Working World

As of April 2008, the American Automobile Association says it costs an average of 54.1 cents per mile to drive a car. This figure includes gasoline (which won’t always stay at a lower price), oil, maintenance, tires and depreciation, but not insurance and registration, tolls or parking. For a 40-mile round-trip commute, this comes to $21.64 per day, $454 monthly and $5,453 annually.

Angelenos, let’s be honest with ourselves. Yes, the independence and freedom our cars afford us is nice. They’re like our home as we go away from home. But with tighter finances, what can we, by ourselves, afford?

In light of the current economic climate, perhaps it’s time to rethink our transportation habits and explore some thriftier alternatives for getting to work.

Metrolink and Bus

While the bus, light rail and train systems in L.A. are still vastly inadequate due to the distances and different destinations of millions of commuters, there’s always a chance that public transportation could meet your needs. Check out routes and schedules to see if it’s practical in your particular situation, even if you only take advantage of these methods one or two days a week.

For the train, go to Metrolink's site for the train, and Metro's site for L.A. County's bus service. And if you live in and/or commute to Santa Monica or Culver City, each have their own local service with stops that oftentimes intersect with or are near a Metro stop, allowing you to create a commute cocktail. Check out Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus or the Culver CityBus for more details.
 
Car Pools

Car pooling does not have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Doing it just one day a week will cut driving expenses. A larger car pool with more than two people sharing the expense, or car pooling several days a week, will fatten your wallet even more. Two is also the magic number for car pool lanes on highways and their on-ramps, which saves time and allows you to wave at those who obviously don’t care about cutting costs like you do.

If you work for a large company, there is a chance they have a van pool you may be able to use. If not and you cannot find a car pool buddy at or near your workplace, there are various websites devoted to matching commuters up, such as eRideShare.com. Registration is free and its database shows potential car pool mates, destinations, work hours and contact information.

The site also has a page devoted to safety tips about meeting and travelling with strangers, which is advice that should certainly be heeded. Take time to learn about who you’ll be sharing a car with, confirming that they have no criminal record, have reasonable mental health, a valid driver’s license and a decent driving record. Also make sure that their 7am music preferences (and volume level) are compatible with yours, and that both of your smoking and other personal habits are acceptable.

Who knows! You might even make a new friend while saving on your commuting costs.

Sidebar

Hello, Metro.

For you commuters out there who haven’t yet wet your feet in the public transportation pool, we’ve done the dirty (yet not exhaustive) work for you as far as figuring out fares. Be sure to check online for more details. And while you’re there, do all the other passengers (and drivers) a favor and  look at the transit maps so you know where you’re going; courtesy stops slow everyone down.

Cash Fares

Base Fare: $1.25
Seniors (age 62+)/Disabled/Medicare: $0.25
Children: Under age five travel free with one adult (maximum of two children per adult)

Metro Passes

Starting March 15 all passes will be sold on TAP cards. These passes are good for a ride on any Metro bus or rail line and are sold at Metro customer service centers and more than 400 locations in L.A. Check Metro's site for a list of locations.

Day Pass: $5
Best for people who board more than four times per day

Weekly: $17
Best for people boarding more than 13 times per week

Monthly: $62
Best for people boarding more than 49 times per month

Tokens

Buy a bag of 10 for $12.50 at a Metro customer service center or one of its 400 locations.

TAP Cards

Replacing all Metro paper passes and stamps starting March 15, this plastic reloadable card is available to buy online or at a TAP sales outlet (see website for locations).

EZ Transit Pass

This monthly pass is good for local travel on 24 different public transit carriers in L.A. They can be purchases at a Metro sales outlet or by calling 1.800.COMMUTE. For a list of participating carriers, visit the Metro website.

Full fare: $75
Senior/disabled/Medicare riders: $35


Suzanne Ridgway is a freelance writer and regular columnist/contributor Working World and Working Nurse magazines. She also writes grant proposals for nonprofit organizations.