Quality of Life Benefits and Impacts

Everyday, transportation choices like busing, biking and vanpools allow Washingtonians from all walks of life to make decisions that improve their quality of lives - like shortening commute times to spend more time with their families, contributing to better air quality, and avoiding stressful driving situations.

Your time

On average, each person in the Seattle-Everett metropolitan area saves 14 hours a year because of transit, whether they ride it or not. It's like getting two more days of vacation a year, just because we invest in transit service.

The average American driver spends 443 hours per year behind the wheel, the equivalent of 55 eight-hour work days, or almost 3 months of full time work! This has been shown to cause significant stress and can affect blood pressure.

43% of people in a national study said they used public transit because it is faster than using a private vehicle.

Take back your time: many who don't find their commutes shortened by using transportation choices still choose to leave the car at home; because the ride provides much needed time to read, study, think, relax, even nap!

Your pocketbook

The Puget Sound region saves $552 million a year because of public transit, enough to build a new Safeco Field or Seahawks Stadium every year. That breaks down to $227 saved by every person in the region because of public transportation.

The American Automobile Association's (AAA) Your Driving Costs study shows the annual cost of owning and operating an average car is $8,431 in 2004, or 56.2 cents per mile. Being able to choose to leave the car at home, or to own fewer or no cars, saves money.
On average American households in 2001 spent 19.3 cents of every household dollar on transportation expenses; the cost of getting around. This is the second largest household expense category behind housing. For middle and upper income families, the cost of transportation is taken for granted. But for the poorest American families the high costs of owning and maintained a car may put home owndership out of reach. Also, research shows that as families buy more cars and trucks (especially through credit financing), they have less family savings and less money to invest in home ownership.

Residents of denser, transit-rich neighborhoods drive far less and spend far less money on transportation than people who live in areas not served by transit.

The personal costs to individuals and families of congestion are enormous. For instance, in 2000, each rush-hour road user lost $1,160 in wasted fuel and time, including time shared with family and friends.

Community design

Public transportation helps create strong neighborhoods and provides access to new opportunities by fostering livable communities where people can drive less and walk more; meeting the needs of all citizens, particularly those who do not drive or own a car.

Many highly skilled employees are increasingly seeking workplaces located in areas with a high quality of life, which they associate with activity clusters, such as downtowns or 'village centers', and transportation options.

Car-dominated places with wide, busy roads lead to the loss of a sense of community. Neighborhoods are divided by large highways and roads, and neighbors left without safe places to walk or destination to walk to.

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