Your savings can easily amount to thousands of dollars a year, bigger than most tax refunds. Saving $4,500 per year allows you to spend $50,000 more on a 30-year home mortgage. Using transit or any of the other options can save you more than $8,000 per year, or the equivalent of several house payments or a well-deserved vacation. Type of Travel Driving alone Cost: $9,000 per year Covers: Gas, loan payments, insurance, repairs, parking. Carpooling (w/ family member) Cost: $4,500 per year Covers: Dividing expenses in half Transit Cost: $400-$924 a year (depending on which pass you need) Covers: Monthly Pass Rideshare (van pool or car share – Captial Metro) Cost: $720 a year Covers: Gas, loan payments, insurance, repairs.  Does not include parking. Bicycling Cost: $150-300 per year Covers: $700 bicycle, safety gear and equipment needed divided over 5 years (the typical shelf life of a bicycle), plus annual maintenance. See how much you spend

There is no need to bring your car into downtown even if you have errands to run or the occasional emergency. There are several options available that will cover you for those time you need a car. car2go and  ZipCar allow you to use a shared car for quick trips. Movability is working with both car2go and ZipCar to provide discounted membership to interested employees of member companies, but you can sign up individually as well. 1. Go to their website or mobile app to locate a car near you. 2. Reserve a car or just walk up to the nearest one. 3. Unlock it with you card and password. 4. Drive to your destination. 5. Park and sign out or keep the meter running. Captial Metro offers reimbursement for emergency taxi service anywhere in our service area for any MetroRail,  MetroExpress and  RideShare customers. For a small annual fee,  Guaranteed Ride Home is insurance that entitles qualified commuters reimbursement for up to four emergency taxi rides per year.

Riding a bus means you have free time to enjoy some relaxation while someone else deals with the traffic. There are easy to use web and mobile options to figure out how to get from here to there. Google Maps          

1. click “get directions”

• click “transit icon”

• A) type your location (or activite GPS) and B) type where you want to go.

You will get information on how to get to the stop, the bus route you are looking for, the time it is supposed to arrive, and the cost. Captial Metro Trip Planner

1. type start location and finish location.  Optional: use the “Depart Now” box to identify a specific time/day

• click “plan a trip.”  You will get information on how to get to the stop, the bus route # you are looking for, the time it is supposed to arrive, and the cost

Dadnab Simply add Dadnab into your contact list – number 512.981.6221 [for Austin]. Then send a text message to Dadnab with the location you want to reach, e.g., 5th & Lavaca to Barton Springs & Kinney.  Dadnab will send you back a message with the nearest bus stop, the bus number and time it is scheduled to arrive. You can find more information on  how to ride the bus and  fares from Captial Metro’s website.  You can now buy passes online. RideScout is a mobile app that will show you all your transportation options at once including car2go and Captial Metro.

Riding a bike allows you to get some exercise and getting to/from work, and is a great way to wake up in the morning or de-stress in the afternoon. This video has some great tips on how to get started:

Google Maps

1. click “get directions”
2. click “bike icon”
3. A) type your location (or activite GPS) and B) type where you want to go.  You will get information on a good route to bicycle and you can shift the route by simply click on a spot you want to avoid, then draw the line to a better location or place you need to pass.

You can also download a free bike map  or pick up a fully printed version of this map at your favorite local bike shop.

Understanding how to ride safely and conveniently takes a little more prep time on your part.  You can stop by your favorite bike shop for advice on gear, routes, and tips.  There are also good websites that offer advice on bike commuting such as Austin on Two Wheels.

You can also get direct training and other support from  Mellow Johnny’s downtown bike shop as well as the Austin Cycling Association who offer a Traffic Skills class that gives riders hands on experience and training.

Many buildings offer protected bike parking within a secure garage and some buildings offer shower and locker facilities for tenants.  Movability Austin is encouraging more building owners and managers to offer bicycle facilities to their tenants. Contact us if your build does not have these facilities.

Many people simply carpool with a spouse or family member. Everyone has their own style! Click here to let us know how you carpool.

If you work for a member company, Movability Austin will have surveyed employees and we will know who might be close enough to you to be a carpool partner.  If we haven’t contacted you already, then click here.

Movability Austin may also be able to help you to arrange vanpool or carpool options using a Capital Metro vehicle, if you have more people or don’t have a vehicle.

If you need help finding people near you with whom you can carpool, there are some handy options and the more people signed up the better. Here are a few:

Carma is a real time ride sharing app. It’s easy to use interface make it simple for finding a carpool buddy on the days you want one. Just download, setup your profile including your normal commute trip and let Carma do the work. The app will let you know when they have found your match. It’s great for both those that want to drive and those that want to ride.

RideScout is a mobile app that will show you all your transportation options at once including car2go and Captial Metro.  This app will also connect  and share rides with your Facebook friends!

MyCommuteSolutions is a website that does everything from tracking your trips to finding you carpool matches. The commute tracking supports bicycle, transit, and carpool/vanpool options.

Captial Metro has vans and Movability can help you to get together with five to friends at least 3 days a week for the drive to and from work. You use the van and Capital Metro handles the maintenance and insurance – while you split the rental and parking costs with your vanpool members.

Here’s the low-down on Vanpooling:

• Each group determines their own cost sharing agreement.
• It doesn’t have to be every day. Your Vanpool buddies need to commit to ride three days per week. And that doesn’t count vacation, business travel and illness.
• Each group agrees on its own route and daily schedule.
• The group’s approved driver can enjoy limited personal use of the van for errands, lunch and appointments.

Vanpools help reduce traffic congestion, reduce air pollution and save each rider money every month. All Vanpool riders can also receive a free monthly bus pass upon request.  In addition to saving money, you’ll reduce your stress level as well as your car insurance. And, you even have time for coffee, the paper and a breakfast taco!

Movability can help, but if you want to do it on your own here’s how you get started:

• Recruit people who live and work in the same general area. Capital Metro RideShare team can assist you by providing recruitment materials and referrals through our computerized rideshare matching system.
• When you have enough members for your Vanpool, call 477-RIDE(7433) to contact the RideShare staff. Capital Metro will set you up with everything you need to get rolling.
• If you wish to learn if there is a vanpool currently operating that meets your needs, please call 477-RIDE(7433) 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• We offer 7-passenger Crossover SUVs, in addition to 8 and 12 passenger vehicles. You will need at least 5 passengers to start your group, and vehicles are distributed on a first come first come basis.

Austin has a few options for finding people to share a ride with.

Carma is a real time ride sharing app. It’s easy to use interface make it simple for finding a carpool buddy on the days you want one. Just download, setup your profile including your normal commute trip and let Carma do the work. The app will let you know when they have found your match. It’s great for both those that want to drive and those that want to ride.

RideScout is a mobile app that will show you all your transportation options at once including car2go and CapMetro.  This app will also connect  and share rides with your Facebook friends!

MyCommuteSolutions Signing up allows you to see other people wanting to prove a ride or get a ride.  You can also enter and track your commutes.  The commute tracking supports bicycle, transit, and carpool/vanpool options.  This is a web-based option only.

ParkMe This service enables you to find available parking in downtown before you even leave for your destination. ParkMe can be used via the website or on your mobile device. Download the app today! For more details see our article in Let’s Go News.