Americans live in a culture that loves the automobile and the freedom that comes with it.

The ability to commute and travel on your own time, at your own pace and in your own way is highly prized.

But we can change and we may have to. If the price of gasoline continues to increase, many Americans, particularly in urban or suburban areas, will take advantage of other transportation besides their personal vehicle.

Look at the way commuters have started to rely more on mass transit, as the New York Times reports.

Reporter Clifford Krauss writes from Denver: "Mass transit systems around the country are seeing standing-room-only crowds on bus lines where seats were once easy to come by. Parking lots at many bus and light-rail stations are suddenly overflowing with commuters in some towns risking tickets or tows by parking on nearby grassy areas and in vacant lots."

And William W. Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association, said: "In almost every transit system I talk to, we're seeing very high rates of growth the last few months. It's very clear that a significant portion of the increase in transit use is directly caused by people who are looking for alternatives to paying $3.50 a gallon for gas."

New York and Boston are seeing increased ridership of 5 percent or more in their public transportation systems. Denver is up 8 percent, the Times reports. Other cities in the South and West are reporting 10 to 15 percent jumps or more.

Reporting major increases are places like Minneapolis, Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Francisco. More and more people are riding buses and trains in Houston, Nashville, Salt Lake City and Charlotte, N.C.

Fulfilling a greater demand to ride buses, trains and subways can be a challenge. Mass transit systems are facing higher costs as well in fuel, power and materials. Fares traditionally cover about one-third of the costs for such systems. Sales taxes and other government funding are needed as well.

If driving remains expensive enough, the increased reliance on mass transit could be more than a passing trend. That means municipal and state governments will need to find ways to expand their mass transit systems and create new transportation options.