Public Transport Riders Save Big Money As Gas Prices Increase

Charge up those metro passes because the savings from riding public transport can equal big bucks during this time of gas price increases.

The American Public Transport Association (APTA) calculates savings at $826 a month for taking mass transit versus owning and driving a car.

APTA has listed the top 20 cities with the highest public transit ridership and used the average cost for a monthly unreserved parking space in a downtown business district with the average cost of driving formula. APTA based the formula on the cost of gas, maintenance, tires, insurance, license registration, depreciation, and finance charges. To calculate gas costs, the formula used the 23.1 miles per gallon of a mid-size auto at $3.604 per gallon based on the price of gas on February 12, 2013. The metro pass price was passed on the average monthly cost for an unlimited pass.

The biggest monthly saving goes to New York transit riders, with a savings of $1,225 a month. Riding public transport in San Francisco and Boston also saves more than $1,000 a month.

More and more Americans are jumping on mass transit because of the savings of time and money. If buses and trains aren’t your thing, a recent study has indicated that walkers and cyclists enjoy their commutes significantly more than drivers, so there are any number of reasons to ditch the car.

Source: American Public Transportation Association