Commuter Services of North Florida

Has your bank account gone from premium to unleaded?
Cost Cutting Tips and Services to Survive Rising Gas Prices

Tallahassee – Recent gasoline prices in the Tallahassee area exceeded $3.00/gallon for regular unleaded – the highest price on record.  That’s an increase of over 50 percent from this time last year when gas cost $1.79/gallon. At the new price, it now costs an average commuter, traveling a total of 30 miles a day, $2,818.05 a year just to travel to and from work¹. If that same commuter decided to carpool only once a week, they would save $422.17!  

So, what can commuters do to offset rising gas costs?  Here are some conservation options that can dramatically reduce the financial impacts of fuel costs today and in the future:

Share the ride:   Carpooling and vanpooling, even just once or twice a week, can dramatically reduce commuting costs and fuel consumption.  There are also the added benefits of reduced traffic congestion and improved air quality.  If you don’t already have a co-worker or neighbor with whom to share a ride, Commuter Services of North Florida provides free ridematching to help you connect with other commuters. Call toll free at 1-888-454-RIDE or search for carpool partners online at http://www.commuterservices.org.

Ride the Bus:  Taltran provides service to residents throughout Tallahassee. Taltran offers seven-day and monthly unlimited passes. FAMU, TCC, and FSU students ride for free, so they save both money and time by not worrying about finding a parking space.

Beneficial for Employers: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows employers to pay up to $100 per month, pre-tax, for qualified employee commuting costs. Many human resource managers have found that this provision within the tax code saves money and improves employee morale. For more information visit the Federal Transit Administration at http://www.fta.dot.gov and search for the Commuter Choice Program.

Telework: If your job responsibilities and employers allow, work at home a few days a week. Employers can save $7,920 in retention/recruitment cost per teleworker. It can also increase productivity by 20%, resulting in a net gain of $1,850 per teleworker, according to the Association for Commuter Transportation.

Adjust your work hours: Both morning and afternoon rush hour traffic results in greater fuel consumption since much of the time is spent idling and wasting fuel. By adjusting your work schedule by an hour, you can reduce both your travel time and costs.

Save Money – Get Healthy: Bicycling and walking are two of the oldest and most reliable forms of transportation available. Your commuting costs can be reduced to practically zero and you get fit in the process.

Chain your trips:  Combining errands into one trip saves time and helps reduce traffic congestion and pollution. A car that has been sitting for more than an hour gets worse gas mileage and pollutes up to five times more than when the engine’s still warm.

Care for your car: Changing the oil and checking tire inflation improves gas mileage, extends your car’s life and increases its resale value. Regular maintenance can prevent breakdowns and reduce your car’s emissions by more than half.

Commuters may not have a say in setting gas prices, but we can decide to save time, money and stress!  Commuter Services of North Florida offers all of our assistance free to the public.   Call toll free at 1-888- 454-RIDE (7433) or visit www.commuterservices.org. For more information about public transit, please contact Taltran at 891-5200.

¹Figures based on current national statistics of 21.5 mpg avg., $.24 /mile car maintenance, and a 255 work days/year