Even with gas prices $1.25 lower than last year, public transportation riders can still achieve an average annual savings of $8,416 per year by taking public transportation instead of driving, based on today’s gas prices and the average unreserved parking rate, according to the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) “Transit Savings Report.”

The report is a monthly analysis that shows the average annual savings represents almost a third more than the average amount a household pays for food in a year, according to the Food Institute ($6,111).

APTA’s monthly “Transit Savings Report” shows how much a person can save on a monthly or yearly basis by taking public transportation and living with one fewer car in his or her household.

The report reminds commuters that taking public transportation is the quickest way to save money compared with the overall driving costs of commuting by auto or light truck.

The report calculates the monthly savings for public transit users at $701 per month based on today’s gas price of $1.803 as reported by AAA.