Commuting 101: $4.92 for a Gallon of Gas or Golden Gate Transit?

Do you fight traffic on Highway 101 everyday, pay over $20 for bridge toll and parking, and on top of that now pay almost $5 for a gallon of gas?  Maybe it is time to consider Golden Gate Transit. 

Back in September I took a new position in San Francisco and was somewhat skeptical considering the commute I would be enduring on a daily basis.  Fortunately, my wife also works in the city so we would be able to commute together.  Our original plan was to take the bus three days a week and maybe drive the other two.  However, after only a couple of weeks taking the bus, we don’t even bother to drive in at all anymore.

I couldn’t be more pleased with Golden Gate Transit.  For almost the same price as a gallon of gas, I can get all the way into the Financial District.  Of course it took a little adjusting at first, but now it is the only way to commute.  Even if you carpool with another person, you would still save money on the bus.  For my wife and me, when we drove we would spend $5 on bridge toll (FastTrack), $11 on parking (which is a steal for S.F.), and then roughly $10 on gas (fortunately our Rav4 gets decent mileage).  That is $26 a day and doesn’t even account for the wear and tear we were putting on our vehicle plus a higher insurance premium for high mileage. 

Taking the bus, we spend just under $20 a day and it is all pre-tax.

Beyond just the cost savings, there are several other advantages.  The bus allows you to work on your computer, read, or take a short nap after a long day.  Also, public transporation has far less impact on the environment. 

Finally, to mix things up, you can take the bus on some days and the ferry on others.  On the flip side, you will have to give up a few small luxuries on the bus.  Good luck trying to sneak your morning Starbucks past the driver (or in my case, an afternoon Jamba Juice) as you might be asked to throw it away.  Also, don’t expect to take that morning conference call on the bus.  Even talking quietly on a cell phone will still be too loud for someone and you will probably be asked to quiet down or at least receive the stank eye from a nearby passenger.

For areas of improvement, I would suggest that Golden Gate Transit keep moving forward with adding wi-fi to their commuter routes.  As it turns out, I am writing this blog from the bus on my way home and if my bus had wi-fi, I could have posted my blog, too.  Golden Gate Transit has been testing wi-fi on some routes and based on an RFP they put out in December, they desire to equip all 155 buses with wi-fi by mid-2011.  I am curious to see if they will hit that projection.

Regardless, Golden Gate Transit still gets high marks when it comes to commuting to San Francisco. If you haven’t tried Golden Gate Transit yet, maybe it is time.  Who knows, maybe I will see you on the 56.  If you still want to drive your car every day, though, then keep an eye out for the bus as it zips by you in the carpool lane.

Are you a regular car or bus commuter?  Share your thoughts in the comments below.