FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 9, 2004

Contact: Brian Hutchings, BACS, 813-282-8200

Sheila Martin, BACS, 813-282-8200

Sandi Moody, BACS, 800-998-RIDE

Vicki Parsons, APR, 813-689-2616

Rising Gas Prices Cause Consumers to

Take a New Look at Commute Options

More and more Tampa Bay residents are taking a look at money-saving options on how they get to work as ever-rising prices at the gas pump drive the cost of their commute through the roof.

Even before the price of gas began to skyrocket, it cost the average commuter more than $300 a month to drive back and forth to work every day, says Sandi Moody, executive director of Bay Area Commuter Services (BACS). Since then, the price of regular gas in the Tampa Bay area has gone from about $1.20 per gallon to an average of $1.76 (self-serve, regular unleaded), and the strong likelihood is that the price of gas will continue to rise for the foreseeable future especially with the advent of summer vacation travel.

“When people, especially those on fixed or limited incomes, see that kind of increase in their monthly expenses, they take a long hard look at their options and where they can cut back,” Ms. Moody says. “Unfortunately, many don’t know BACS is here to help them save money on their commutes.” Bay Area Commuter Services is a not-for-profit agency funded through the Florida Department of Transportation to relieve traffic congestion and improve air quality in the Tampa Bay by helping commuters use options to driving alone such as ridesharing, biking and even walking to work.

“Ridesharing (carpooling, vanpooling, or taking the bus) offers great savings for minimal inconvenience in most situations. Car/vanpoolers who have commutes of 15 or more miles each way especially save,” Moody said. For instance, compare an average monthly cost of $300 plus for commuters who drive 15 miles each way alone to work with monthly, unlimited-ride bus passes that cost $40 in Pinellas County or $48 in Hillsborough County (exempting express service). Joining a carpool can cut the cost of driving to work by half – or even more if there are three or four people in the car. Vanpool riders pay an affordable monthly rate, and people who live close enough to their jobs to bike or walk pay practically nothing if they leave their car at home.

The biggest single concern for people thinking about ridesharing is how they would cope in an emergency. BACS solves that problem with the Guaranteed Ride Home program. People who register in advance and use an approved commute option at least two days per week can take up to eight taxi rides per year in case of emergency – at no cost. “An emergency can be anything from unscheduled overtime to a sick child – whenever you need to leave work before or after your regular ride does,” Moody said. The program is open to people who take the bus, carpool or vanpool, as well as those who walk or bike to work, she adds.

For more information on BACS’ programs and services call 1-800-998-RIDE or visit them online at their comprehensive Internet web site located at www.tampabayrideshare.org, which includes an interactive commute cost calculator that takes the rising cost of gasoline into consideration.

# # #