Since my previous commute cost analysis a few additional public transit options and an employee incentive program have caught my attention. To recap, I figured out that taking public transit from my location costs $14.60 a day (plus 0.52 for BikeLink bicycle storage at 0.05/hr), vs. $8.75 a day to ride in on the Bandit, which includes gas ($4.50), bridge toll ($2.50), and maintenance ($1.75 estimated), but not the cost of the bike, insurance, or riding gear.
The biggest change in my cost analysis was the discovery that my employer offers WageWorks, an incentive program that lets us purchase up to $125 a month in transit passes using pre-tax income. That makes for some complicated math since the round trip on public transit from Vallejo to Oakland costs more than that, and determining the tax rate for combined federal, state, and local taxes is tricky. WageWorks claims pre-tax savings is about 40% (on the first $125). That got me to revisit public transit options to see if I could finally answer the question, are there any better commute alternatives to riding a motorcycle?
By checking the Vallejo Transit fares page I found that there is a $118 unlimited monthly pass. That can be a substantial savings over the cash fare but requires a commitment of 13 commute days (about 2 1/2 weeks) of bus commuting to break even with the cash fare. Of course more than that equals more savings per ride. Riding the bus every day using a monthly pass saves about $82 over the cash fare. With the WageWorks pre-tax discount the $118 becomes $70.80.
I also found the Contra Costa WestCAT operates a park & ride out of Hercules that has BikeLink lockers. Round trip from WestCAT to BART is dirt cheap--$2.75 with a BART transfer. But, the return-trip transfer discount is cash-only, so the WageWorks pre-tax discount only applies to the $1.75 debited from the transit pass. More math. The BikeLink lockers in Hercules are cheaper than the ones in Vallejo at 0.03 per hour. The WestCAT stop is 11.5 miles by bicycle, about 45 minutes on a good day. There would be bridge and parking fees to drive or ride a motorcycle there. Pedaling is the only cost-effective way to get from my place to WestCAT.
So the question is, how do these additional transit options compare in time and cost to riding the Bandit? With WageWorks discounts figured in here are monthly estimates:
- Vallejo Transit to BART with monthly pass*, bike locker, bicycle maintenance: $181.60, 1 hour 10 minutes each way
- Motorcycle, FasTrak, maintenance: $175, 35 minutes each way**
- WestCAT to BART, bike locker: $114, 90 minutes each way plus a shower
- BART/bicycle only, bike locker: $70, 1 hour 55 minutes each way plus a shower
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| Vallejo Route 80 |
Happily (or sadly), motorcycle commuting still comes in slightly ahead of Vallejo transit in terms of cost, and is still way ahead in terms of time. It adds over an additional hour a day to commute by bus. Even the time spent maintaining the bike and gearing up doesn't come close to the extra 5 hours a week it takes to ride the bus. Additionally, the main problem with making Vallejo Transit cost-effective is that one has to trade in motorcycle riding for a monthly bus pass. Another problem is that time on public transit is dead time. There's no Internet connection so I can't get work done, and transit time doesn't count toward time spent in the office. Finally, timing the bus/BART connection to minimize waiting puts restrictions on when is the best time to leave the office. My job isn't the type that lets me leave the office at a predictable time every day. Some days I have to stay later than others so coordinating with the transit schedules isn't always possible. That can burn a lot of extra time in the evening when I want to get home.
Cycling Options
The other two transit options, WestCAT to BART and cycling all the way to BART, vary inversely by time and cost (more time equals less cost). While substantially cheaper than riding in they're simply not realistic on a regular basis due to the amount of time involved. For serious cyclists who might pedal 90 minutes a day anyway the WestCAT option isn't awful. Actual transit time is only 40 - 45 minutes. But as a means of commuting, realistically no one wants to spend 3 hours a day going back and forth to work if not absolutely necessary.
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| 11.5 mile cycling route to Hercules Transit Center |
You have to decide how much your time is worth and what you're missing by spending optional free time on the bus. As a means of occasionally reducing commute costs and mileage on the motorcycles, getting in shape, or introducing some variety these two options make some sense, but not on a daily basis.
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| 19 mile cycling route to El Cerrito Del Norte BART |
CPM vs. TCO
For commute cost comparisons I decided to compare cost per mile (CPM) instead of total cost of ownership (TCO) of the motorcycle. TCO would also include the one-time costs of the motorcycle, riding gear, and commute-related gear and accessories, as well as insurance and registration. Public transit on the other hand has no TCO since passengers don't own the vehicles. Should the cost of commuting by motorcycle include the cost of the bike and the riding suit? Should the cost of driving a Prius to work include the price of the car? Under certain circumstances, maybe. If the vehicle was an optional purchase for the sole purpose commuting I could see adding it as a cost. If the purchase is being made to replace a less fuel-efficient vehicle it would make sense to do a cost analysis to see if the amount of gas savings justifies the price of the new vehicle. For a vehicle that's already bought and paid for I don't think analysis based on TCO makes sense, but I suppose there's room to argue either point.
A final note, safely commuting on a motorcycle takes some luck and a lot of skill. The skill, and some would argue the luck, as well as the defensive mindset and degree of mental focus, come with constant practice. Last year I pedaled to WestCAT up to three times a week and found that I felt slow and clumsy the two days a week I rode in on the Bandit. Public transit can save money and is arguably better for the environment, but it doesn't help improve riding skills. That's really the biggest problem I have with it, feeling like I'm putting myself at risk by letting myself get out of practice.
Better, Faster, Cheaper?
While there are cheaper commute options than riding a motorcycle there is no faster way. As far as which is better, I think it's a matter of personal preference. Not everyone can or should ride a motorcycle. For me time savings is key. On days when I take public transit all I do is work, commute, and sleep. If the dead time spent on transit could be put to use it would be a lot more appealing. I haven't found anything better to do than reading motorcycle magazines on the bus, but if I could solve that problem it might be a worthwhile alternative, at least on an occasional basis.
The other issue is high cost of Vallejo Transit. I don't understand why it costs six times as much to ride the bus to BART from Vallejo as it does to ride from Hercules. Without cost or time savings there's not much incentive to take public transit.
* Monthly pass discount precludes motorcycle commuting--no more riding with option 1.
** Not including time to maintain the motorcycle. Nothing is free.
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