rides.
“Higher cost of living. Increased service. We have increased our services over the years. We've added more weekends, more evenings,” said Sheridan. “More people (are) living in Colorado Springs. So, I think it's an accumulation of many factors. We're becoming a bigger city and people in bigger cities use and need public transportation.”
Passenger numbers aren’t back to pre-COVID levels because of the new culture around “work from home,” Sheridan said, but there’s been a steady uptick in recent years.
Last year, the number of total rides hit more than three million. So far this year, from January to April, there’s been a more than 4% increase in rides compared to last year.
Sheridan credited it to low bus fares and options like “the Zeb,” which provides free rides throughout downtown and out west to Manitou Springs.
But due to Colorado’s budget deficit, there was no state grant this year to once again provide free summer rides. Sheridan said more than one million rides took advantage of that program last summer. For those strained by high gas prices, that could be a situation of double setbacks.
However, Sheridan pushed MMT’s pool services, such as the Schoolpool and Carpool options for those traveling to the same school or office.
They also offer the Vanpool, which has been “surprisingly underutilized,” she said.
“These have a pretty low fare. Five people have to be going the same way, so they don't have to be going to the exact location, but you have to have five people that ride together and share in the fare,” she said. “They're all new vans, and I think the highest is around $250. It's based on mileage, so you know, you could go pretty far anywhere for $250 a month if you're sharing in this van pool, which is cheaper than car insurance or gas or maintenance on a vehicle.”
She said the vans have to be filled up at a city gas fueling facility, but otherwise are a great option for a group of commuters going to and from cities and towns like Denver, Pueblo and Falcon.
"The bus is just a good deal and public transportation is a good deal. More and more people are finding it and taking advantage of it,” said Sheridan. “Our infrastructure is growing. We're getting more buses. We're getting more drivers. We're adding more service times, so it's getting more convenient, and we're hoping to continue to do so.”
After a dip earlier this week, gas prices began rising again Wednesday, which is likely to further strain the budgets of motor vehicle commuters.
According to AAA, a gallon of gas in Colorado cost $4.27 on Wednesday compared to $4.17 on Tuesday. The average price a year ago was $3.04.
The U.S. war against Iran triggered the surge in gas prices as the Middle Eastern nation has leveraged the Strait of Hormuz, which ships use to transport energy goods, to impact energy prices worldwide.
Wednesday’s CPI report also showed that all transportation goods and services have risen in costs 9.3% from May, 2025 to May this year.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Wednesday, President Trump said “I love the inflation” and defended the high costs by repeating his previous sentiments that inflation is “going to come down like a rock” once the war with Iran ends.
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