You’d think that higher energy prices would push public transportation operating costs higher and that transit authorities wouldn’t hesitate for a second to pass those extra costs on to riders like you. But at least in the Washington area, $3-a-gallon gas and soaring electricity prices are having no effect on Metro or bus fares, mostly due to the fact that more people are abandoning their gas-guzzling cars and switching to rail or bus to get them to work and back.

Metro recorded three of its top ten busiest days ever last month. Two of those days weren’t tied to any special events on the National Mall.

The rise in Metro ridership has been enough to earn promises of no fare hikes through 2007 from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

The increased transit ridership comes with a warning from Interim General Manager Dan Tangherlini: the Metro system is in sore need of funding for new equipment to handle the deluge of Metro-goers. In the meantime, we’ll all be huddling together real close while the rail cars squeak their way around D.C.