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Your Commuting Costs By Car Vs. Train?

Posted by timothy on from the part-of-the-world-time-of-day-round-trip-distance dept.

grepdisc writes "Newspapers in Boston are fawning over a report by the American Public Transportation Association that taking public transportation saves money over driving. How can one possibly save $12,600 per year, when the inflated estimates of 15,000 miles per year at only 23.4 miles and $2.039 per gallon costs only $1,310, and a high parking rate of $460 per month results in under $5600. Is the discrepancy made up of tolls, repairs, the cost of buying a car and ignoring train station parking fees?" Everyone's situation is different — and it's easy to have a chip on one's shoulder while estimating prices. But for those of you with the option, what kind of savings do you find (or would you expect) from taking one form of transport to work over another?

3 of 1,137 comments (clear)

  1. Driving is much better... by strangeattraction · · Score: 3, Funny

    Muni cost $40 dollars per month pre-tax money. Car $9 per day parking + aggravation + gas + maintenance. Let me see. If I could only do math... Of course driving is better because I get to cut other drivers off, flip them the bird and bang on my steering wheel. What more could you want from life?

  2. Re:Not everyone has access to transit by iroll · · Score: 5, Funny

    Exactly! I'm a bush pilot in Alaska, and I think this article is just silly! Sure, ON PAPER public transit in NYC may seem to be cheaper than my float-equipped Cessna, but they're making all sorts of false assumptions! For example, I do my own maintenance--where's THAT in their spreadsheet?

    OH WAIT--THIS ARTICLE IS NOT ABOUT RURAL TRANSPORTATION, WHICH EVERYBODY KNOWS IS DIFFERENT THAN COMMUTING IN MAJOR URBAN AREAS.

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    Repetition does not transform a lie into the truth. - FDR
  3. Re:depends by g-to-the-o-to-the-g · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, since everyone here thinks I'm full of crap, I decided to take a picture of my old insurance policy. Here's the first, and second picture. Note that the highlighted value is the annual cost (so the monthly payment was $489.67).

    And for the record, I have a nearly perfect driving record (other than a couple speeding tickets when I was 16).

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    Hi there