Even though she drives a fuel-efficient Toyota hybrid, Springfield resident Judi Mier decided it was time to get a bus pass when the price of gas hit $3.97 per gallon this week.

"I think that was the magic number for me. I thought, 'Well, the buses are going to run anyway, I might as well take advantage of it,'" Mier said.

Because she's 67 and lives within the boundaries of the Springfield Mass Transit District, Mier can ride city buses for free.

On Friday, she was at Senior Services of Central Illinois, 701 W. Mason St., to get her pass. The SMTD was processing passes at the center, and about 80 people showed up between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Many, like Mier, said the rising price of gas is what prompted them to get passes.

"We live on a fixed income. Gas is just an additional expense," said Keith Larson, 77. "It seems like the price of everything is increasing."

Linda Tisdale, executive director of the SMTD, said ridership on city buses has been increasing as the cost of fuel has risen.