Yesterday, the Ann Arbor News wrote an article about the Ann Arbor-Howell Commuter rail, including an analysis of the cost to commuters.

The article’s author has this to say:

“A new cost study shows people commuting into Ann Arbor from points north would save a substantial amount of money if they chose to leave their cars at home and use a proposed commuter rail line.”

That’s the basic premise of the article–commuting by rail would be cheaper for commuters, but there might not be enough money captured in fares, etc. to make the whole thing work in the long term.

That’s all well and good. But this is just one way to look at the benefits of a commuter rail. I’m not the first to say it, but there are so many other non-monetary benefits of having a commuter rail.

These benefits include

• being able to read and relax while commuting to work
• being able to actually get work done on the commute (this was something I really enjoyed when riding the bus from Ann Arbor to Ypsi). It’s amazing how much easier your brain wheels turn when you don’t have to watch out for crazy drivers.
• much less stress because you don’t have to worry about congestion, accidents, snow, etc.
• being able to interact with others while commuting. I have a friend who works in Cleveland who takes the light rail to work everyday. She has made several friends on her commute who take the rail at the same time she does. How nice to be able to get to know other human beings instead of honking at them in frustration when you are on the highway.
• and what about the environmental benefits? Face it, global warming is a reality and cars are one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases. Making the choice to take the rail instead of your car goes a long way to making a positive different on the environmental front. This reason alone should make you smile every time you choose not to drive your car.So that’s my two cents, what do you have to say?