ARLINGTON - Rising gas prices are causing people who live in Arlington to consider something they never supported before - mass transit.

It's the biggest city in America without buses or trains or both.

City leaders say since gas prices have gone up, they are getting calls from citizens demanding public transportation.

Andrey Yemelin, a UTA student, is studying the problem.

"It's barbarian," he said. "I couldn't have imagined an American city without public transportation."

Yemelin is from Kazakhstan.

"Once I walked from this place to D/FW Airport. It was 14 miles. It took four hours," he added.

Jonathan Rollins now walks to work.

"We're not buying another car because gas prices and the extra insurance. It's too much," he said.

Arlington voters have three times rejected paying for public transportation.

But the Super Bowl is coming in 2011, and new developments will soon add thousands of new families.

Michael Morris, the regional transportation director, said Arlington should be part of a regional passenger rail proposal that area leaders are trying to work out how to fund.

"We're looking at... an increase in the vehicle registration fee, couple of cents on property tax," he said.

City leaders say there is not enough support for a city bus system.

But regional leaders are taking ideas for funding an expanded rail service to the legislature next year.

E-mail jdouglas@wfaa.com.