Amidst the ongoing recession, as gas prices hit $4 a gallon in the South Puget Sound and elsewhere, commuters are reminded that one of the most significant ways to keep more money in their wallets is to park the car and use a travel alternative instead.
According to Intercity Transit, the public transit agency for Thurston County, commuters can save $190 on average per month riding the bus, $39 carpooling with just 1 other person, and $500 sharing the commute with a group vanpool (savings will vary based on length of commute and other factors). Commuters can save even more by choosing to bicycle or walk.
The agency reports first quarter ridership for the year was up about 2 percent on its fixed-route system and about 4 percent on its vanpool service. Use of the bus system jumped 3.6 percent last month compared to last March and is the one of the highest monthly boarding counts in the agency’s 30 year history (402,751).
Intercity Transit officials expect the recent surge in use of its services to continue. In fact, a whopping 94 percent of citizens surveyed in 2009 indicated they would change their transportation behavior if gas prices returned to $4 a gallon. That research was commissioned by Intercity Transit and resulted in a market segmentation study of 600 randomly selected households within Intercity Transit service area.
Demand for vanpools is also up. The agency has gained 130 new vanpool customers and started 8 new vanpool groups since the beginning of the year. Intercity Transit is currently operating 183 vanpools which provide long-distance ridesharing for commuters traveling to and from work. One end of the commute trip must be in Thurston County, where Intercity Transit is located.
Intercity Transit officials indicate the significant increases in service use are especially meaningful given the layoffs, state employee furloughs and continued economic struggle caused by the long recession. The small city system is one of a relative few systems nationally who have not been forced to cut their service in these lean times. The reason: local residents last year voted to tax themselves in order to sustain good public transportation service in their community (increasing the local sales tax rate for transit by 0.2% - from 0.6 to 0.8%).
Transportation is the largest household expense except for housing costs. And its bite out of the household budget is getting larger as fuel prices have increased by a-third in the past year.
According to the American Public Transportation Association’s “Transit Savings Report” one person riding public transportation can achieve an average annual savings of $10,000 per year or $840 per month by taking transit and making do with one less car. The figure is based on average national gas prices, parking costs and auto and maintenance costs (as of April 13, 2011). The report indicates gas prices have risen more than $.30 a gallon in each of the last two months, and nearly $.80 since the beginning of the year.
“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.
Events
Locally, alternative travel options come in many forms: bus, carpool, vanpool, bicycling – even walking or flexing work hours to commute less days or teleworking from home. Over the next several weeks, Intercity Transit is hosting a series of community events for those interested in exploring their travel options.
- South Sound Green Tour Eco Expo, April 16 and 17, 10am – 4pm at LOTT in downtown Olympia
- YMCA Healthy Kids Day, April 16, 10am - 2pm, downtown branch
- Earth Day Week, April 18, 10am – 4pm, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Commissary
- Earth Day Week, April 21, 10am – 4pm, Joint Base Lewis McChord, PX
- Sustainable Transportation Fair, Olympia Farmers Market, April 22, 10am - 3pm
- Earth Day Market Ride, April 23, 9 – 11am, bicycling from various Thurston County locations to the Olympia Farmers Market; visit our table at the Olympia Farmers Market, 12 - 1pm
- Wrenchers Ball, April 29, 7am - 5pm, Olympia Transit Center, downtown Olympia.
”Using a transportation alternative and driving less is the single most significant way a person can reduce their carbon footprint,” states Mike Harbour, General Manager of Intercity Transit. “And will Earth Day arriving this month along with record gas prices, there’s no time like the present for commuters to explore their options.”
Calculate Your Cost Savings
Calculate how much money – and CO2 emissions - you can save using a transportation option with Intercity Transit’s commute cost calculator.
Intercity Transit Service Options
Service Every 15 Minutes on key corridors in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and west Olympia make bus travel convenient, reliable and flexible. 360-786-1881 or customerservice@intercitytransit.com
22 Routes serve Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm and Tacoma, with connections to regional transit systems for travel near and far. 360-786-1881, customerservice@intercitytransit.com.
Travel Training, a free personalized training for individuals and small groups new to using transit. People of all ages and abilities can take advantage of this program. 360-705-5879 or traveltraining@intercitytransit.com.
Customized Trip Planning helps riders find the best way to get where they’re going by bus. Call or e-mail Customer Service at 360-786-1881. Try out our online trip planner.
Vanpools for group commuting to and from work throughout the South Puget Sound and Southwest Washington regions. Commuters can ride their first week free as a trial. Contact Vanpool/Carpool Services at 360-786-8800 or e-mail vans@intercitytransit.com.
Carpool Matching, a free online service for people searching for vanpool or carpool partners, rideshareonline.com, or call 360-786-8800.
Fares & Bus Passes make bus riding a steal of a deal! Regular Intercity Transit bus fare is $2 for all-day and $1 for one-way travel. Monthly passes are $15 to $30 and are good for unlimited travel for the month on all local bus service. Express routes to and from Tacoma are $2.50 each way (connections with Sound Transit for service to Seattle require additional fare).
Employer Subsidies and Pass Programs Many commuters realize additional savings by taking advantage of employer subsidies for bus or vanpool fares. In Thurston County, State of Washington employees ride Intercity Transit free with a STAR Pass, a benefit made possible through a paid contract between the state of Washington and I.T. Visit www.ctr.wa.gov for information on the STAR Pass. Similar programs exist for Thurston County employees, students at South Puget Sound Community College, Saint Martin’s University, and The Evergreen State College. Contact Intercity Transit employer services at 360-705-5836.
Intercity Transit is a small city, community-minded agency providing award-wining public transportation services to the residents and commuters of Thurston County, Washington. Its mission is to provide and promote public transportation choices that support an accessible, sustainable, livable, healthy and prosperous community.