SEMCOG
Southeast Michigan Council Of Governments

How to Combat Increasing Gas Prices

| community and economic development, public outreach, transportation

Iris Steinberg

Iris Steinberg

Iris Steinberg has been working to improve mobility options and increase commuting choices in Southeast Michigan since 1999. Most recently, she’s led the creation and launch of Commuter Connect, which provides a trip planning and commuter-matching service for residents to improve their commute.

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According to recent Bureau of Labor statistics, the average American household spends about 16% of its monthly budget on transportation. Even before the recent spike in gas prices, this was the second largest expense per household. With higher fuel costs, monthly transportation expenses are rising and surpassing the 20% thresholds for many budgets. AAA shows gas prices are around $4 a gallon in Michigan right now compared to $2.80 a year ago.

For the past two years I’ve been working remotely. But I will soon be starting to work a hybrid schedule where I split my time between working at home and working in the office. I’m saving about $140 a month by leaving my car in the driveway. It’s time for me to revisit all of my commuting options to help keep my transportation costs (and emissions) down.

Southeast Michigan Commuter Connect provides trip planning assistance by showing commute options like: carpooling, vanpooling, transit, walking and biking. By logging your commute trip you can see how much money you save and how much CO2 you reduce. If you carpool, vanpool, walk or bike to work you can use the Emergency Ride Home program, which provides a free ride home from work in case of emergency.

Carpool

There are lots of great reasons to carpool. You can save money, help keep the air clean, keep miles off your car, reduce stress and take cars off the road – just by sharing the ride with one other person.

Transit

urban setting, two buses with large buildings behind them

One bus with 35 passengers eliminates a line of moving vehicles stretching six blocks. Taking the bus reduces commuting stress, saves money and keeps the air clean.

SMART and DDOT provide transit service in Southeast Michigan along with several other agencies:

SEMCOG. Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. Figure 39. Fixed-Route Public Transit Providers, Southeast Michigan. Blue Water Area Transit Operates 9 bus routes in the City of Port Huron and Fort Gratiot Township with demand response service in Marysville, Fort Gratiot, Burtchville and Port Huron Township. Detroit Department of Transportation The largest transit provider in the region operates 53 bus routes in the City of Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park, with limited service to surrounding communities. Lake Erie Transit Operates 8 bus routes in the City of Monroe. M-1 Rail Owns and operates the QLine streetcar with 12 stations along Woodward Avenue from Congress to Grand Boulevard. M-1 RAIL operates up to six cars to achieve 8-minute headways during special events and five trains at 10-minute headways during all other times. Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation Operates 47 bus routes at more than 5,300 stops in the suburban communities of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties with express service to and from Detroit. The People Mover Uses fully automated guideway technology on an elevated 2.9-mile loop as a circulator with 13 stops in downtown Detroit. TheRide Operates 34 bus routes at over 1,500 designated stops in the City of Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and several surrounding communities in Washtenaw County. University of Michigan Serves the employees, students and visitors at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus with 13 routes connecting the north,central, south and medical campuses to each other as well as commuter connections.

Page 119 of SEMCOG’s 2045 Regional Transportation Plan for Southeast Michigan.

Bike

group of bicyclists in urban setting

May is National Bike Month, and Bike to Work Day is May 20.

Riding your bike or walking is a healthy, environmentally-friendly, economical, and fun way to get to work. Cycling just 20 minutes a day reduces the risk of diabetes and lowers blood pressure.

MoGo is Detroit’s public bike sharing system. It’s a fun, flexible, and convenient way for riders to find great station-to-station routes. Check out MoGo’s great pricing deals that make biking to work an even bigger money saver.

Vanpool

ride share pick-up sign

Commute With Enterprise offers a great way to save money, while getting you to work and helping the environment. Sharing a ride on a vanpool is great for commuters with similar schedules and routes to work. A vanpool is a larger group of commuters who ride to and from work on a regular basis in a designated van instead of a car.

Walk

Walking is the easiest and most convenient alternative commute for short distances and it’s free! Walking 10 minutes a day to work will combat fatigue and boost energy.

Remote Work

man focusing and looking at computer

Working from home benefits include: avoiding a stressful commute, saving money, getting time back in your day, being more productive and create a better balance between your work and home life.

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