AAA Says: “using public or alternative transportation options could save you money”

It took them awhile, but they’re here with the rest of us.  Maybe not all the way.  But this is a confirmation: rationality can only be put off for so long.

The District of Columbia’s Department of Transportation blog, goDCgo, took a look at the AAA’s 2011 edition of Your Driving Costs, a report that has been put out annually by the Association since 1950.  The findings of the report are no surprise: driving is getting more expensive.  If you drive a midsized sedan 15,000 miles in a year, you can expect to pay around 58.5 cents per mile, or $8,775 in total for the year.  That’s up 1.9 cents per mile from 2010, or $285. (Keep in mind, AAA is using $2.88 per gallon.  That was average price of a gallon of gas at the end of 2010.  However, the average gas price for the summer of 2011 is nearer to $3.65 per gallon, pushing the AAA’s figure around 21% higher).  But goDCgo came up with something else—something quite surprising:

If you commute to work by car, figure about $58 in total vehicle expenses per 100 miles.  If that seems like a lot, driving a more fuel-efficient model or using public or alternative transportation options could save you money.

That’s right: the AAA admitted that you can save money by getting out of your car.  Syllogistically, America’s leading automobile advocate is saying that communities with an overdependence on cars cost American families.  And keep in mind, this concession from AAA comes just a few weeks after this refreshing bit of calling-a-spade-a-spade from Car & Driver’s July 2011 issue, where the magazine looked at the decline of America’s transportation network:

”The inevitable conclusion is that we cannot possibly build enough roads to satisfy demand, so we must consider alternative transportation systems… we need to take a hard look at what role highways should play and how they fit into the broader transportation network.”

There are still huge obstacles to overcome in the pursuit of a modern and balanced transportation system (including a biggie next month, when the House will attempt to move forward a bill that slashes transportation funding by a third).  But when the automobile lobby is calling for balanced transportation choices for the public, it’s safe to say train and transit advocates have succeeded in making our case, and that the facts are on our side.