KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A new tool shows drivers how much money they can save by riding the bus.
RideKC launched a driving calculator on its website this Earth Day, which has remained relevant as gas prices rose throughout the spring, reaching record highs.
There is no fare to use RideKC buses around Greater Kansas City, making it completely free.
The driving calculator, which relies on data from the American Automobile Association, shows drivers how much money they spend throughout the year by factoring in fuel costs, distance traveled, maintenance, insurance, depreciation and more.
“Sometimes, when you only see that gas price every week, you don’t add in that insurance that comes in every three months or that once-a-month parking payment,” said Bridget Moss, webmaster at RideKC.
Moss encourages anyone interested in switching to the bus to download the Transit app and suggests a trial commute to work or an event to see how it goes.
“I like to think of places where you would have to pay for parking as a good starter,” Moss said. “If you have to pay for parking, it’s probably also harder to get to, you don’t want to circle and look for free parking. Just hop on the bus near your home and take the totally free bus down to the event.”
She has heard arguments the bus is less convenient but rebuttals that it’s free to ride, allows passengers to safely use their phones, free Wi-Fi is available and passengers don’t have to worry about parking.
So far in 2022, Moss said about 300 people have used the calculator, which is available on RideKC’s website.
