Amid Rising Costs, Public Transit Delivers Savings for Minnesotans

With daily life getting more and more expensive by the day, Callie M. has been able to rely on one cost staying affordable. For the Saint Paul resident, transportation is one area of her budget she doesn’t have to worry about.

“The cost of food and rent is so high,” she says. “The cost of everything is getting excessive—it’s not just groceries. It’s going out with friends and everything in between. Thankfully, at least transit fares are stable in pricing.”

In Minnesota and across the country, people are facing increased expenses that are straining household budgets. From the soaring price at the pump to rising healthcare premiums, more and more Twin Cities residents are struggling to make ends meet. Just last week, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce released a new poll finding that 47% of Minnesotans say their personal finances have gotten worse over the past year, rising to 53% of lower-income Minnesotans. When asked to choose up to three economic priorities for state leaders, increasing affordability was the top choice for more than half of residents, with an even higher proportion of low-income residents, young adults, and women wanting more attention paid to cost of living.

And one of the top expenses for most Minnesotans? Transportation.  

That was true for Jenny H., a graduate student in Minneapolis. According to AAA, the annual average cost of owning and maintaining a car reached $11,577. For Jenny, that was just too expensive. In November, she sold her car to free up resources to meet the rising costs in the rest of her daily life.  

The potential savings are significant: using public transit is 95% cheaper than owning a car. 

“The money that I save from not having to have a car goes to groceries, taking care of my cats, and not cutting back on things I love doing,” she says. “I can actually enjoy daily rituals like getting a cup of coffee and not having to do the mental gymnastics on how it fits into my budget.”

Thanks to public transit, Callie and Jenny have been able to manage increased costs while maintaining their quality of life. They both take transit to work and use it to meet up with friends. They still go out and enjoy events without the hassle and expense of parking.  

“I have more money to go do fun things with friends because I don’t have to worry about the bills associated with having a car,” Callie says. “It allows me so much more flexibility in my life.” 

That flexibility is thanks, in part, from critical recent investments in public transit. In 2023, following a long-term advocacy push from Move Minnesota and allies, Minnesota made history by passing the most ambitious transportation bill in the United States and securing long-term funding for public transit in the Twin Cities. And, in the past two years, Metro Transit has continued to build out an expanded Bus Rapid Transit Network, which provides people with faster, more frequent service. In fact, both Jenny and Callie now regularly use the METRO E Line, a new BRT route that opened in December 2025.

Whether you take transit occasionally or all the time, riding the bus and train is a great way to save money and get where you need to go. But decades of disinvestment and sprawling urban development have ingrained driving as the primary way people get around in the Twin Cities. According to a 2025 Move Minnesota poll, while driving is still the most common way of getting around, 63% agree it’s expensive to own a car and rely on their vehicle because of habit, convenience, reliability, and travel time. At the same time, 62% of respondents acknowledge that “public transit near me is affordable.” 

With cost of living skyrocketing, Callie and Jenny have both noticed more friends and family considering different transportation options. For Jenny, more of her friends have started taking transit to go to events in downtown Minneapolis to avoid paying for parking. 

“I’m starting to see friends, and everyone in my life, weigh the costs of having a car or taking transit, when it comes to their budget,” Callie says. 

Our 2025 survey clearly demonstrated that residents value public transit that is affordable and accessible to everyone in the region, regardless of their background, race, or economic status. More than 80% of Twin Cities residents agreed that public transit is essential to saving families money, improving access to resources, reducing traffic on our streets, and protecting our collective health. But for nearly 6 in 10 residents, convenience remains the top factor in determining how they get around. 

That’s why Move Minnesota continues to push for essential investments at the state legislature to build out high-quality transit. Right now it seems cuts and new funding are both still on the table as leaders head into the final negotiations of this session at the State Capitol. But as our daily lives get more expensive, investments in a public service that connects us and makes our lives more affordable should be common sense. 

For both Jenny and Callie, expanded BRT service is top of their priority list. 

“I love the E Line,” Jenny says, “and I wish we had rapid service in more parts of the city.” 

“We need more Bus Rapid Transit,” Callie says. “It’s been a dream.” 

Callie, for one, has found ways to share her experiences when conversation turns to frustrations about affordability. “I’ve definitely been encouraging people to take transit more,” she says. 

Now is the time to have more of those conversations and share resources to get new folks on board with public transit! In these tough economic times, public transit remains one of the most affordable ways of getting around. And as part of our No Car, No Problem campaign, Move Minnesota created a one-stop shop that gives people in the Twin Cities metro all the resources and information they need to explore local transit choices that are cost-friendly and ready to use. Check it out and pass it on to help someone you know bus, bike, walk, or roll!