In a study carried out by Point2Homes, 30 of the largest U.S. cities were examined to see how much money renters could save each year by switching from driving a car to using public transport for their daily commute.
With some of the lowest public transport costs of the cities studied, renters in Louisville, KY, stand to make significant savings by making the switch. But beyond the financial savings, just how feasible is it for renters to use public transport instead of the car? And, is the money they stand to save worth the extra time it takes?
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the pros and cons, not to mention the feasibility, of switching to public transport for renters in Louisville.
Louisville Renters Can Save Almost Two Months’ Salary a Year by Taking Public Transport Instead of Driving
On average, it costs a typical car commuter $7,327 a year to travel to work by car each day. This takes fuel, maintenance, parking, and insurance costs into account. Meanwhile, those who commute using public transport typically pay, on average, $600 a year, which makes Louisville the fifth cheapest of the cities studied.
As a result, commuters can expect to save $6,727 a year by switching to public transport. With a median monthly renter income of $3,416, the savings are just shy of two months’ salary. Spread over the year, Louisville renters could find themselves with an extra $560 a month.
How Much Longer Does It Take To Commute With Public Transport in Louisville?
While it’s clear that there are significant savings to be made by switching from driving to taking the bus in Louisville, there are other factors to consider. Driving offers unparalleled flexibility, which for some renters is essential. For example, those who rely on the car to drop the kids off at school or take care of the shopping on their way to work would struggle to switch to public transport.
But beyond that, driving is almost always quicker than taking public transport. Indeed, with a typical car commute time of 46.7 minutes, drivers in Louisville enjoy the third shortest commute time of the 30 cities studied. Although it’s considerably longer, the average public transport commute time of 83.9 minutes means Louisville also boasts the fifth shortest public transport commute time of the cities studied.
However, while this is short compared to other cities, it’s still almost 40 minutes slower than driving in Louisville. Over the course of a year, this adds up to 6.5 days more spent travelling to work for those taking public transport.
Whether that extra 40 minutes a day is worth the extra money depends on the circumstances of the individual renter. And of course, the lack of flexibility that comes from not driving will also play a large role in people’s decision to drive or take the bus to work each day.
Compare commute times and commute savings in the 30 largest U.S. cities plus the five NYC boroughs:
Is It Feasible To Switch to Public Transport in Louisville?
Louisville is considered a mostly car-dependent city, with a WalkScore of just 34 and an even lower transit score of 27. As such, most errands require a car in Louisville, particularly in the suburbs. In the city center and downtown hubs, walkability and access to public transport are both vastly improved, with Phoenix Hill, Highlands, and the Central Business District being the most walkable areas.
Transit Authority of River City (TARC) operates the majority of public transit in Louisville, providing 29 regular bus services across the city. The Dixie Rapid was Kentucky’s first rapid bus service, and runs from the suburb of Valley Station in the southwest of the city to Downtown Louisville. Other services provide transport to and from many other suburbs across the metro area. However, access to the stops can be difficult to get to from some areas, such as Douglas Hills.
Overall, public transportation in Louisville is somewhat comprehensive, with most areas served by at least one bus line. But for the many who don’t live within walking distance of a stop, it will be a struggle to switch from using the car. Additionally, the city offers reasonable cycle infrastructure, making it safe and convenient to commute by bike, particularly in the city center and inner suburbs.
Methodology
Point2Homes.com is a real estate listing portal for rental homes across the United States. Part of Yardi Systems, Point2Homes covers housing trends and news through comprehensive studies that draw from internal data, public records, governmental sources, and online research.
- For this study, we took into consideration the 30 most populous U.S. cities, per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS 2023).
- Data about means of transportation to get to work, tenure by vehicles and commute time for the 30 largest U.S. cities were also sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS 2023).
- Data on fuel and maintenance costs was sourced from AAA, car insurance costs from Bankrate, and parking rates from Spothero.
- Data on the financial cost of public transit commuting in each city was sourced from APTA and local transit authority websites.
- The median income for the renter and owner households at the national level and also for the 30 cities used in the analysis were sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS 2023).
- Image credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
Fair use and redistribution
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