You can save $8,670 by riding trains and buses — if you give up your car altogether.

That’s the word from the American Public Transportation Association with its Transit Savings Report.

They reach the conclusion based on the average national gas price and the average cost for monthly parking against the purchase of a monthly train or bus pass.

New York figures as the second biggest city for savings; they amount to $1,045 a month, or $12,541, according to the report. Only Boston is (slightly) higher.

Here’s the body of the group’s press release:

Public Transit Saves an Individual Over $8,600 Annually – As Cost of Car Ownership Increases

WASHINGTON, DC – Riding public transportation and living with one less car in a household can save an individual $8,670 a year based on the April 8, 2009 national average gas price and the unreserved monthly parking rate.

Gas prices are up 10 cents this month, compared to last month.  However, new 2009 AAA data reports that due to the increase of car ownership costs the amount an individual can save by taking public transportation has increased more than an additional $100 each year.

The Transit Savings Report, released monthly by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) examines how much individuals can save annually by taking public transportation rather than driving.  In these uncertain economic times, taking public transportation is one way to immediately start saving money.

APTA’s Transit Savings Report calculates this month’s savings for public transit users at $723.  This is based on the cost of parking and the April 8 gas price of $2.047 as reported by AAA.

Regarding parking costs, the national average for the monthly unreserved parking rate in a city’s downtown business district is $143, according to the 2008 Colliers International Parking Rate Study.  Over the course of a year, parking costs alone can amount to an average of $1,720.

The Department of Motor Vehicles in West Haverstraw is open for business — a month after it was shut down for mold removal.

Local residents have been forced to travel to Orange and Westchester counties for service.
In the past week, both County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef and County Clerk Paul Piperato offered the state DMV use of county office space to house a temporary site until the problem was corrected.

The Rockland office has been shut down since March 9. It was initially expected to reopen after a few days, but the mold problem was found to be worse than first thought.

Coach USA Shortline is proposing to raise one-way full fares on its bus service in Rockland.

Commuters who buy discounted tickets will not be affected.

Under the plan, the one-way full fare from Exit 14 park-and-ride lots in Nanuet to Manhattan would go up 25 cents, to $8 from $7.75, and fares will rise 35 cents from $11.40 to $11.75 from Suffern to Manhattan.

In a letter to the county Department of Public Transportation, Coach USA said the fare increase is to encourage riders to purchase 10- and 40-trip ticket books, which are cheaper.

The new fares would take effect on May 3.

The public comment period is now through April 15. Comment can be made by writing to Coach USA/Hudson Transit Lines at 4 Leisure Lane, Mahwah, N.J. 07430, or by calling 800-631-8405, or by email to shortline@coachusa.com.

All lanes are open on the Tappan Zee Bridge, as of 1:15 p.m.

As of 12:55 p.m., two left Westchester-bound lanes on the Tappan Zee Bridge have re-opened.

Thruway crews are cleaning up three-quarter inch blue stone that fell from a dump truck at 11:44 a.m., state Thruway Authority spokeswoman Betsy Graham said.

The incident occurred near milepost 14.2, on the bridge’s causeway.

Judging by the Thruway’s traffic cams, traffic approaching the bridge appears to be moving, albeit slowly.

Traffic is backed up to Exit 12 in West Nyack.

The details are still coming in, but here’s what we know…

Three Westchester-bound lanes on the Tappan Zee Bridge are closed as of 12:20 p.m. due to debris on the road.

Traffic is squeezing into the far left lane, the state Thruway Authority says.

A dump truck lost “stones,” possibly gravel, around noon at milepost 15 on the bridge.

No word yet when the lanes will reopen.

The Thruway Authority has just issued an alert stating the left and center lanes are blocked.

That doesn’t match with what they’re saying in Albany. Will find out and update.

HAVERSTRAW — New York Water Taxi will suspend commuter ferry service from Rockland and lower Manhattan on May 1.

The two-year pilot program, which never attracted enough riders, has run out of money, both ferry and Rockland officials said.

“We have made tremendous efforts to secure operating funds to sustain and grow this service, but to date, have been unable to secure additional funding,” Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef said in a statement.