Every morning Greg Dilkes and his wife carpool downtown together, then part ways as they head off to work. From downtown he takes the MAX out to Beaverton.

Six years ago, his office location was transferred farther out of Portland creating a longer commute for him in the morning. Dilkes has found it easier to take the MAX every morning than to fight traffic on Sunset highway or pay outrageous gas prices.

“I now have time in the morning to read the paper and relax instead of arriving to work stressed out,” Dilkes says.

By reading in the morning on the MAX, Dilkes has more time in the evenings to get things done around his North Portland home. Dilkes also enjoys spending his daily commute with his wife.

“It’s just another added benefit,” he says.

And of course by only using one car between the two of them, they save quite a bit of money on gas.

“We do have another car, but we rarely use it because it costs about $40 to fill up every time,” Dilkes explains.

Dilkes saves about 160 miles a week from driving, and with his car’s gas mileage, that saves him at least $20 per week.

He also enjoys meeting people on the train and giving recommendations to tourists on where they should go and what they should see.

“All these factors add up--making public transportation is the best thing to do,” Dilkes says.

Jason Vaillancourt knows public transportation. After living in Washington, D.C., and riding the Metro for 10 years, he now lives in Beaverton and takes the MAX to work everyday.

“I have never needed to drive to work because of these great public transportation systems,” he says.

Vaillancourt favors riding the MAX for a number of reasons. “I like being able to read to and from work. And, riding the MAX gives me time to get some extra work done while I am on the train.

“Riding the MAX is also very good for the environment. And I like how good it is for the pocketbook.”

With soaring gas prices, Vaillancourt and others who take public transportation are truly appreciative of their alternate mode of transportation. Driving to work everyday and paying for parking can be cost-prohibitive.

Vaillancourt doesn’t just take the MAX to work. He and his wife also use public transportation when they go into Portland for a night out on the town or to the Rose Garden for a game.

“Taking public transportation is so much easier than driving,” he says. “And, I just like doing my part to use less gas.”