But UTA's budget woes could be compounded by the fact that the service is funded through a percentage of the sales taxes collected in counties along the Wasatch Front. If consumers slow spending, that means less money for UTA.

"We're hoping it does work out this year. It may not," Jones said. "We're not at all, at this point, in any kind of a panic mode, but we are monitoring it very closely."

Small businesses are grappling with higher gas prices, too. A pair of florists in Bountiful have already had to raise their delivery fees from $5 to as much as $9. Most Willow & Wildflowers customers have been understanding, co-owner Kelli Garrity said.

"I think we're very comparable as far as other floral shops go," she said. The shop, whose signature is the addition of a curly willow branch in every arrangement, had been charging all customers $5, no matter how far away their flowers were to be delivered.

But for the past few months, customers sending flowers beyond 4500 South in Salt Lake City have been paying more. The shop's single van makes as many as 25 deliveries a day and uses about $100 a week in gasoline, Garrity said.

"It seems like every day I'm forking out money for gas," she said, even though the shop has tried to be more careful about routing deliveries. Luckily, wholesale flower prices have yet to be affected.

Garrity said although she's concerned those costs could go up, too, she hasn't spent too much time fretting about it. "I'm worried more about pleasing our customers and keeping our delivery charge competitive."

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E-mail: lisa@desnews.com