Becoming self-reliant in transportation
If you are one of the 41% of Americans who has less than $1000 in savings and leads a sedentary lifestyle, then you are not taking advantage of the free resources that exist to help guide your needs for transportation. This article is going to explore how you can be self-reliant in your transportation by exploring some low-cost options like public transit, bike sharing, auto leasing, and house hacking.
This is going to be an informative and factual blog post about becoming self-reliant in transportation. With very little financial investment or time commitment on your part, you will have access to different forms of sustainable and reliable travel options without worrying about any upfront costs or high monthly payments.
Public Transit
So you are not going to be car-free, but you are going to rely on public transit/shuttle for your daily needs. Public transit can save you a lot of money on gasoline and parking charges. The chart below displays the average amount of time spent in a car for one person per month. In this example, we are using public transportation as the vehicle versus a private vehicle. This table demonstrates the savings that one can get if they utilize public transit as their primary means of transportation for an entire month. The total savings for that month is roughly $50 with $40 coming from being able to travel for 30% less time in a car each day. That is a significant amount of money that can be used to make other financial investments or pay down other debts.
Transportation Organization Average length of time spent in vehicle for one person per month Public Transportation 50% Less Fuel Costs, 40% Less Parking/Rush Hour Traffic, Free parking, Save Time in the Vehicle 20% less congestion on roads 40% Less carbon emissions 40% Higher occupant comfort 30% More trips, less driving time
So public transit can save you a lot of money. The downside is that you do not have your own car to go door to door and get from point A to point B. Some transit systems do offer shuttle service which will take you from your train station to your final destination. Using this type of service will save you the time it takes to drive and park.
Here is an example of what I mean by getting from point A to point B. At some major airports the airport parking lots are huge and also have a shuttle system. This is where you can get a cheap rental car that allows you to pick up passengers, take them to their destinations, and get reimbursed for the fare in cash or with a credit card.
Subway/Bus Shuttles from NYC Transit: You can find out which subway stations have shuttles here, and what days there are shuttles here .
Car Rental from NYC Yellow Cab: You can find out which locations in NYC have this service here.
Uber/Lyft: These services are great for getting from point A to point B as well. They are also an alternative to car rental for you to utilize when you need to get from one place to another. If you use the promo code "heystevetravels" then you will get $20 off your first ride with Uber, and $5 off your first ride with Lyft. The amount of money that an average person spends on travel in a month is roughly $10 per day. Saving $5 per day on your commute is a good start in being more self-reliant in transportation.
Bike Sharing
If you live in a major city there are bike sharing programs where you can rent a bike for an affordable price and ride around the city. In some cities you can rent a bike from the local government, but if you do not live in that particular city then maybe there is an offset network that allows you to do this. This service is offered in several different countries around the world and is growing daily.
Below is a picture of what I am talking about when I say bike sharing and how it works. I used the Capital Bikeshare located in Washington D.C.
Here are some benefits to using a bicycle as your main means of transportation as opposed to using a private vehicle. You will notice that health and environmental benefits will come into play. All of these benefits will help you in becoming more self-reliant in transportation.
Health Benefits: Burning 150 calories for every 30 minutes of cycling equivalent to 5 miles of bicycling, is the same amount of calories one can burn while running or swimming. Ten to 15 minutes of light exercise is recommended after each hour sitting down at work. According to the American Heart Association's recommendation, the average person should engage in moderate intensity exercise six days a week for at least 30 minutes each day, including two days per week vigorous intensity activity .
Environmental Benefits: Bicycling and walking emit lower levels of carbon dioxide than driving, and produce the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as taking public transit. A survey by the University of California found that up to 80 percent of greenhouse gases from commuting could be avoided if people switched to bicycling, walking or public transit. Bicycles are also cheaper than cars to operate.
Space Saving: When not in use, a bicycle can be parked anywhere, unlike a car where one cannot place it in a spot that is very close to where you are going to park your car. Riding bicycles can also take you farther distances as there is no need for long trips.
So there are some great ways to become more self-reliant in transportation. These are just a few of the many ways that you can reduce the amount of money that you spend on transportation. Start small and plan your trips to get from point A to point B in a different way. You can also research where there is a community shared bike sharing program that you could use to get around your city. These programs will save you money on gas and time as well as help reduce your carbon footprint.
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Taking the Public Transportation in a Tourist City or Place of Employment: The Challenges and Inconveniences of Using Public Transportation in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Washington D.C.
For some people taking a flight to their vacation destination is too much money to spend for just a few days or weeks spent away from home. This is why a lot of people take public transportation to get around cities or places where they are doing work. For example you may be in L.A for business and choose to hire a car for your auto needs when you are there.
Conclusion:
I know it may sound strange, but in some cities the traffic is terrible. In New York City, Boston and Washington D.C. you can spend up to twenty minutes or more trying to go from point A to point B during rush hour or peak times of travel. The same goes for Los Angeles and San Francisco since they have heavy traffic congestion as well.
Public transportation is a part of what makes these cities so big and also helps keep people off the road with their cars. There are many benefits to taking public transportation while on vacation or working in these cities. You can read about how to use some of these public transportation systems here .