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Found this chart which breaks out monthly gas/commute cost by city for 90 cities.
Miami ranked 87 at a $491 dollar a month commute cost.
Before people post how they don't understand why this city outranked that one, scroll down to the bottom of the page and it explains the criteria used. In my mind this is further proof that we MUST have a viable, and comprehensive mass transit system. I do not think uncovered bus stops in a climate as dramatic as ours is going to cut it either.
Not surprising as we just don't have the roads to hold the number of people using the roads today. The main roads were built years ago, not expecting the huge numbers of people that would use them today. The other thing though that affects the traffic is construction on the roads, someone needs to get these jobs done much faster than they are taking.
Not surprising as we just don't have the roads to hold the number of people using the roads today. The main roads were built years ago, not expecting the huge numbers of people that would use them today. The other thing though that affects the traffic is construction on the roads, someone needs to get these jobs done much faster than they are taking.
They should contract outside companies to do the word work. Because they have a incentive to get done faster. I would just say to have city inspectors or state inspectors posted on these jobs to make sure safety isnt put behind making a buck.
The misleading thing with these figures is a good portion of the "commuting cost" is actually registration fees, insurance and maintenance. Well, you cannot eliminate these unless you totally eliminate your use of a vehicle!!! Instead, think of this as a "sunk cost" to need a vehicle in South Florida, and the actual commute to work is a "marginal cost" on top of that, which is the gas, tolls, parking, and "extra" maintenance cost. I think you'd end up with a figure that's half of this or even less, considering that the AVERAGE commuter does NOT need the car ONLY for commuting.
The misleading thing with these figures is a good portion of the "commuting cost" is actually registration fees, insurance and maintenance. Well, you cannot eliminate these unless you totally eliminate your use of a vehicle!!! Instead, think of this as a "sunk cost" to need a vehicle in South Florida, and the actual commute to work is a "marginal cost" on top of that, which is the gas, tolls, parking, and "extra" maintenance cost. I think you'd end up with a figure that's half of this or even less, considering that the AVERAGE commuter does NOT need the car ONLY for commuting.
How is that misleading? All of that goes into operating a vehicle and without it you would not be able to commute to begin with, no?
Also what did you mean by the last sentence, could you expand on that?
How is that misleading? All of that goes into operating a vehicle and without it you would not be able to commute to begin with, no?
Also what did you mean by the last sentence, could you expand on that?
i thought you had a degree and we all Floridians were uneducated. I understand what he said.
Many of us use our vehicles for personal and recreational purposes. Fixed costs will be lower if we consider what people spend on transportation for fun, travel or to visit their friends/family.
Example I can go and visit my tia Paquita in Boca for $45 (gas cost) or Pepe in Orlando for $90 (gas cost) Someone in New York is not gonna get a round ticket to washington DC or Boston for that cost, not even by train. their metro pass is only good for the New york city prison.
i thought you had a degree and we all Floridians were uneducated. I understand what he said.
Many of us use our vehicles for personal and recreational purposes. Fixed costs will be lower if we consider what people spend on transportation for fun, travel or to visit their friends/family.
Example I can go and visit my tia Paquita in Boca for $45 (gas cost) or Pepe in Orlando for $90 (gas cost) Someone in New York is not gonna get a round ticket to washington DC or Boston for that cost, not even by train. their metro pass is only good for the New york city prison.
I will wait for his explanation because yours doesn't make sense. A fixed cost is just that, a FIXED cost. Meaning it doesn't go away regardless of what you are doing. So if it is fixed it will NOT be lower.
Also you lost me on the Washington DC, Boston and trip to miami and boca thing. Washington DC. is not in NYC and Boston is in Mass. Miami and Boca are two different cities in the SAME state and share a geographical designation (South Florida/Tri county area). This is not a apples to apples comparison.
Also the gas example (the one where you travel to Boca from Miami to see a friend or whatever that was you said) is not a example of a fixed cost. Those are variable cost. They vary based on the amount of travel you are doing. Since this would be a recreational trip you have mentioned, this wouldn't factor into your daily commute nor would it impact fixed cost.
I don't agree with those numbers exclusive of where Miami ranks. While that number may be close to reality based on insurance, gas, and maintenance costs, how much of that would remain even if one commuted to work via public transportation?
How is that misleading? All of that goes into operating a vehicle and without it you would not be able to commute to begin with, no?
The original article is about the cost of COMMUTING, not the total cost of OPERATING a vehicle. These are not the same thing. Most of us do not depend on our cars solely for work.
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Also what did you mean by the last sentence, could you expand on that?
OK, here goes. See last paragraph for the "digest" version. In my case, I have a fully paid off car, and my commute is 22 miles one-way, most of it on I-95. My cost of gas and tolls (Rickenbacker Causeway C-pass and occasional express lanes) while commuting comes to about HALF of what I pay monthly in insurance. I do not have chronic car problems, so my maintenance cost is less than my fuel cost on a monthly basis. OK, I have full coverage which many do not carry, but remember many commuters also have loan/lease payments to deal with, which I don't.
Now, because of my location and personal/family needs, I am committed to driving a car. I don't like it, but hey, that's life. We all have to live in the reality that exists, not what we wish it would be, right? Anyway, IF your only reason to have a car is in fact for the commute, you can claim that the entire cost of operating a car is your commuting cost. HOWEVER, the average commuter in south Florida, like me, does need a car for purposes other than commuting. The average commuter does NOT live in Brickell or South Beach!! Their cost of commuting is gas, tolls, some additional maintenance, and perhaps parking. (No $8 toll bridges here...) If my personal situation discussed above can be taken as representative, the average cost of commuting is probably less than half of the total cost of operating a vehicle.
Analogy: Most of us need a cell phone nowadays. What would be the cost of making an international call? $2/minute or so, $20 for a 10-minute call. Would you say that the cost of making the international call was the full $100 phone bill? Not unless you signed up for cell service just so you can make that call.
The goal of these studies is usually to get people to realize how much they can save by taking transit to work. Now if I decided to take transit to work everyday, I could eliminate the gas portion and save some on maintenance, but I would still pay insurance and government fees, but then I need so spend $100 on a monthly pass. The amount I would save by commuting by transit is a fraction of my total transportation cost. Which could be worth it if you lived close to a Metrorail station and worked downtown, but it's not worth it for the average South Florida commuter...assuming it's even doable for most commuters.
Finally...say I did commute exclusively by transit, but I drive a car for personal purposes...would the insurance and registration fees then be combined added to my monthly transit pass as my total cost to commute? Of course not! It's not any more fair to include insurance and registration in the cost of commuting if I happen to drive to work, but I need the car for the same personal reasons.
The original article is about the cost of COMMUTING, not the total cost of OPERATING a vehicle. These are not the same thing. Most of us do not depend on our cars solely for work.
Ah ok, I see where my confusion came in. You didn't read what the study was about which it spells out at the bottom:
"Rankings based on average commute time in minutes, estimated number of commuters during peak hours in thousands, total miles traveled daily, annual hours of delay per commuter during peak hours, and spending on gas and auto expenses from July 2009 to June 2010" That bold parts shows it included cost of operating a vehicle. The two go hand and hand. Those are called fixed costs (in economic terms)
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OK, here goes. See last paragraph for the "digest" version. In my case, I have a fully paid off car, and my commute is 22 miles one-way, most of it on I-95. My cost of gas and tolls (Rickenbacker Causeway C-pass and occasional express lanes) while commuting comes to about HALF of what I pay monthly in insurance. I do not have chronic car problems, so my maintenance cost is less than my fuel cost on a monthly basis. OK, I have full coverage which many do not carry, but remember many commuters also have loan/lease payments to deal with, which I don't.
Now, because of my location and personal/family needs, I am committed to driving a car. I don't like it, but hey, that's life. We all have to live in the reality that exists, not what we wish it would be, right? Anyway, IF your only reason to have a car is in fact for the commute, you can claim that the entire cost of operating a car is your commuting cost. HOWEVER, the average commuter in south Florida, like me, does need a car for purposes other than commuting. The average commuter does NOT live in Brickell or South Beach!! Their cost of commuting is gas, tolls, some additional maintenance, and perhaps parking. (No $8 toll bridges here...) If my personal situation discussed above can be taken as representative, the average cost of commuting is probably less than half of the total cost of operating a vehicle.
Analogy: Most of us need a cell phone nowadays. What would be the cost of making an international call? $2/minute or so, $20 for a 10-minute call. Would you say that the cost of making the international call was the full $100 phone bill? Not unless you signed up for cell service just so you can make that call.
The goal of these studies is usually to get people to realize how much they can save by taking transit to work. Now if I decided to take transit to work everyday, I could eliminate the gas portion and save some on maintenance, but I would still pay insurance and government fees, but then I need so spend $100 on a monthly pass. The amount I would save by commuting by transit is a fraction of my total transportation cost. Which could be worth it if you lived close to a Metrorail station and worked downtown, but it's not worth it for the average South Florida commuter...assuming it's even doable for most commuters.
Finally...say I did commute exclusively by transit, but I drive a car for personal purposes...would the insurance and registration fees then be combined added to my monthly transit pass as my total cost to commute? Of course not! It's not any more fair to include insurance and registration in the cost of commuting if I happen to drive to work, but I need the car for the same personal reasons.
For many, as you stated, not having a car in south florida is not a viable option unfortunately.
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Originally Posted by flyers29
I don't agree with those numbers exclusive of where Miami ranks. While that number may be close to reality based on insurance, gas, and maintenance costs, how much of that would remain even if one commuted to work via public transportation?
The article clearly states it is not talking about mass transit but commuting by automobile.
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. In my case, I have a fully paid off car, and my commute is 22 miles one-way, most of it on I-95. My cost of gas and tolls (Rickenbacker Causeway C-pass and occasional express lanes) while commuting comes to about HALF of what I pay monthly in insurance. I do not have chronic car problems, so my maintenance cost is less than my fuel cost on a monthly basis. OK, I have full coverage which many do not carry, but remember many commuters also have loan/lease payments to deal with, which I don't. 
