More and more people understand that the spread-out nature of our communities—home is here, work is there, Junior’s school is that way, and groceries are way over there—are stretching our family budgets to the breaking point. More and more people want to live in communities that are convenient, vibrant, and affordable.

What would you do with an extra $4,155 in your pocket this year?

We can assume the price of keeping Santa’s reindeer healthy has stayed relatively constant since last year at around $2,000 per reindeer per year. This totals $18,000 just for reindeer related costs. This may seem more costly than car maintenance per year, but let’s explore more costs. Taking a trip around the world in one night can put some dings in the sleigh. Luckily Santa has a few handy helpers, so we can assume that he spends only $1,000 on sleigh maintenance.

Abogo decided not to include insurance costs for ole’ St. Nicholas last year. However, after some close calls last year and some nagging from Ms. Claus, he decided that he should pick some up this year. So, how much does it cost to insure a sleigh that travels around the world?  Gina Roberts Grey of MSN Money explored this option in an article published last year. This is what she found:

-Since he flies his sleigh in the air, typical auto coverage will not suffice. Santa must purchase aircraft hull and liability insurance. This will cover any damage done while in flight. Santa hasn’t had any reported accidents, so his annual premium would be low—an estimated $30,000.

-Santa’s nine reindeers are an anomaly in the world of insurance, but could be considered “engines” and insured under a special endorsement along with the sleigh. For the team of reindeers, Santa can expect to pay an additional $12,000 on top of the $30,000 he dished out for coverage of the sleigh.

Abogo has found an unfurnished replica of Santa’s sleigh handmade by a Michigan carpenter.

This replica, with a reindeer pole attachment, costs $4,500. This, however, is only a shell of what Santa’s sleigh includes. On top of the sleigh, he will need headlights to see and be seen in the night, harnesses for his reindeer, a windshield for keeping his eyes dry while traveling so fast, and some decoration in light of the joyous occasion. We can assume that Santa’s elves can produce these accessories in-house (hey, if they can make an iPad…), which will keep costs low. In total, Santa will probably need around $6,000 more to ensure his sleigh is holiday ready.

Assuming his non-residency in any country, Santa will not have to file for any permits this year. The sleigh will depreciate by about 5 percent for a total of $3 in costs. He will most certainly still need an air freshener ($5) since riding behind nine reindeer for an entire night can get stinky!

Good thing Santa has magic on his side, or else he would be hard pressed to visit all of the children in the world. Despite this magic, Santa still must consider transportation costs for the year.

In total, we found that Santa can expect to spend $28,058 on transportation costs per year. In comparison, his neighbors can expect to spend nearly $14,000 per year at current gas prices.  Along with the cost of depreciation and insurance, this cost is likely to be much higher. Santa avoids gas costs by using renewable energy—his reindeer.

Usually, the federal government passes something known as the Transportation Reauthorization Act every five to six years to assist states in funding transportation infrastructure projects. Unfortunately, legislation of this kind has not been passed since the expiration of the last reauthorization (enacted 2005)more than two years ago.

A few weeks ago, we profiled John Mica (R-FL), Chairman of the House of Representative’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He  is in charge of the House proposal for federal funding of infrastructure improvements. We looked at the transportation costs of two different cities in his district, one urban and one rural, to see how the lack of transportation investment affects his constituents. All politics is local, right?

This week Abogo visits the district of another member of this powerful committee. Peter DeFazio has represented Oregon’s 4^th Congressional District since 1987 and is the ranking member of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Bordering California to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west, his district includes more than 680,000 constituents.

Springfield, Oregon, is where DeFazio resides when he is not working on legislation in the nation’s capital. Since Matt Groening grew up in Oregon, it is rumored that this Springfield may be the one that the Simpsons family lives in.

Let’s see what Springfield residents’ transportation costs are on average per month.

Assuming the Simpsons family does indeed living in this Springfield, the Abogo gas slider shows that Homer and Marge and their three-dimensional neighbors could expect to shell out $867 per month on transportation costs. That’s a 15 percent increase from 2000. 2010 Census data show that the average commute to work is about 20 minutes for residents, and that 74 percent drive alone to work. To lower these costs, residents can consider carpooling or taking the Lane Transit District bus system that operates in both Springfield and neighboring Eugene.

Another city located in DeFazio’s district is Florence, Oregon. Located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, the city is known as a popular tourist destination. Let’s see what residents near Heceta Beach, one of the more popular beaches in the area and the location of the infamous exploding whale story, can expect to pay in monthly transportation costs.

Given the current gas price of $3.50 in Oregon, residents can pay around $1,127 per month in costs related to transportation. This is a 19 percent increase from what could be expected in 2000, almost $300 more per month than Springfield. Due to the beautiful, but less location efficient setting of the beach, residents are more car-dependent than families in Springfield.. According to 2010 Census Data, the majority of residents in Florence commute less than 10 minutes to work. Given such short commute times, many could reduce the cost of their commute by walking or biking instead of driving alone.

We at Abogo come to the same conclusion here in Oregon as we did after our trip to south Florida: DeFazio’s constituents are spending a sizeable chunk of their incomes on transportation. They could use smart investments in transportation that would help people become less car-dependent and less beholden to the gas tank. DeFazio, like Mica, should be pushing hard to pass a Transportation Reauthorization Act that improves the everyday lives of people and spurs jobs.

Where does your congressional representation stand on transportation investments? What do you want to see invested in transportation-wise you’re your tax dollars?

It is estimated that one in every nine bridges in the U.S. are classified as “structurally deficient.” Although this classification doesn’t mean these bridges are going to collapse come the next gentle breeze, they are in significant need of maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement.  The Transportation Reauthorization Act, a bill that can provide additional funds to help solve this precarious problem, is slowly trickling through the notoriously deadlocked 112^th Congress. It seems appropriate to quote the famous Schoolhouse Rock song, “I’m just a bill, yes I’m only a bill, and I’m sitting here on Capitol Hill.” Unfortunately, this bill has been sitting on the legislature’s steps for more than two years waiting for its acceptance.

As would be expected, structurally deficient metropolitan bridges in densely populated areas carry the most traffic, which in turn can lead to more severe consequences. According to a recent report released by Transportation for America, 75 percent of all passengers that cross deficient bridges are located in metropolitan areas. Reading about places with highly deteriorated bridges made us wonder if these places had high transportation costs as well. Here’s what we found:

Top of the list in number of deficient bridges is the metropolitan area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, this “City of Bridges” isn’t living up to its namesake, with more than 30 percent of the bridges in the region classified as “structurally deficient.”

Even with the Transportation Reauthorization Act’s slow crawl toward approval, drivers may be seeing more roads and bridges under repair as state agencies struggle to keep crucial infrastructure safe and operational. Let’s see how much a typical family that traverses these bridges frequently can expect to spend on transportation costs per month.

Residents in Mt. Oliver, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, can expect to pay around $668/month on transportation. Why pay more money to travel by driving if you’re going to be delayed by road repairs? To reduce transportation costs, travelers can utilize the PAT mass transit system. With over 800 buses and five miles of light rail, it covers a rather extensive area of the region. Pittsburgh also has a strong biking community, with numerous bike paths that stem from the Three Rivers Heritage Trail along the riverside.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, is another city that has recently been highlighted in the recent report for the poor condition of their bridges.  Tulsa ranked highest among the metropolitan areas with a population of 500,000 to 1 million, with 27.5 percent of its bridges rated deficient.  In the metro area, an estimated 3,809,427 cars travel across structurally deficient bridges every day. Bridges in the entire state of Oklahoma have consistently been known for their poor conditions in the past. On average, Tulsa replaces about two bridges a year using state and federal funding that fluctuates around $450,000. The Transportation Reauthorization Act could provide the resources for more robust repair work.

Let’s take a look at what residents in Parkview, a suburb of Tulsa, can expect to pay in transportation costs per month.

Even with some of the cheapest gas prices in the nation, transportation costs are comparatively high in this part of the city. Less concentrated public transportation and relatively long travel distances make these costs higher. To reduce some of the costs associated with travel, residents in this area can utilize two Tulsa Transit System bus lines that go directly into the city. Although walking may be out of the question for some longer trips, a warm climate allows bikers to pedal on for much of the year.

Be on the lookout for road and bridge repairs in your upcoming travels. They may be slowing your smooth cruise, but they’re a necessary component to keeping you safe on the road. During periods of road repairs, you can consider trying new methods of getting around to lower your transportation costs. Are you in an area with a high number of structurally deficient bridges? How do you plan to manage upcoming repairs and delays?

The quintessential struggle over what urban planning and planners should do and be is encapsulated by the differing viewpoints of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs. The two have come to represent opposing threads in the big urban planning issues of the day, many of which still resonate right now:

• Should cities be planned incrementally and organically or transformed in one enormous, expensive, methodical fell swoop?
• Should the design and purpose of a place be left to outside experts or the community residents who may have never seen a traffic demand model or market study in their lives?
• Should a transportation plan prioritize the needs of those trying to travel through a community or those who live there? Does it prioritize the driver, the transit rider, the cyclist, or the pedestrian?

Robert Moses is recognized for his top-down, large-scale, car-oriented planning as a state and city bureaucrat in New York from the 1920s to the1960s. He built numerous bridges, tunnels, and expressways around New York City. On the other end of the spectrum is Jane Jacobs, whose famous The Death and Life of Great American Cities is a direct critique of Moses’ theories. Jacobs argued that compact, walkable, mixed use neighborhoods are what gave cities life and made them successful economically and socially. Today we view many of her observations and recommendations as the sustainable urban ideal. Neither Moses nor Jacobs made any sort of argument about transportation costs when talking about how cities should work. Transportation costs were largely a non-issue because the price of gas and getting around were cheap and climate change wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Were Moses and Jacobs alive and living in the New York region today, how would the urban form affect their transportation costs?

During his years transforming New York, Moses lived in Babylon, New York, a small community on Long Island. Despite his car-oriented planning, Moses did not drive himself and was chauffeured in and out of the city. While Abogo doesn’t take a chauffer’s salary into account, we can take a look at what transportation would cost a typical household living in Babylon today.
Given its auto-oriented form, transportation costs in Babylon are vulnerable to fluctuations in gas prices. Fortunately, there are options for commuters, such as the Babylon Village Long Island Railroad stop on the MTA-LIRR Babylon Line. According to the TOD database, a resourceful tool that provides economic and demographic information for every existing and proposed fixed guideway transit station in the U.S., there are 1,481 households living within one-half mile of the station. There are bus routes available for shorter trips as well.

Luckily, residents of the city have a dedicated town supervisor who is a proponent of sustainable growth in Babylon. In recent years, Supervisor Steve Bellone has pushed environmentally sustainable initiatives, including buying 10 percent of the city’s energy from wind and solar power, replacing all city cars with hybrids, requiring LEED certification for buildings more than 4,000 square feet in size, and increasing spending on municipal infrastructure to one of the highest levels of any other city on Long Island.

Bellone has also notably fought to lift the ban on its municipal PACE program, a financing program that allows homeowners to pay for energy efficiency or renewable energy retrofits in their property taxes over time rather than pay for the entire cost up front. The innovative program removed a key barrier for homeowners who may have wanted to save money and lower their carbon footprint but didn’t have the money to pay for it all at once. In 2010 Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae effectively put an end to the PACE program by refusing to underwrite mortgages on homes with PACE financing because they deemed them as too risky. The City of Babylon, under Bellone’s direction, sued Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in an attempt to revive the program, but to date the Fannie and Freddie position has not changed.

What about Jacobs? While battling the goliath Moses, she resided in a flat in West Village in New York City. What kind of transportation costs can we expect to find there?

Jane Jacobs walked the talk by living in a highly efficient location. Transportation costs in Manhattan are among the lowest in the country. The high population density in the area allows for better public transportation as well as greater opportunity to walk or bike to nearby destinations.

Residents of Manhattan, as well as others with similar population densities, have many different options when it comes to transportation. This helps lower the need for personal vehicles that cost much more due to gas and parking.

We all know you can talk the walk but can you walk the talk?  Both of these urban thinkers lived lifestyles that coincided with their beliefs about cities. How does your lifestyle match up with your own beliefs? What are the benefits and consequences that come hand in hand with the location you live in? Leave us comments relating to your experiences!

First stop, the Stanley Hotel:

Red rum. RED RUM! The Stanley Hotel is a secluded resort nestled amongst the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Completed in 1909, the hotel has a rich paranormal history. Many guests claim they have heard strange piano playing in empty rooms, seen ghostly figures lurking in the halls, and fallen victim to unexplained thefts in the middle of the night. A hotel full of thieving ghosts is pretty spooky, and it also happens to be the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining.

What can the brave (or crazy) souls of the people that man this hotel through the winter expect for transportation costs? Let’s find out:

The Stanley Hotel is located in a rural area with killer transportation costs: $1,342 a month. Here’s Johnny!!! These costs are due to the area’s isolation—great for a murder spree, bad for your wallet. There are very few full-time residents in the area and a proportionally sparse set of businesses. It’s too desolate for transit and too impractical to break out the snowshoes to run errands, so people have to drive relatively long distances to get anywhere. Hence, the terrifying transportation fees.

Next up: The Amityville House

The Amityville House is an infamous landmark in recent American history. In 1974 Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his family in the quiet suburban house in Amityville, Long Island. He was arrested shortly thereafter, and the house was put up for sale. Less than 13 months later, the Lutzes, a young family of five, bought the house. They immediately started noticing bizarre occurrences. There were swarms of flies, despite it being the dead of winter. Furniture moved without any human touch. Images of victims burned in soot in the fireplace. Family members had realistic nightmares depicting what order the DeFeo murders took place. Windows were damaged with no explanation, and the Lutz children would sing strange songs. After 28 days, the Lutzes called it quits. Maybe their half-possessed children had something to do with that.

Would a person have to be possessed to pay the typical transportation costs in Amityville? The Amityville House is in a more suburban location compared to the rural Stanley Hotel. This shaves nearly $3,600 per year from the torturous travel costs at the Stanley Hotel. Amityville families benefit from the Long Island Rail Road and the Long Island Bus service that connect the city to other places in Long Island and Manhattan. The city also scores high on Walkscore, with an 88 out of 100. The score reflects the numerous businesses located in close proximity to where people live (and sometimes gorily die), making transportation to these places easily walkable.

The LaLaurie House

The LaLaurie House is a landmark of notorious stature in New Orleans. In 1832 the house was set on fire. Neighbors frantically rushed to save the mansion and its contents from destruction. When the smoke cleared, people found many slaves inside who had been shackled and allegedly abused. A public outcry against owner Madame LaLaurie erupted. She fled New Orleans, and eventually the country, to escape throngs of angry protestors.

Some say the ghosts of those abused people continue to haunt the mansion today. It is alleged that one can hear the cries of a young slave girl and the sound of shackles slowly dragging across the floor. Locals claim ghostly figures can be seen in the windows, even after the building is officially closed. Scary, right? Are those ghosts getting their revenge with hauntingly high travel costs for the region?

Not really. Residents of New Orleans don’t seem to be shackled to their cars at all. The city exhibits a unique non-grid design that dates back to its founding in 1718. This layout, along with the original narrow streets, makes transportation by car difficult. As the city developed, businesses were placed in close proximity to residential areas, making it easy and practical to run errands on foot.

Are transportation costs killing you? Would you rather encounter goblins and ghouls alone in the dark than face a trip to the gas station? What are you dressing up as for Halloween? Are you trick-or-treating by car or on foot? Broomstick or bicycle?

Transportation funding for highway and  transit programs are determined every five to six years at the federal level through a transportation authorization bill. The latest reauthorization of this bill is way overdue. Rather than make decisions about a new reauthorization, Congress has fallen into a pattern of extending the status quo again and again. Although there have been a few bills in Congress in the past months, the 535 legislators at the Capitol again fell short of passing a comprehensive bill. Instead, another extension was pushed through both the chambers, extending funds through March 2012.

John Mica, the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is the person to get a transportation reauthorization rolling since the whole process begins in his committee. Mica, who represents the Seventh District in Florida, has been in Congress for 18 years, but is relatively new to this post. Since taking the wheel in January 2011, he has taken steps to get the transportation reauthorization proposal moving. He introduced a proposal in July that would provide $230 billion over six years—about a 30 percent cut from current levels. Many were underwhelmed with this proposal, claiming that American infrastructure is crumbling and desperately needs more, not less investment. But Mica pointed out that he was bound by the House budget marks proposed by Paul Ryan (R-WI).

We decided to take a look at the transportation costs in Rep. Mica’s district to see if his constituents could benefit from increased investment in transit.

First up: Daytona Beach. This city is well known across the United States for the Daytona 500, Biketoberfest, and being one of the few ocean beaches in the world where driving a car is permitted. With an estimated eight million visitors a year, the city is a booming tourist hotspot. Are the residents of the home-town of NASCAR car-dependent?

Let’s take a look at what a typical household could expect in transportation costs per month:

Given the current average gas price of $3.35/gallon in the region, an average household could expect to spend $836/month on transportation costs. This number is relatively low in the region. Daytona Beach has a well-rounded bus system, Votran, that serves both residents and tourists efficiently. Votran serves the entire county, so residents can take buses to cities as far as Orlando. This option of transit is very inexpensive—only $40 for a monthly pass.

Furthermore, the city has a terrific grid system and compact development that facilitates walking, bike riding, and other forms of personal transportation. Walkscore gives the city a score of 95/100 in downtown areas near the beach, which makes it “extremely walkable.” The typically mild ocean climate further promotes people-powered forms of transportation.

The second city visited in Mica’s district is Orange City, Florida. The city is well known for its proximity to Blue Spring State Park, known for spectacular natural wildlife, including a large population of manatees.

Being much different in both design and population density, Orange City is has very different transportation costs compared to Daytona Beach.

Despite having the same gas prices as Daytona Beach, Orange City households can expect to pay more than $300 extra per month. Why is this city, which is less than 30 miles away from Daytona Beach, experiencing such high transportation costs?

Residents of Orange City have little public transportation options. A Votran bus line runs through the city center, yet it is primarily for inter-city transportation. This option doesn’t help residents who are looking to run local errands. Moreover, Orange City is given a shockingly low score [er1] of 0/100 by Walkscore, placing it in the “car-dependent” category. Local businesses are few and far between, making walking impractical. Given these two factors, Orange City residents are very car dependent. Cars with better fuel efficiency and practicing more fuel-efficient driving are two ways in which residents can expect to best lower transportation costs.

What they could really use is more transportation options.Investments in alternatives to driving, especially more comprehensive bus lines, could certainly aid in lowering transportation costs of households in both cities. Rep. Mica’s constituents would benefit from the household costs savings that increased investment in transportation infrastructure would bring.

Do either of these cities have similar costs to the ones in your area? What are some of the reasons for this? Are you tracking the Transportation Reauthorization Bill? What do you think about it?

Today these structures are museums rather than anyone’s home, but we were still curious to see what a typical family living there would pay for transportation. We at Abogo wouldn’t mind living in what must feel like a tree house. But what happens when we eventually have to step outside to work, shop, or meet up with friends? What kind of transportation costs would a typical family living in Fallingwater encounter?

The Fallingwater House, finished in 1937, is a revolutionary piece of organic architecture that integrates the structure of a man-made building with the brilliant resonance of its natural surroundings.

Architectural lore is that Wright designed the house in one sitting of less than three hours, which is remarkable given the international accreditation it has since received. Let’s take a look at the current monthly transportation costs a resident could expect.

Given an average gas price in the region of $3.50/gallon, transportation costs would average nearly $1,250/month. That’s more than a 20 percent increase in the cost in 2000.

This high monthly average is due to a number of factors, stemming from its location. The Fallingwater House was built as a rural weekend retreat, and to this day it remains in a very rural area. Stewart Township has a population density of only about 15 people per square mile and does not have public transit for the region. Walking and biking are certainly pleasant given the spectacular scenery; however, the nearest grocery store is over six miles away. Residents of Fallingwater and their neighbors may want to invest in fuel-efficient cars to keep transportation costs as low as possible.

The Robie House is a similarly revered work, completed by Wright in 1910. Located right next to the University of Chicago, it is a prime example of the Prairie Style of architecture. However, the building has faced the threat of demolition multiple times. One was so serious that a 90-year-old Wright visited the site to protest. Thankfully it is now a Chicago Landmark, which protects the building from demolition, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust maintains the building.

Let’s take a look at the transportation costs one could expect living in the Robie House.

Despite higher gas prices in Chicago, $794/month in transportation costs is markedly better than the cost of getting around if you lived in Fallingwater. The increase in transportation costs for Robie House over the past decade is a relatively modest 14 percent.

Chicago has a population density of 11,864 people per square mile, which provides both the resources and incentives for efficient public transit options. A 30-day pass on the CTA, which will take you anywhere in Chicago and even Evanston to the north, is only $86. Likewise, there are many businesses and amenities within a short distance, making walking and biking to destinations much more feasible. Having options other than the car makes average transportation costs less reliant on gas prices, keeping the average more stable over time.

What’s your favorite Frank Lloyd Wright home? Do you think transportation costs there are more similar to Fallingwater House or Robie House? Plug the address into Abogo and let us know what you find out!

According to Gas Buddy, average gas prices on Long Island are about $3.90/gallon. Using this price, we used Abogo’s gas slider to compute the transportation costs for an average household.

A typical household will spend around $886/month on transportation costs, which is not exceedingly bad.  Nonetheless, this is a 16 percent rise in costs from the average in 2000. There are some good opportunities for residents to lower their transportation costs. For commuters into New York City or other parts of Long Island, the Long Island Railroad runs frequently and to many destinations. Monthly passes range anywhere from $82-$284, depending on the destination.  The commute into New York City takes about an hour and half, while taking a car would take about an hour. Although there is a small discrepancy in commute times between the two options, taking the LIRR has the benefit of enabling passengers to catch up on some work, read a newspaper, or enjoy some down-time en route. Escaping rush hour traffic on those notorious Long Island expressways is an added advantage.

Buses connect Hempstead to neighboring cities on Long Island. The Rosa Park Hempstead Transit Center provides an indoor waiting area for days when waiting outside isn’t an option. Walk Score gives the village a rating of 78 out of100, which equates to “very walkable” using their criteria. Biking is another great way to cover short distances within the village. Another option to limit the impact of using a private car is a car-sharing program at Hofstra University.

After researching Hempstead, we’re curious to see how you or your family compares. Do you live in a similar city? How do gas prices affect your transportation? Are the alternatives to driving in your area feasible? What are some other suggestions for reducing transportation costs? If you happen to reside near Hempstead, we would love to hear how this compares to your experiences.

Today nearly 21 percent of Aurora commuters spend over 45 minutes each way driving to work, and only three percent of the population either walks or rides a bicycle to work. This adds up to high average transportation costs for the area. Given the current average gas price of the city, the typical cost of a family within the city limits will look similar to this:

$1029 per month adds up! The 18 percent increase since 2000 shows the effect that continuously rising gas prices have had on the region.

Luckily, there are many options that residents can use to reduce their monthly transportation costs. The PACE bus system runs in the city limits, making trips within the city accessible by public transit. For those 20 percent of residents that spend nearly 45 minutes per trip commuting there is the Metra rail system. The Metra rail lines connect outlying suburbs to Chicago. A trip from Aurora to Chicago will take about an hour; roughly the time it takes to drive.  A monthly pass for unlimited rides on the Metra system costs $152.55. For a mere $30 extra dollars residents can purchase an additional monthly pass for access to all PACE buses.

Aurora received WalkScore of 75, placing it in the “very walkable” category. This signifies an ideal environment for bike riders as well. The Fox River Bike Trail, a safe and scenic ride, runs through the city. There are online carpool communities such as eRideShare that make it easier for those looking to split gas costs with others.

After researching Aurora, we’re curious to see how you or your family compares. Do you live in a similar city in design or layout? How do gas prices affect your transportation? Are the alternatives to driving in your area feasible? What are some other suggestions for reducing transportation costs? If you happen to reside in Aurora—we would love to hear how this compares to your experiences.