Technology
| More

Online Hit: Seattle Drivers Can Ecalculate Their Commute

BY: | July 2005



King County has taken to the Internet to persuade commuters to keep their cars in the garage.

Motorists can tap into a Web-based calculator to figure out exactly how much they would save by taking the bus rather than driving to work each day. The calculator factors in a commuter's distance to work, the price of gas, the car's fuel efficiency, the number of days per month the person commutes and the cost of parking. It then compares this monthly rate with how much a person would pay to use the metro bus system. One variable the calculator does not factor is the upkeep cost of driving a car every day.

The service went online in mid-April when Seattle area gas prices climbed above $2.50. "It was an opportunity to show public transit to be a great option," says King County spokeswoman Linda Thielkey. Since it has been on the county's Web site, the calculator has averaged 1,000 hits per week.

As far as changing commuting patterns, it is too early to tell if the calculator has made a difference--bus usage statistics, which are collected quarterly, are not available yet.

But there are clear signs that higher gas prices have turned people off commuting alone. Thielkey says the Department of Transportation has noticed an increase in requests for the county's ride-matching service for car poolers.


If you enjoyed this post, subscribe for updates.

GOVERNING Logo
Ben Delman

Ben Delman is a GOVERNING contributor.


Twitter: @governing

Comments



Add Your Comment

You are solely responsible for the content of your comments. GOVERNING reserves the right to remove comments that are considered profane, vulgar, obscene, factually inaccurate, off-topic, or considered a personal attack.

Comments must be fewer than 2000 characters.

Latest from Technology

  • States in a Race to Secure Drone Testing
  • Groups in 37 states are vying to become one of six federally designated sites for testing the remotely piloted crafts for use in the nation's airspace. They see a chance to generate jobs.
  • Job Skills Gap a Growing Concern in Cities
  • Cities coming out of the recession are facing new challenges with matching their workforce to available jobs, a problem that could be an early indicator of a growing national problem.
  • Sequestration Cuts into Scientific Research
  • Federal agencies pour billions each year into university research. With less federal money to spend, some Ph.D. programs are delaying admissions decisions, while others have already cut positions amid the uncertainty.

More From Technology

Featured on Governing.com





Events & Webinars

  • It’s A Paperless, Paperless World..... Thinking Outside the Box to Gain Efficiencies through Prepaid Cards
  • April 23, 2013
  • Public sector organizations are under intense scrutiny to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible and with maximum transparency. An important consideration is the way in which payments are made and managed. Prepaid cards can offer flexibility, security and accountability to governments as a method of dispersing benefits, healthcare and social care payments, child benefits and housing benefits to their constituents.


More Events & Webinars


© 2011 e.Republic, Inc. All Rights reserved.    |   Privacy Policy   |   Site Map