I found the following very insightful commuting cost calculator [1] via urban planner Scott Muscatello's cool "Cleveland vs. The World [2]" blog. It takes into account much more than your $3.00 per gallon gas, as you'll see listed below - I don't drive to commute or own a car so I don't have these costs nor do I cost society for any of this... what about you... l commuting cost calculator [1]?
If you live in Westlake and commute daily downtown (around 35 miles roundtrip), and tool around another 10 miles roundtrip per day (annual driving of around 16,500 miles) the cost to you and the world is around $20,000 per year. If you communte 100 miles roundtrip a day, like a friend of mine in Medina, and tool another 20 miles per day, you drive around 33,000 miles per year and the cost to all, including you is average $40,000. I can get RTA all day pases at $3 per day every day for around 36 years, for that. What does your car-based lifestyle cost you and society?
| Through this short calculation sheet you can calculate your costs based on your specific vehicle miles traveled in order to identify what you really pay to drive each year. Once all costs are considered, it quickly becomes clear that it might be cheaper to consider transportation alternatives such as riding a bike, using the bus, vanpooling, carpooling, walking or telecommuting. Call 831/429-POOL for more information or assistance. CALCULATE YOUR COMMUTE COSTS: Calculate your commute costs by entering information about your commute and driving habits. In the cost column, use typical driver costs or change amounts to reflect your specific expenses. Press the calculate button. The calculator gives you your annual vehicle mileage and calculates your true cost of driving. |
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| Your daily ROUND TRIP COMMUTE MILES to and from work | ||
| The number of DAYS A WEEK YOU USUALLY WORK | ||
| Add in your average daily ROUND TRIP non-commuter miles | ||
| Your Annual Vehicle Mileage is: | ||
| 1. | Determine your Annual Vehicle Mileage (number of miles you drive in one year) | |
| 2. | Your Direct Driver's Expenses  |
COSTS |
| Fixed: insurance and registration | ¢ per mile | |
| Finance Charge | ¢ per mile | |
| Depreciation | ¢ per mile | |
| Fuel and Oil | ¢ per mile | |
| Maintenance and Tires | ¢ per mile | |
| Residential Parking | ¢ per mile | |
| Parking and Tolls: user paid (if applicable) | ¢ per mile | |
| Travel Time (with average delays) | ¢ per mile | |
| Accidents (minus net insurance disbursements) | ¢ per mile | |
| 3. | Total Direct Drivers Expense per mile | |
| 4. | Your Societal Costs  |
COSTS |
| Accidents (minus net insurance disbursements and direct costs as cited) | ¢ per mile | |
| State and Local Construction, Improvements and Repair (2000) | ¢ per mile | |
| State and Local Highway Maintenance and Operations (2000) | ¢ per mile | |
| Parking (commercial and employer-paid, including goverment tax) | ¢ per mile | |
| Waste Disposal | ¢ per mile | |
| Air Pollution Damage (health costs, crops, trees, materials, etc.) | ¢ per mile | |
| External Resource Consumption Costs | ¢ per mile | |
| Road Noise (property value decrease and abatement) | ¢ per mile | |
| CO2 Reduction (motor vehicles only) | ¢ per mile | |
| Water Pollution and Hydrologic Impacts | ¢ per mile | |
| Transportation Diversity and Equity | ¢ per mile | |
| Barrier Effects on Pedestrians and Bicycles | ¢ per mile | |
| Land Use Impact Costs | ¢ per mile | |
| Roadway Land Value | ¢ per mile | |
| Congestion Cost | ¢ per mile | |
| 5. | Total Societal Costs per mile associated with driving | |
| 6. | The Total Dollar Cost per mile (lines 3 and 5) | |
| 7. | The Actual Cost of Your Driving per year (line 1 multiplied by line 6) | |
| Attachment | Size |
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| MoveOnRedBluePrinceton.gif [3] | 104.76 KB |
