Yolobus Increasing Rates Up To 50% on April Fool’s Day
Besides the dwindling value of my various IRAs and 401ks, I've been largely unaffected by the economic down-turn thus far. That is until Yolobus announced their 37.5% 2009 rate hike (PDF link)! I think it’s finally cheaper to drive again. Time for some more math.
It looks like public transit is about to become a luxury expense for me. I started taking the bus to work last October, partly spurred by high gas prices. A few weeks ago, Yolobus posted some very significant fare increases (PDF link) to their website that go into affect April 1st, 2009. I have never found it funny, nor helpful that the third quarter begins on April fool’s day, but I think it’s probably safe to say that the Yolo County Transportation District doesn’t have a sense of humor.
If you visit the above PDF link, you will see what I mean when I say, “significant fare increases.” I am not here to question whether or not these fare increases are fair, as I have very little experience with running my own public transit system. I do know that California has been on a downward financial spiral for many years, and this is the first year many of us are feeling its effects. My goal here is to give the situation more attention, and urge my Yolo County brothers and sisters to pull out their calculators and do some math before they make any hasty decisions.
The Numbers
The last time I did the math, my annual savings for taking the bus were over $1,000. This was when gas prices were hovering in the $3.80/gallon range. Gas prices have been well under $2.50 in the greater Yolo County area for some time now (or so I have been told by my non-bus-riding friends). When you start figuring in lower gas prices with increased public transit fares, savings can suddenly start looking like premiums.
Let’s go ahead and take a closer look at the fare increases (sorry Yolobus):
| Fare Description | Current Fare | New Fare | % Increase | $ Increase | Monthly Increase * | Annual Increase * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Cash Fare | $1.50 | $2.00 | 33.3% | $.50 | $20 | $240 |
| Express Cash Fares | $2.00 | $3.00 | 50% | $1.00 | $40 | $480 |
| Daily Pass | $6.00 | $6.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Monthly Pass | $60.00 | $85.00 | 42% | $25.00 | $25.00 | $300 |
| Express Sticker | $20.00 | $25.00 | 25% | $5.00 | $5.00 | $60 |
* Based on an average of 240 work days per year.
As a Sacramento commuter, I enjoy the faster Express rout with the slightly higher premium. I currently purchase a monthly pass with an express sticker for $80 every month. My commute expense is increasing by nearly 38% to $110 per month, which translates to a total commute expense of $1,320 annually.
My 2000 Ford Ranger can drive 22.8 miles on one gallon of gas, which is exactly the same distance from my driveway to my office. In order for the bus to be more economical than driving for me, gas prices would need to stay below $2.75 per gallon. Given the state of gas prices over the winter months, I find this likely, at least until the summer.
Sadly, it appears as of April 1st I can no longer justify taking the bus to work. My predictions and calculations give driving my truck an advantage of $120 annually over the bus. While this isn’t too significant over the course of the year, the extra 208 hours of family time I will enjoy certainly gives driving the edge.
How will this effect everyone else?
The majority of the people I ride the Sacramento Express with are state employees, and as such are eligible for a 75%/maximum $65 monthly commute allowance for public transportation. With a discount like that, these rate hikes aren’t going to be a deal-breaker for them.
Judging from what I have observed on my commute over the past five months, it appears that Yolobus customers fall into one of two primary categories: 1) state employees (with public transit allowances), and 2) the single or no car household people. The former probably won't notice the change, while the latter won’t have a choice.
It remains to be seen whether or not those of us who choose to ride the bus on our own dime in lieu of driving account for any significant portion of Yolobus ridership. Over the next few days, I’ll be asking around to see how my other commute buddies will be effected by the rate increases. I will update this post with my findings.
In Defense of Yolobus
Before our beloved Yolobus gets pigeonholed as the bad guy here, I would like to point out that even with these steep rate hikes in place, Yolobus fares will still be lower than those of the Sacramento RT system. While I might not currently be able to justify the added cost and time requirements of taking the bus to and from work, it isn’t to say that if my situation were slightly different, I wouldn’t find it worth while to pay extra for the benefit of not driving to and from work. Public transit more closely connects you to your community, gets you walking more, and allows you to use your commute time to catch up on news, email, reading, or and gossip.
As someone who has been commuting more than 30 minutes to and from work for the past 8 years, I know what I’m talking about when I tell you that using public transit for your commute will change your life for the better.
[UPDATE] A few readers have brought up the point that I have not included cost of ownership and maintenance in my calculations for driving my own vehicle. This was intentional on my part, but I should have explained my reasoning, which is this:
I didn't include the costs of owning and maintaining my truck into the equation because I will still need it for band practice, gigs (my instrument is large enough to require a second fare), and the occasional errand, even if I continue to ride the bus to work. I generally perform regular maintenance based on time, rather than use, because it's easier on my schedule. The milage difference between work use and non-work use is significant, but not enough to require more than regular maintenance.
If ditching my truck becomes a viable option (and I am hoping it does), by all means, the bus will win hand over fist!