A gallon of gasoline is $3.95 today. In a couple weeks it will no doubt be over $4. It’s getting to the point that I can’t afford to drive anymore. Unfortunately, in Peoria, not driving leaves you with very few options.

There’s bicycling, as the paper profiled today. There are limitations to that, however. Winter (and other weather-related obstacles) comes immediately to mind. Proximity is another problem; depending on where you work or shop, it may simply be too far to reasonably bike. If it’s only moderately far, there’s the additional problem of showing up all sweaty — that may not be appropriate for certain destinations, like your job, for instance.

There’s walking, which is even more dependent on proximity. Pedestrians are further hampered by the poor condition and intermittency of sidewalks, if they exist at all.

Then there’s public transportation. This should be the preferred alternative to driving. Unfortunately, in Peoria the bus service is slow, infrequent, and often inconvenient. As I’ve stated before, “This isn’t all the bus company’s fault. Part of the problem is sprawl and lack of pedestrian infrastructure (e.g., sidewalks), which is a city planning problem. Just like sprawl puts a strain on police, fire, and snow removal service, it puts a huge strain on bus service.”

Nevertheless, with gas prices continuing to climb, Peoria is going to have to get serious about planning and providing infrastructure for alternative transportation methods. Otherwise, people are going to want to move someplace more sustainable, and people with options will.