San Diego – Commuting from Eastlake to UTC costs more than $40 a day according to a commute cost calculator created by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). The same roundtrip commute on the Trolley and bus costs $5.
With the recent surge in fuel prices, MTS is reminding San Diego County residents that public transit can ease the financial pain as it remains one of the most affordable ways to get around. According to AAA, average gas prices in the county soared to $5.635 per gallon for regular gas; a dollar more than one month ago and the highest price since October 2023.
"With gas prices rising so quickly across the region, families are feeling the financial strain," said Stephen Whitburn, MTS Board Chair and San Diego City Councilmember, District 3. "MTS offers a reliable and affordable option that helps people keep money in their pockets. We want riders to know they have transportation choices that can make a real financial difference."
To help riders understand potential savings when taking transit, MTS developed a Commute Cost Calculator. The online tool (also available in Spanish) allows commuters to compare the cost of driving alone versus taking transit. The calculator factors in information such as commuting miles, estimated miles per gallon, parking costs, number of days commuting and price per gallon of fuel.
With current fuel prices, commuters traveling as little as 5 miles each way can save more than $980 annually by switching from driving to transit. Savings grow significantly with longer commutes because the daily cost of driving increases. For example:
- Chula Vista to Downtown (10 miles), $15.40 per day by car, $5 roundtrip by transit
- El Cajon to Downtown (15 miles), $23.10 per day by car, $5 roundtrip by transit
- Rancho Bernardo to Downtown (25 miles), $38.50 per day by car, $5 roundtrip by transit
- Eastlake to UTC (30 miles), $46.20 per day by car, $5 roundtrip by transit
Commuters interested in skipping the pump and seeing how much they can save with transit can use the calculator at www.sdmts.com/commute.
Not only is riding transit cheaper than driving, but commuters can also save big on parking costs. MTS has more than 8,000 free parking spots at dozens of transit stations across the system. For a full list of parking locations, visit the Transit Station Parking webpage.
About MTS
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates 93 bus routes and four Trolley lines in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of San Diego. MTS is a leader in advancing initiatives to create a greener, cleaner and better-connected transit system in San Diego. Each weekday, more than 250,000 passenger trips are taken throughout the MTS system, taking people to work, school, health appointments and other essential trips. In FY 2025, MTS served more than 81 million riders. For service schedule updates, news, alerts and more information on how you can use public transportation, go to www.sdmts.com.
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