The most obvious cost savings from public transportation comes from money saved in fuel costs. As fuel becomes more expensive, that savings increases. Depending on how far one has to drive to work, the current cost of fuel and a vehicle's gas mileage, fuel savings can amount to hundreds to thousands of dollars each year. Beyond gas, there are many other additional costs associated with an automobile, including on average more than $100 each month for car insurance, scheduled maintenance, parking fees, tolls and even the cost of the car itself.
In addition to the actual monetary cost of driving a vehicle, the impact on the environment can be considered. While a single car uses less fuel than a bus, for example, it can only transport four or five people. A bus can transport dozens at a time, reducing the overall carbon emissions of the vehicles involved. According to the American Public Transportation Association, an average person can reduce personal carbon emissions by 4,800 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
Convenience, comfort, privacy and simplicity are all opportunity costs associated with travel. Buses and trains may be less expensive and less damaging to the environment, but travelers riding public transportation sacrifice the comfort of a car, including climate control on the dashboards. Additionally, people appreciate the privacy, which is not available in a crowded bus. Driving rather than using public transportation offers more flexibility and control by the driver.
Users of public transportation are dependent on bus and train schedules and stops. These commuters do not have the ability to drive where and when they want to, such as making a stop on the way home from work or leaving early. Also, if the train stations or bus stops are not close to work, riders have to find additional transportation or walk significant distances. Because travel is less expensive at slower speeds, public transportation moves slower than a single driver unhindered by traffic. Many travelers prefer to drive rather than take public transit means because these travelers can get to the destination faster. Flat fees penalize travelers with shorter commutes, and sometimes long commutes through heavy-traffic zones are the main advantages for public transportation, rather than short commutes in easy-to-get-to locations.
There are hidden costs in public transportation that are not always noted in cost analysis. These includes subsidies for the systems and other means of government funds. Because public transportation is by definition a public service, the systems are funded by city, municipal and sometimes state and county budgets. Money for this comes from taxes levied on the public. Actual subsidies vary by location, but government funds can pay for more than 50 cents for every passenger mile, beyond the cost of out-of-pocket user fees.
