From Joe down the block to Joe behind the 18-wheeler, people have adopted ways to lessen the pain at the pump.

At more than $3.60 a gallon, gasoline prices in the Twin Cities are 20 percent higher than they were around New Year's. Climbing fuel prices have hit the transportation industry hard, with airlines increasing fares and trucking companies telling drivers to slow down. Public agencies are looking for ways to squeeze more money out of their budgets. And motorists have changed their habits by consolidating trips and cutting unnecessary spending.

"(People) are facing prices they've never faced before on an ongoing basis. It's definitely cause for some concern," said Gail Weinholzer, a spokeswoman for AAA Minnesota-Iowa.

Public agencies and people are getting creative.

Rising gas prices led the Apple Valley Police Department about a year ago to pair up officers, Chief Scott Johnson said. But police said the change hasn't affected the way officers patrol the city, because the teams respond to calls that require two or more officers anyway, such as domestic disturbances and robberies.

"It's blowing the budget," Johnson said of the price increases.

Rising fuel prices haven't surprised Minneapolis police. The department bought reserves of fuel -- predicted to last until 2009 -- at a low $2.83 a gallon. By comparison, buying gas today at bulk can cost a city $3.40 a gallon, said Apple Valley police Capt. Michael Marben.

Apple Valley police have experimented with more fuel-efficient forms of transportation, like bicycles in pedestrian-friendly areas, Marben said. But putting officers on bikes, horses or motorcycles changes their response time and limits what they can carry.