Going downtown? Take the Train!

I've been learning this summer to use the commuter train.  From where I live in "zone 2" on the Two Mountain's line it costs $4.75 for a single use ticket.  I should buy 6 tickets from now on for $19 but I digress.  So to go downtown it costs me $9.50.  I can park my truck at the Roxboro-Pierrefonds train station which is always empty on nights and week-ends. It's during rush hour that it's packed. 

Driving my gas guzzler downtown probably burns $5 of gas each way, plus parking. It's rare to find free parking. If there are parking meters it's like $4 for 2 hours or something like that.  I know some parking lots charge $5 per 15 minutes up to $15 for a day.  So ultimately the cost of the train is cheaper even with the single use ticket then it takes to use my truck. 

Of course if we were 5 people travelling it would appear cheaper to use your own vehicle, but alone it pays itself to use the train instead of driving. I suppose for a shopping trip where you're buying big items it wouldn't work so well either.

Despite the fact I've been a hermit this summer, I've actually used the train more often this year then I ever have. I would check the train schedule before leaving for train times and have never missed my train back.  The other advantage is usually after spending a day downtown I'm too tired, hence also too distracted to drive.  The train takes about 25 minutes - about the time if would take to drive it were there no other cars, construction and closed roads, which only happens at 4am on the 2nd Friday of a month with two full moons! Once I get off the train, I'm a 5 minute car ride from home, which I can drive in my sleep!