Vehicle ROI vs. transit ROI

A poster desired the approximate vehicle ROI vs. transit ROI. Here goes for my commute from Chaska to Bloomington, MN.

To take the bus approximately 15 miles from downtown Chaska to Edina (about 2-3 miles from my workplace) costs $5.50 round trip. It adds about an hour each way to my commute, since the buses really only go to downtown Minneapolis and major shopping areas.

Worse, only about 1/3 of operating expenses are paid from fares--the rest are from taxes, and buses do far more damage to the roads than even the biggest passenger vehicle. So the total cost of my ride is $16.50, more or less, plus extra road damage that'll be taken out of gas, property, and other taxes related to roads.

In exchange, I save driving about 28 miles, which costs me about $5 in gas and a little in maintenance--not much, mind you, as I'd still need to get down to the bus stop, and most wear & tear occurs when an engine is started. Hence, there is little improvement in pollution, lots more potholes, and no money savings.

And the equation for light rail? It's an order of magnitude worse. So drive your car. It's the economically and ecologically sound choice.