Cars are expensive. So is commuting.
A recent study of the Boston metropolitan area indicates that while people moved to the suburbs to save money on housing, they in fact spent more than their urban counterparts on transportation and commuting, effectively neutralizing any savings they may have gained.
Granted Durham isn't Boston, for starters its much more affordable to live here. While the Boston study area ranks with the most expensive places to live in the country, not so in Durham.
But the Bull City is designed for commuters. Much of the county is occupied by suburbs and more than 25,000 students faculty and staff hold permits to park on Duke's campus.
Anecdotally, when I first moved here, my commute was no more than 5 miles. After living in Boston, where my job required me to drive all over the state, sometimes several hours every day, filling the gas tank every few weeks here seemed pretty fabulous. And on a student schedule, there was little traffic and low hassle (except that parking was across campus!).
But gas is just the start of the expenses that come with owning and operating a motor vehicle. When you include registration, taxes, insurance, inspections, maintenance, and possibly the occasional parking or speeding ticket, it can really start to add up. I can testify to that!
The real question is weather knowing the true cost would change behavior and choice.
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