There isn’t much good that can be said about gas prices, which are now hovering around $3.23 a gallon in the region.

This morning I endeavor to offer a silver lining – as well as one more dark cloud – on this issue. In other words, throwing a little gas on the fire.

First the good news, I guess. There is at least one good thing to come out of skyrocketing gas prices. It appears we’re getting out of our cars.

SEPTA General Manager rolled out the transit giant’s budget Wednesday, and at the same time announced a 16 percent increase in the number of riders using the system in the first seven months of the fiscal year. Most of those have been recorded on the regional rail lines. That means suburbanites leaving their cars behind and using the train to get in and out of the city.

You might call this something of a gravy train for SEPTA. They’re forecasting an increase in revenue in the area of $10-15 million because of increased ridership.

And for a change, they’re actually talking about an increase in services, instead of the constant death knell of cuts they’ve lived under seemingly forever.

Among the areas to get more attention would be 24-hour service on the Route 37 bus line, which ferries folks to Philadelphia International Airport and Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack.

They’ve already added six trains during peak hours on the Regional rails, meaning another 1,200 seats during the morning commute.

It sounds like they’re going to need them. Which brings me to back to the bad news. There’s a new report that forecasts gasoline prices could rise by another 75 cents a gallon this summer.

Which would be prices perilously close to $4 a gallon.

Swell. See you on the train.