Calculating Your Commute: Transit Websites Have the Answer

With the price of gas on the rise, Bay Area commuters are mentally adding up the cost of their commutes. A new feature on the SamTrans and Caltrain Websites will take the guess work out of calculating the cost of driving to work versus taking public transportation.

Each agency has added a “commute calculator” to their Website. The calculators put the cost of driving side by side with the cost of taking SamTrans or Caltrain, allowing users to figure the cost of their individual commute.

Commuters enter a check list of data: the number of miles driven each day, commute days per month, parking fees, the current price of gas, average miles per gallon and toll bridge costs, if any. The average vehicle cost per mile is included in the calculation. This number is based on figures supplied by the American Automobile Association and includes vehicle depreciation and the cost of routine maintenance and insurance.

The Caltrain calculator takes the rider’s starting and ending stations into account, figuring the cost of commuting across those particular zones using a monthly pass. The Website then calculates the driver’s cost per month versus the cost of taking Caltrain.

The calculator on the SamTrans Website figures what the driver would save by riding the bus. Bus riders can select from all the monthly passes available, including local, express and senior/disabled/youth discounted passes.

The results can be something of a surprise. A typical commuter traveling from Mountain View to San Carlos every day would save $28 a month by taking Caltrain and $67 a month riding SamTrans. The calculator is not geared to the occasional rider. But anyone who commutes 15 days a month and more than 50 miles a day will be surprised by the savings they can achieve by taking transit.

In addition to launching the commute calculators, the district will be running ads that call attention to the high cost of driving. The newspaper ads feature a photo of a typical gas station sign displaying gas prices capped by the word “Enough” in bold type.

The San Mateo County Transit District is San Mateo County’s people-mover. In addition to operating SamTrans bus service and serving as the administrator for Caltrain, the agency also provides Redi-Wheels paratransit service for persons with disabilities who are unable to ride regular fixed-route service. The district operates shuttles that link transit centers with major employment sites; is the managing agency for the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, which administers the expenditure of Measure A funds; and, is a partner in the BART extension to Millbrae.

8/15/05