First thoughts of transit, but what about biking

In "As Gas Costs Climb, Ridership On Metrorail Is Rising," from the Miami Herald, Evelina Galangtells us that she lives 4 miles from where she works and it takes as long as one hour to get home by car. From the article:

As she sits in traffic, she can see the Metrorail trains whizzing by, but although she has taken public transportation in every major city where she has lived -- Manila, Chicago, New York, Washington D.C. -- Galang had never considered it an option in South Florida until now.

"There's a lack of trust," she says. "I've been living here for 11/2 years and I drive everywhere. In these other cities, you know it's [the train] coming, but here the perception is that you may be left stranded if a meeting or an event goes on too long."

But with gas prices on the rise and predicted to reach $5 a gallon this summer more people like Galang, who is spending about $45 every time she fills up her Honda, are reconsidering their transportation options. Metro-Dade Transit officials say the number of people boarding Metrorail trains increased by 7 percent from January 2010 to January 2011.

But biking ought to be considered a realistic option as well--she could make the trip, presuming that the right access and infrastructure is in place--in 25 minutes

For what it's worth, 56% of all daily trips are 4 miles or less, according to the National Household Travel Survey.

Frankly, a big reason that I bike is that it gives me far more control over my time than reliance on driving or transit can provide--at least in the kinds of places I tend to make regular trips.