Starting to take public transportation?
POSTED ON JULY 18TH, 2011 BY NICK
For the past two and a half years, John has been commuting back and forth from Washington DC to Baltimore, a 100 mile round trip. Until one day home, John got into a car accident. (Don’t worry he was not hurt.)
After the accident, he was trying to figure out how much he would save by just taking public transportation, a much cleaner alternative than driving.So one day he drafted the following questions along with his responses to analyze the cost of public transportation vs driving. The follow is his analysis:
1.) What time does my job start and end?
John’s response: 8am to 4:30 pm.
2.) Are there bus routes, rail, or combo-metro routes leading from my home to work?
John’s response: Yes. I can take the DC metro, bus F4, from Prince George’s Plaza Station to New Carrollton Station (MD). Then from New Carrollton, I can take the Marc Train to Baltimore Penn Station.
3.) Is the cost of driving a new car effective anyway?
Cost of comprehensive insurance per month: $200.00 (before the accident)
Cost of fuel per week given 100/mile day commute: $40.00
Cost of monthly parking pass: $110.00
Other factors for John to consider:
Purchase a minimal, new reliable car: $vary
Maintenance and service on new car: $vary
Total monthly cost to work by car, not including vehicle purchase or M/S: $390.00
Cost of Public Transportation:
Monthly transit pass (Bus + Rail + Marc included): $250.00
Other factors to consider:
ZipCar: Rental for $7.00 an hour for after work activities.
Total monthly cost for John to take public transportation to work: $250.00
This is a difference of $140.00 that John would save if he rode public transportation.
Have you carefully looked at your own commute from a financial perspective? How much would you be saving or spending?
Tags: DC Metro, MARCX New Carrollton, Prince George's Plaza, SmartTrip, ZipCar
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