APTA: Commuters can save $816 a month with public transit

According to the American Public Transportation Association’s January Transit Savings Report, people who utilize public transportation instead of driving can save, on average, $816 a month, or nearly $9,800 a year. These savings are based on the cost of commuting by public transportation compared to the January 10, 2012 average national gas price ($3.34 per gallon- reported by AAA) and the national unreserved monthly parking rate.

APTA releases this monthly Transit Savings Report to examine how an individual in a two-person household can save money by taking public transportation and living with one less car.

The national average for a monthly unreserved parking space in a downtown business district is $155.22, according to the 2011 Colliers International Parking Rate Study. Over the course of a year, parking costs for a vehicle can amount to an average of $1,863.