Metro Detroit drivers spend over $20 billion a year on our private transportation system – just to own and operate cars.
(According to SEMCOG, the 3.5 million people of the tri-county area drove 39.6 billion miles last year. According to the IRS, the average cost of driving is currently $0.585 per mile, including the costs of gas, lease payments / depreciation, insurances, registration, tires, repairs, etc – but not including parking. So those 39.6 billion miles cost us $23 billion.)
Some people feel that the IRS rate does not take into account the full costs of driving, such as accidents, congestion delays, "free" parking, pollution impacts, etc. A group called Commute Solutions estimates the real cost as $1.36 per mile – or $53.8 billion a year for tri-county drivers.