Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation

RELEASE:

IMMEDIATE

CONTACT:

Mantill Williams (202) 496-4869 Virginia Miller (202) 496-4816

WASHINGTON, DC – As American families look for ways to save more and maximize their budgets, riding public transportation is a fast and easy solution to save money on the cost of commuting.

According to the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) “Transit Savings Report” a person riding public transportation can achieve an average annual savings of $8,481 per year by taking public transportation instead of driving, based on today’s gas prices and the average unreserved parking rate. “In these difficult economic times, riding public transportation is an excellent way to stretch the family budget and save money,” said APTA President William W. Millar. “From a consumer’s perspective, the savings recouped by taking public transportation equates to getting your food for free and having an extra $2,000 in your pocket.”

According to the Food Institute, $6,111 is spent on food each year by the average family. In regards to parking, on average, according to the 2008 Colliers International Parking Rate Study, the national average for the monthly unreserved parking rate in a city’s downtown business district is $143. Over the course of a year, parking costs alone can amount to an average of $1,720.

APTA’s “Transit Savings Report” calculates the monthly savings for public transit users at $707 per month. This is based on February 5, 2009 gas price of $1.907 as reported by AAA. Gas prices are up this month by 22 cents, but are still $1.069 lower than last year. The top 20 cities with the highest transit ridership are ranked in order of their transportation savings based on the purchase of a monthly public transportation pass and factoring in today’s local gas prices and the local monthly unreserved parking rate.*

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