Transportation is becoming one of societies biggest crutches, and finding a suitable alternative to save energy and money is an absolute must. People are trying to adapt to this issue by starting carpool rotations, finding alternate forms of transportation, and by investing in eco friendly hybrid type vehicles. Although this growing commitment to change shows promise for the future, the hard evidence is that the world as a whole needs to tone down its gasoline and oil usage drastically.
Saving energy can mean saving money to most consumers and in the case of transportation this can be a huge financial benefit. Hybrid cars on average get 50-60 mpg, while the average 2008 SUV gets around 20 mpg. This means you are paying literally 1/3 the amount for gas per year driving a hybrid as you would driving a sport utility vehicle. With gas climbing close to 4.00usd a gallon in the U.S. the saving on gas essentially means saving thousands or dollars a year.
The MBTA for Boston can be used comparably to get an idea of what it will cost you in your city for public transportation. The price ranges from $20 a month for a student , all the way up to a deluxe pass for express travel daily for $250 a month. For the average worker there is a package that is the most common and the MBTA sells that for $90 a month. Now some of you are probably saying “why would I pay $100 a month to ride a train, when I could buy a car for only a little more?”…well there are several answers to this question. First off, you are not even including what it costs to park daily in the city, and this can range from $10 all the way to $60 dollars for a single day. Second, you are not factoring the cost of gasoline, and we all know at $3.50 a gallon currently and over $60 to fill most tanks, the amount you save on gas monthly is in the hundreds. So all in all add up the cost of your gas, parking, and car payments and see if you get anywhere close to $100, and chances are you will be closer to $500.
Saving energy saves money, so before you decide to fill your tank up next week, think about buying a year pass for the local public transportation service your state provides and doing yourself, your neighborhood, and your earth a favor.
Add Your Comment