AAA: Despite Fare Increase, Metro Still Cheaper than Driving For Many Trips
The American Automobile Association (AAA) highlights that, even with a proposed fare increase, Metro is still a cheaper than driving for many trips in the region.
AAA’s analysis compares the costs of driving and parking between Maryland and Virginia to Metro-accessible locations in and near downtown Washington. Below is a selection of these trips:
Comparing The Commuting Costs – Driving vs. Riding Metro (Source: AAA Mid-Atlantic)
Obviously, these are just examples and there are other trips where transit isn’t an option or driving may be more cost effective than Metro. Parking costs, levels of congestion, transit accessibility, travel times and other variables are quite different depending on where a trip begins and ends. Still, taking the train or bus is often much cheaper than driving, especially utilizing SmartBenefits or transit passes, which further reduce the cost of choosing Metro
This should be something that, if true, Metro publishes in its stations, on its website, in its railcars, buses, etc. It’s powerful info.