Bus Commuting Provides Real Relief From High Fuel Prices
for Downtown Sacramento Employees

November 16, 2007

A number of recent news reports have highlighted the rise in fuel prices to near record levels and some believe they could increase by another 20 cents a gallon by December. According to AAA, the national average price per gallon of self-serve regular is up 88 cents (39 percent) over last year and Sacramento area fuel prices are up 32 cents in just the last month to an average of $3.40 per gallon.

The current spike in fuel prices is especially hard on daily long-distance commuters, but hundreds find relief every day by riding Yuba-Sutter Transit's Sacramento Commuter Express service to and from downtown Sacramento. Based on a report for the California Public Employees Retirement System using 2007 data, regular passengers of Yuba-Sutter Transit's Sacramento Commuter Express bus service enjoy the best commute value in the Sacramento region. The average annual savings for daily Yuba-Sutter Transit commuters versus those who drive alone from this area was calculated at $13,116.

This staggering figure applies specifically to state employees who receive a 75 percent transit pass subsidy up to $65 per month, but even those who pay all of the $112 monthly bus pass themselves would still save an estimated $12,336 a year. In addition to the State of California, many other public and private downtown Sacramento employers also provide transit subsidies for their employees with some providing even more than the state.

The CalPERS calculation is based on the AAA report "Your Driving Cost 2007" and includes all maintenance, tire, insurance, license, registration, tax, depreciation and finance expenses for a medium-sized sedan such as a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. It also assumes an average fuel cost of $2.26 per gallon and a monthly parking rate of $60. Local fuel prices are now more than $1 higher and most Sacramento parking garages charge at least twice as much, so the savings is actually even greater.

Yuba-Sutter Transit offers 21 weekday schedules between Marysville/Yuba City and downtown Sacramento. In response to soaring fuel prices and the addition of four new daily schedules in September, average weekday commuter ridership is up more than 20 percent in the last three months over the same period last year. Despite record ridership levels, plenty of seats are still available on most schedules and plans are in the works to add still more commuter buses and schedules in the future.

Call 530-634-6880 (511 toll-free) for a free service brochure or to place your name on a commuter e-mail list for future service updates or check on-line at www.yubasuttertransit.com.