Save Money on Commuting

A year ago, the average 15-gallon gas tank cost $46.20 to fill up, according to AAA. This past week, that cost had increased by 38 percent to $63.93, or about $71 a month more for those who fill up weekly.

 So how does your average resident lower the cost of his or her driving habit, other than tweaks such as driving the speed limit and double-checking the tire pressure? 

 Carlos Zamudi lives in Danbury and also takes the Bethel train to Norwalk. “I have seen a spike in riders since gas prices reached $4. I have been commuting to Norwalk for five years. It's only nineteen miles away, but if I drive, it takes me 50-55 minutes to get there. This is so much nicer. I can relax.”

 The Hart Bus system of Danbury  (Housatonic Area Regional Transit) is an excellent alternative to driving in the Housatonic area. Hart serves Danbury, New Milford, Bethel, Newtown and other surrounding towns. Director of Service of Housatonic Development, Richard Schreiner, said that for the last few years, ridership dropped tremendously due to unemployment. However, things are changing. “We definitely saw a big bump in ridership March,” said Schreiner.  "As we see ridership improving, that's the gas prices. That's had an impact.”

 Bus driver Elias Illecas has been driving a bus for Hart since 1999. Currently, he drives between Danbury and Bethel and he, too, has seen a recent increase in the amount of commuters. “A lot of people, I see more and more, every week, every month, using the bus to get to work.”

 The Hart Bus also runs a commuter bus from Danbury to Norwalk, and has a bus that runs from Danbury to the Brewster train station.

 Local train service has also seen an increase in commuters who formerly drove to work. Newtown resident Chris Barone drives to the Bethel train station before traveling on to Norwalk. “I used to drive, but there has gotten to be too much traffic. The train is a lot less aggravation.”

Not everyone is so lucky. According to Oxford Trooper Michael Dyki, “If people were going to take the train, they would have to go all the way to Seymour. We don't really have buses for everyday commuting. The traffic seems to be the same as ever. People complain about the gas prices but they still go on and do what they do.”

If you're ready for a substantial change, the state's main clearinghouse for commuter information is Connecticut Commuter Services. The website offers links to bus, rail, vanpool, and other commuter options, as well as lots of other advice including paying your fare with pre-tax dollars.

 The goal is to help state residents break the expensive and environmentally damaging habit of driving alone. Some vanpool programs even guarantee a ride when someone in the group has an emergency or illness that requires them to leave work early.

For those who work with friends and travel along I 84 from Southbury and Newtown into Danbury, there are Park and Ride lots at almost every exit. PJ Conway of Monroe said her nineteen-year-old son will be working in Danbury this summer, and he is driving a ten year old Tahoe. “It's not great on gas,” said Conway. “Carpooling will help him out a lot.”

 "Consider carpooling and take public transportation when possible — it's more convenient and reliable than you might think," said Judd Everheart, director of communications for the Connecticut Department of Transportation. "A few minutes online checking out schedules and bus/train stops will save time, gas, money and stress."

For those who want to know their best options, here are five resources for more information:

 1) Rideshare: Rideshare is a non-profit company that facilitates vanpooling and other ways to reduce the number of drivers alone in their cars. The company runs a car and van pool program, which matches up a minimum of six participants and provides a van for commuting. The volunteer driver rides for free, and every one else pays a fee that is much cheaper than operating a personal car, according to Nanci Fitzgerald, Rideshare's vice president of business development.

A commuter calculator is available online to show people how much they can save. "We always see a spike in interest when gas prices are rising," Fitzgerald said. "We have a lot of vans forming right now."

Search Google Rideshare by using your town to find others who are going your way.

2) Try a municipal bus or train: Danbury, Hart Bus, 62 Federal Road, 
Danbury, CT  06810 Phone:  (203) 744-4070 or Metro North for the train schedules from Bethel and Danbury.

 "Taking the train can free up time for other things — like reading, reviewing notes before that morning meeting or even napping," Everheart said.

 3) Cycle to work: If you live in Danbury, it isn't hard to bike to Bethel. If you live and work between Newtown and Trumbull, and are in good shape, you might consider riding your bike on the trail of the old Housatonic Railroad in Monroe. The route runs four miles from Newtown to Monroe and if you are willing to do a little road riding for a few miles, you can get back on the Railroad's bike path for another three miles in Trumbull. View our photos of the morning commute via bike.

 4) Carpool: Maybe you don't have six employees willing to vanpool, but you have two or three going to the same place. Consider saving on gas and emissions by working with each other to share rides, or check out www.nuride.com, an online ride-matching network. Friends who commute from Danbury, Brookfield and New Milford into work in White Plains estimate each of them is saving $18 per week, less wear and tear on their cars and they enjoy the company.

 5) Work from home: If you don't have to leave home, your commuting costs drop to nothing, and many companies are doing more to encourage telecommuting. Visit www.telecommutect.com, which bills itself as "a statewide initiative providing free assistance to employers with the design, development and implementation of telecommuting as a worksite alternative."