NEW YORK – With gasoline prices hovering around $3.00 a gallon, more motorists are ditching their sedans and SUVs in favor of two-wheel modes of transportation, reports Reuters.

“We've seen a lot more interest in scooters and motorcycles because of fuel economy,” Ty van Hooydonk, director of product communications for the Motorcycle Industry Council, told the news source, adding, “When you're looking at a motorcycle or a scooter getting two to three times the fuel economy of a car, people are going to think about it.”

While motorcycle and moped sales have increased, up 8.6 percent and 2.1 percent respectively during the first quarter of 2006, some travelers are ditching fuel-powered modes of transportation altogether.

“For cycling, high gas prices have a real positive side,” said Bikes Belong Executive Director Tim Blumenthal, a national coalition of bicycle suppliers and retailers, noting that bikes are attracting “a new type of customer” that includes motorists who are looking to save on fuel costs by fixing up their old bikes or buying new ones.