APTA: Public transit user saves $10,074 on average

Riding public transportation saves individuals, on average, $10,074 annually and $840 per month, according to the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) Transit Savings Report, which bases these savings on the June 13, 2011 average national gas price of $3.70 per gallon and the national unreserved monthly parking rate.

"High gas prices are still straining American's daily travel budget," states APTA President William Millar. "Dump the Pump Day is the perfect time for individuals to try public transit to beat the high gas prices. You will be joining millions of Americans who will also be helping out the planet by reducing our dependence on oil."

APTA releases its monthly Transit Savings Report to examine how an individual in a two-person household can save money by taking public transportation and living with one less car.

The national average for a monthly unreserved parking space in a downtown business district is $161.56, according to the 2010 Colliers International Parking Rate Study. Over the course of a year, parking costs for a vehicle can amount to an average of $1,939.