Metro Cost Calculations for getting to work


Okay, I have been testing the public transportation for one full week now, and I can definitely say that taking the Metrolink to work is just as convenient for me and driving to the garage here. Time for some calculations to see what it will save me to either walk or "Park and Ride" versus simply driving to work. Wash U charges $429 per year for yellow parking, so that is an easy savings right there. Our new house is 4 miles from campus parking so that amounts to 8 miles a day or 40 miles a week. Over the 50 weeks of driving a year that is 2,000 miles at 20 mpg (no highway driving) on my Geo Prizm gives me 100 gallons of gas used. At the current $2/gallon that is $200 in gasoline. The Brentwood Metrolink station is only one mile from our house, so if I use their free Meridian "Park and Ride" garage that amounts to 10 miles a week or 500 miles a year driving or 1/4 the mileage as compared to driving to campus, plus avoiding a lot of wear and tear on my aging car from the stop and go traffic on Clayton/Brentwood/Big Bend/Forest Park Parkway. Driving to the Metrolink as opposed to walking the mile each way costs me 25 gallons a year or $50 per year. I could also ride the bus which would cut the walk in half but takes 20 minutes instead of 10 minutes to get to work.

So now I will break down the options:

1) Driving to work and parking on-campus: $429 for parking plus $200 in gas plus increased wear and tear on the car. Plus I am adding the most to the problem of traffic congestion, natural resource usage and air pollution. Total travel time to work 10 minutes (unless their is an accident slowing traffic).

2) Drive to "Park and Ride" and taking Metrolink: $50 in gas plus some minimal wear and tear on the car and I cut my traffic impact and emissions by 75%. Total travel time to work ~15 minutes.

3) Walk to Bus line or Metrolink. The car gets to just sit in the garage or could perhaps be sold! The walk to the bus stop is 8 minutes but the ride is 20 minutes. The walk to Metrolink is 16 minutes but the ride is 10 minutes so they are a wash in terms of time. I would get more exercise walking to the Metrolink but the walk is not as convenient through the commercial and industrial areas on the east of Brentwood Boulevard. I may have to invest in some deodorant for work, but I am sure my co-workers would appreciate it!

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