Save Money by taking the Subway

Here are two interesting facts that I found over the internet. Did you know an average individual spends $8,580 a year on his car. In addition, you can save $215 a year by using public transportation instead of a car for just one errand a week (if we all did this, we would collectively reduce carbon emissions by 149 million tons as well…go green then…). Thinking about it does it make sense to use the car every day???WHY NOT the SUBWAY?

I live in College Park, a suburb in Maryland and commute into Washington D.C. almost every second day. I actually have it comparatively easy since I don’t have to commute through the notoriously jammed packed Beltway every morning. With gas prices soaring and with more cars piling onto the roads than the day before, it just does not make sense to commute by car everyday anymore.

In the D.C. area we have an extensively used subway system, called Metro. Many commuters, particularly federal government workers who live in the Maryland and North Virginia suburbs commute into D.C. using the Metrorail system. I’ve also learned a few cost and time saving tips for commuting to work via subway:

Another attractive feature is that of Reduced fares. The D.C. Metro charges a reduced fare when you ride during off peak times. The D.C. Metro regular fare is in effect on weekdays from opening to 9:30 a.m., 3:00-7:00 p.m., and 2 a.m. to closing). All other times including weekends are reduced fares.

The fare that you are charged depends on the time that you cross the gate. I always keep the peak hour times in my mind when I plan my commute schedule. The one I am most cognizant about is 7:00 p.m., since this is when the evening off peak fare goes into effect. Because reduced fare starts at 7:00 p.m. sharp, if I arrive at the gate a bit early, I always wait for the clock to turn 7:00 p.m. before I cross the ticket gate. After all, why not wait a few more minutes and enjoy the reduced price? Sometimes I get there at 6:56 p.m. only to see people rushing past me through the gate and be charged the higher rate. If they waited a few more minutes, they could easily save upwards of $1.50. This may not seem like much but it does add up, particularly if you commute every weekday of the year.

Another advice I would give is to always Buy your subway pass denomination in bulk and pocket the savings. In D.C. we use SmarTrip magnetic cards to store our subway funds. Each card can hold upwards of $300 at a time. You can buy these cards on sites like eBay where they can be acquired at substantial discounts (SmarTrip deals). I usually can get a fully loaded $300 card for only $200. Generally, the higher the denomination you’re willing to buy, the greater the savings you’ll get.

So go ahead Plan your trip!!!