Saturday, August 9, 2008

Using Public Transportation to Cut Gas Costs

In all but a few communities, it seems that public transportation does not get a fair shake. After all, most people are not tempted by the idea of sharing space with many strangers on a bus, and instead opt for the considerably more expensive (and damaging to the environment) option of driving their own cars instead. While no one can blame someone for their own personal preference, if you are serious about cutting your personal gas costs, you may want to give public transportation a bit of consideration!
Let’s face it- the cost of gas is not letting up anytime soon. Though many of us do not really understand what forces are driving the cost up so much or why gas prices have to continue to rise, we do know that it is unlikely that gas will become much more affordable anytime soon. That is precisely why it is up to all of us to reduce our gas usage so that we can enjoy a break from paying big money for fuel at the pump. After all, while we may not be able to control the price of gas, we can certainly control how much gas we use and how often we buy it.
While there are many ways to increase your vehicle’s fuel efficiency, there simply is no way to beat the value of simply not driving at all. If your car stays parked, it uses no gas whatsoever, after all! That is why you should probably look into transportation whenever possible. Although there may be barriers in your area towards incorporating public transportation into your lifestyle, there may be more options than you would think.
For instance, even if the local bus or subway does not stop anywhere near where you work, that does not mean that you can’t occasionally use these methods of transportation to go shopping or to a night out on the town on the weekend. Depending on what activities you decide to engage in on a weekend night, you may be better off with the convenience of public transportation, anyway! You can take a bus downtown, then take a cab home at the end of the night!
Many folks are not satisfied with the areas of travel that are provided by their local public transportation options. However, routes will not expand if people are not taking advantage of public transportation to begin with! The only way to get more coverage is to support the system that is already in place. You can do this, along with speaking with your local officials about expanding the public transportation system, and you may be pleasantly surprised by the results.
While there is no way to force anyone to use public transportation, there has never been a better time than the present to give it a try! In many areas, there is a negative stigma surrounding public transportation, which is unfortunate. After all, public transportation provides a great way to save gas money, all while helping the environment by reducing the number of vehicles on the road (and therefore, the amount of emissions). What could be better than getting to where you need to go at a low price, all while helping to preserve the environment? If gas prices have got you down, give public transportation a try!

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