Will Gas prices increase use of T?

I'm just curious. Has anyone started to see more crowded trains? Have you seen people using the train that were strictly car people?

I've got to believe that T use should increase especially for the commuter rail with the increase in fuel prices, especially from Zone 8 areas. Someone coming from near Worcester with a car that say gets 30MPH would be paying around for 3-4 gallons of gas, tolls, and parking. This will now easy exceed the costs of a monthly T pass and local parking fees.

We would need more locomotives and cars to do so.

I did a quick calculation the other day. With gas at $3.30 a gallon (actually now usually higher than that), a car or truck that gets 20 mpg, and a trip from Zone 6 towns (let's say about a 30 mile one way trip), just the gas alone (about 3 gallons consumed for a 60 mile round trip) is about $9.90. The round trip fare is $10.50 on commuter rail from Zone 6.

All of that is before one factors in discounts or employer contributions to a monthly pass, and parking and wear and tear on the car.

AznSumtinSumtin wrote:We would need more locomotives and cars to do so.

That's a big fear. Does $3-5 dollar a gallon gas mean more riders than the T has capacity to handle?

Hopefully it'll bump up off peak ridership. I know I'll be leaving my pickup in the driveway and taking the 73 and Red Line on the weekends to run errands in the city whenever I can, with gas prices where they are.

octr202 wrote:I did a quick calculation the other day. With gas at $3.30 a gallon (actually now usually higher than that), a car or truck that gets 20 mpg, and a trip from Zone 6 towns (let's say about a 30 mile one way trip), just the gas alone (about 3 gallons consumed for a 60 mile round trip) is about $9.90. The round trip fare is $10.50 on commuter rail from Zone 6.

All of that is before one factors in discounts or employer contributions to a monthly pass, and parking and wear and tear on the car.

I did another quick calculation the other day based on average miles travelled per year, assuming 20 mpg, to figure out how much more people are paying for gas per year. Solution: $1500 more than usual

Conclusion: let's not be whining about gas prices.

1) They are not high or even where they ought to be.
2) It doesn't cost you that much more than usual

Man, this is something that really ticks me off that I don't understand. Gas prices are not that expensive. They do not add much of anything significant to your expenses unless you live in poverty. So why do people keep whining and why does the media keep talking about it??

In some places, gas costs nearly 5 bucks. To fill up a tank with 20 gallons would be nearly $100. It takes some people 6 hours of work to make that much.

Man, this is something that really ticks me off that I don't understand. Gas prices are not that expensive. They do not add much of anything significant to your expenses unless you live in poverty. So why do people keep whining and why does the media keep talking about it??

'Cause we can't afford the gas prices ourselves, now you don't get the picture. We, average citizens, also can't afford the high cost of gas, especially if you have a lot of driving to do. So that's why the media jumps on it, and so do we.

Hope you understand now....

Dudeursistershot wrote:

"I did another quick calculation the other day based on average miles travelled per year, assuming 20 mpg, to figure out how much more people are paying for gas per year. Solution: $1500 more than usual

Conclusion: let's not be whining about gas prices.

1) They are not high or even where they ought to be.
2) It doesn't cost you that much more than usual

Man, this is something that really ticks me off that I don't understand. Gas prices are not that expensive. They do not add much of anything significant to your expenses unless you live in poverty. So why do people keep whining and why does the media keep talking about it?? "


Don't tell me not to complain about gas prices, pal! You fail to realize the scope of what higher gas prices mean:
Cost of transporting ANYTHING on the road goes up, so food, comodities, your CD's and DVD's, your Ipod and anyting for your PC- it all goes up in price.
Construction: Forklifts, backhoes, dumptrucks- it all costs more now. Not to mention, delivery of construction materials. They all go up too.
Plan to use oil to heat with?
I know you gotta have at least 10 things in your house that use electricity. Guess what- the same factors driving up gas prices will put your electricity through the roof as well.
OH, Wait- what's that?
You still live at home and don't have to PAY those bills?
IK, that last was a guess, and realy quite low, but you don't wanna know what my initial rweaction was to your post!

dudeyoursistershot wrote:lI did another quick calculation the other day based on average miles travelled per year, assuming 20 mpg, to figure out how much more people are paying for gas per year. Solution: $1500 more than usual

Conclusion: let's not be whining about gas prices.

I totally agree with Cosmo. $1500 a year may not sound like a lot to you, dudeyoursistershot, but for many people, including me, that can be the difference between making it and not making it. (And that's ignoring all the other price increases)

Do you think I'm living in poverty? I don't, but guess what? Gas prices mean a lot to me. Maybe you should think about who's whining.

No, no, no, NO!

I know you guys aren't debating gas prices... get back on topic or it's out of here. If it doesn't deal with a T inside a circle, it doesn't belong here.

heh, I seem to be very good at inciting debates here...

I bet if the gas prices stay where there at right now, for a long period of time, I would expect the MBTA and other rail operations to raise there fares, to over come the high gas prices.

b&m 1566 wrote:I bet if the gas prices stay where there at right now, for a long period of time, I would expect the MBTA and other rail operations to raise there fares, to over come the high gas prices.

My hope would be that the increased fares from increased T usage would offset fuel costs... but i dunno if it would be enough.

dudeursistershot wrote:

b&m 1566 wrote:I bet if the gas prices stay where there at right now, for a long period of time, I would expect the MBTA and other rail operations to raise there fares, to over come the high gas prices.

My hope would be that the increased fares from increased T usage would offset fuel costs... but i dunno if it would be enough.

Probably would be, as long as they don't have to add any additional service to cope with demand.

Cosmo wrote:. Guess what- the same factors driving up gas prices will put your electricity through the roof as well.

Why would this be so? Slight impact maybe, but why a substantial impact on electicity prices?