Another deadly commute mode deathmatch. Oh boy!
For the time analysis part of this exercise, here are the assumptions I’m going with:
- Transfers between any two segments have a 2 min window on each side of %0 efficiency time, cause it takes a while to get situated
- Bus: %30
- Bart: %50
- Driving: %0
Also, I’m considering walking to be ‘light exercise’ and biking to be ‘moderate exercise’. All times are AM, all money in USD.
The Route, Driving
- Walk, house -> Car: 5 min
- Drive to Work: 45 min (24 miles) according to google maps in traffic
Direct Monetary Cost
Assuming 30mpg and $3.00 per gallon of gas:
24/30 * 3 = $2.40
Time Analysis
0 min effective 100% efficiency time
45 min wasted time
5 min light exercise
The Route, via Transit
- Walk, house -> Bart station: 20 min
- Bart, Civic Center ->; Colma: 6:44 -> 7:01, $3.25
- SamTrans 118: Colma -> Linda Mar Park and Ride: 7:05 -> 7:24, $2
- SamTrans 294: Linda Mar Park and Ride -> stop near HMB airport: 7:25 -> 7:46 $2
- Walk, HMB airport stop -> Work: 10min
Direct Monetary Cost
3.25 + 2.00 + 2.00 = $7.25
Time Analysis
Effective 100% Efficiency Time
(bart) + (samtrans 118) + (samtrans 294) =
(12 – 2*2) * 0.3 + (17 – 2*2) * 0.5 + (19 – 2*2) * 0.3 + (21 – 2*2) * 0.3 =
18 min effective 100% efficiency time
Exercise Time
(walk 1) + (walk 2) = 20 + 10 = 30 min light exercise
Wasted Time
Total Travel Time – 100% effective efficiency time – Exercise Time =
(1 hr 34 min) – (18 min) – (30 min) = 46 min wasted time
The Route, via Cycling and Transit
- Prep for ride, 10 min
- Ride, home to Linda Mar Park and ride: 70 min
- SamTrans 294: Linda Mar Park and Ride -> stop just over devil’s slide: 7:25 -> 7:35, $2
- Ride to work: 12min
Direct Monetary Cost
SamTrans 294: $2.00
Time Analysis
Effective 100% Efficiency Time
(samtrans 1) = (10 – 2*2) * 0.3 = 6 * 0.3 ~= 2 min effective 100% efficiency time
Exercise Time
(bike 1) + (bike 2) = 70 + 12 = 82 min moderate exercise
Wasted Time
Total Travel Time – 100% effective efficiency time – Exercise Time =
(1 hr 42 min) – (2 min) – (82 min) = 18 min wasted time
So who wins? Well, it’s clear that plain transit does not win – it costs the most, wastes almost as much time as driving and is the least reliable. Clearly, transit here attracts no ‘choice riders’.
Between driving and biking + transit, the key factor is how much value is placed on moderate exercise time. The direct cost of both routes is similar, and while biking + transit wastes less time (18 min vs. 45 min) the total amount of moderate exercise time is perhaps excessive at 82 min. So this one’s gonna get called as a draw.
Final Results
- Transit + Cycling: 0.5
- Driving: 0.5
- Transit: 0