What is more convenient, drive or use public transportation?

Question

Mon-Fri I drive 34 miles/day. If I have a car that runs 26 miles/gallon, and each gallon is $3.55. How much money, I spend each day driving my car? Based on this, each train ticket of public transportation is $6.30 round trip. Compared to driving a car and taking public transportation, which way is more effective?

Answer 1

First of all, 34 miles x $3.55 / 26 miles = $4.64, so this is cheaper than the $6.30, assuming that your 34 miles are the round trip, and setting aside other car costs (and you probably want a car for other purposes anyway).  And 17 miles is not terribly far to drive, so sitting in traffic is probably not a huge factor in this.

If you have good, free parking once you get there, that's probably the way to go.

Walking to and from bus or train stops, waiting for it, find a decent place to sit, hopefully no one very stinky next you, and carrying whatever you take with you can be a tiring chore.  Whereas having your own vehicle right from your home to your destination is probably a lot more comfortable and convenient.

The car would be the faster way to go, typically.  The public transportation might allow you some reading time.

I have commuted a lot both ways.  Just based on what you give, I would pick the car.

Answer 2

The general rule of thumb is that the total cost of driving, including gas, wear and tear on the car, and maintenance, is around 45 cents a mile.  It obviously depends on what car you drive, but that is the average figure for a sedan according to AAA.  

If the train is reasonably convenient, I would definitely go with the train.  It's less stressful than sitting in traffic and you'll save a lot of money as well.

Answer 3

What does the price of gas or train fare have to do with convenience or effectiveness? I would have to consider parking and traffic, opposed to distance to the train station and departure and arrival times.