Community Corner

Five Ways to Cut Commuting Costs

Find links to information on vanpooling, cycling, carpooling, mass transit and telecommuting.

A year ago, the average 15-gallon gas tank cost $46.20 to fill up, according to AAA's Greater Hartford office. This past week, that cost had increased by 38 percent to $63.93, or about $71 a month more for those who fill up weekly.

So how does your average resident lower the cost of his or her driving habit, other than tweaks such as driving the speed limit and double-checking the tire pressure? If you're ready for a more substantial change, the state's main clearinghouse for commuter information is Connecticut Commuter Services. The Web site offers links to bus, rail, vanpool, and other commuter options, as well as lots of other advice including paying your fare with pre-tax dollars.

The goal of the various programs is to help state residents break the expensive and environmentally damaging habit of driving alone. Some vanpool programs even guarantee a ride when someone in the group has an emergency or illness that requires them to leave work early.

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"Consider carpooling and take public transportation when possible — it's more convenient and reliable than you might think," Judd Everheart, director of communications for the Connecticut Department of Transportation, said. "A few minutes online checking out schedules and bus/train stops will save time, gas, money and stress."

Here are some of the options with links to more information:

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1) Rideshare: Rideshare is a non-profit company that facilitates vanpooling and other ways to reduce the number of drivers alone in their cars. The company runs the Easy Street van pool program, which matches up a minimum of six participants and provides a van for commuting. The volunteer driver rides for free, and every one else pays a fee that is much cheaper than operating a personal car, according to Nanci Fitzgerald, Rideshare's vice president of business development. A commuter calculator is available online to show people how much they can save.

"We always see a spike in interest when gas prices are rising," Fitzgerald said. "We have a lot of vans forming right now."

2) Try a municipal bus or train: Buses don't just run in cities, and trains may be more local than you think. Taking a bus to the airport will save on parking charges as well. Check www.cttransit.com and www.mta.info for schedules and information.

"Taking the train can free up time for other things — like reading, reviewing notes before that morning meeting or even napping," Everheart said. 

3) Cycle to work:  If there's ever been a good time to start cycling to work, this is it. May is National Bike Month, May 16-20 is National Bike Week, and May 20 is National Bike Day, when state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Daniel Esty will bike from his home in Cheshire to a rally at the Capitol from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Other biking events will be held around the state. For more information about commuting by bicycle, visit Bike Walk Connecticut.

4) Carpool: Maybe you don't have six employees willing to vanpool, but you have two or three going to the same place. Consider saving on gas and emissions by working with each other to share rides, or check out www.nuride.com, an online ride-matching network.

5) Work from home: If you don't have to leave home, your commuting costs drop to nothing, and many companies are doing more to encourage telecommuting. Visit www.telecommutect.com, which bills itself as "a statewide initiative providing free assistance to employers with the design, development and implementation of telecommuting as a worksite alternative."


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