Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Transit

Good Transit Saves American Households $1,575 Per Year

Thrifty_Gas.jpgTo be really thrifty, invest in transit, new research shows. Image: Marshall Astor via Flickr.

High quality transit in large American cities is saving households an average of $1,575 per year, according to new research by Victoria Transport Policy Institute director Todd Litman [PDF]. That's not even counting indirect benefits like reducing congestion or improving health. It's simple math, with the price of fares and the cost of providing high-quality transit infrastructure and service on one side, and spending on roads, cars, gas and parking on the other.

Conventional economic evaluation of transportation only compares the cost of building transit to the cost of building roads, Litman says. But when it comes to providing choices for how to get around, what matters to most people is the effect on their wallets. Paying for transit through fares or taxes is a bargain if it means you don't have to pay for a car or a garage.

The analysis compares transportation costs in the seven American cities with high-quality transit (New York, Washington DC, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia and Baltimore) to transportation costs in other large cities.

It's worth noting that Litman's numbers are averages, so while many households save with a high-quality transit system, some end up paying more than they would otherwise. If every household saved $1,575 from transit, there would probably be a lot less support for car infrastructure.

Litman's research adds to the body of evidence disproving the argument that transit investment isn't worth the expense compared to spending on car infrastructure. Quite the opposite, in fact. 

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Preventable’: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Two on Third. Ave Corridor Eric Adams Refuses to Make Safer

A motorist struck and killed two men on a strip where Mayor Adams recently shelved a safety redesign amid a backlash from local business interests.

July 11, 2025

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

We've got one more workday before we can hit the beach. Plus the news.

July 11, 2025

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday to close the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025
See all posts