President Bush is urging Congress to end a decades-old ban on offshore oil drilling in response to consumer anxiety over record-high gas prices.

“Every American who drives to work, purchases food or ships a product has felt the effect. And families across our country are looking to Washington for a response,” Bush said.

The push by Bush and Republican presidential candidate John McCain to lift the ban could find plenty of support. About 60 percent of Americans surveyed in a Reuters/Zogby poll said they would favor government efforts to boost domestic drilling and refinery construction.

Roughly the same amount said they would back efforts to reduce domestic demand through tougher fuel-efficiency standards.

Do you favor more U.S. oil drilling?

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A surge in gasoline prices is forcing many to rethink their daily commute to work.

Some private employers as well as local governments are offering a four-day week as a perk that eliminates two commutes a week. In the automaking heartland, the shorter workweek offers employers a way of rewarding employees when the budget does not allow a salary increase.

According to staffing service company Robert Half, some 44 percent of respondents have changed the way they commute — from sharing a ride to driving a more fuel-efficient car. Others are working from home or looking for a closer job in order to reduce costs.

What measures are you taking to reduce your commuting times?

For full coverage of rising oil prices, click here .

More Americans are leaving their cars at home and jumping on buses, trains and trolleys as retail gasoline prices approach $4 per gallon, the American Public Transportation Association said in a report.

“There’s no doubt that the high gas prices are motivating people to change their travel behavior,” APTA president William W. Millar said. (For the full story, click here.)

Record high gas prices are forcing many drivers to spend less time behind the wheel. Data from the Department of Transportation on May 23 shows Americans drove 11 billion miles less in March than a year earlier — the sharpest year-on-year drop in the history of the agency’s reporting.

The government agency also reported that highway miles driven in March fell 4.3 percent from a year earlier — the first March decline since the last major oil shock in 1979.

Have you started taking mass transit more often in light of high gas prices?

Related blog: Who wants a 4-day work week?

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(Editor’s note: This blog was originally posted on May 23 and updated on June 2, 2008)