Monday, April 21, 2008

Hey Media - Biking to Work is Cheap

Another article about the cost of gasoline and blah blah blah. But nothing about how inexpensive bicycling to your destination is.

I decided to figure out the cost calculation if I wrestled away the family minivan from my spouse and took it to work every day versus my bike and transit commute from Burlington County, NJ.

























My Bike Transit Commute

Monthly Transit Fare - $54.20
Fuel Cost - $0
Bicycle Maintenance - $230
Annual Cost of Bike - Transit Commute - $880.20

Total Cost Savings - $5367

I am not counting the fact that we lease that vehicle (which means that I should be including the full lease payment as an expense) and that we would have to buy a second vehicle; unless I can convince my wife to take three trains and a bus to get to work .

  • Gas Mileage is based on the info indicator light in my Toyota Sienna
  • Fuel cost is the NJ average in the Philadelphia Inquirer for 4-21-08
  • Parking costs include average garage rate ($12.65 CCD 2005) plus the $3 Inbound Toll on the Ben Franklin Bridge.
  • Transit Fare is based on $45 month NJ Transit RiverLINE Pass plus 8 trips per month on the PATCO High Speed Line (snow, ice, return trips after 7pm)
  • Annual Bike Maintenance Expenses - 2 tuneups plus $50 for parts

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Nice article. Where does one find this cost calculator?

John Boyle said...

There are many of these online the one I used is at the City of Columbia MO website

Cold Calling Guru Jeff Stevenson said...

Hi. Please join the Bicycle to Work! LinkedIn networking group. Members pledge that they will try to ride their bicycle to work or on an errand at least once a week. Although the benefits should be obvious, let me outline them here.
Right now people in the industrialized world are facing two very grave problems: obesity and a growing scarcity of oil. Compounding this problem is the new food shortage brought about, in part, by the conversion of food cropland to bio-fuel crop production. Most people feel powerless to help, but there is one thing that we can do. Ride our bicycles to work.
If everyone would agree to ride their bikes to work one day per week we could cut oil consumption by as much as 10-15%. No one would argue that riding a bike burns more calories than driving the car. Although popular politically right now, most bio-fuels consume more energy than they produce. We would be much better to eat those bio-crops then use our own energy to transport us around.
So spread the word. Make it a movement! Bicycle to work one day a week and do your part to cut back obesity and the overuse of oil and precious cropland.
Just go to my profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreylstevenson and you can click on the group to be included. While you are there, don't forget to ask to link to my network of more than 7,000.000 like-minded professionals. I accept all invitations and look forward to meeting you.
Jeff

Yokota Fritz said...

New Jersey gas is the cheapest in the nation. It looks like I have a similar commute with a mixed bus + train + bike commute for me. My bus pass is provided free by my employer and they pay for a portion of my train pass.