Originally Posted by
noglider
If you have a trip to take -- outside of commuting -- which could be done easily in a car or on a bike (or on foot), there is no economic reason in favor of driving the car. Adding miles does not yield more money. So whatever the marginal cost of a mile is in a car, you save that much money by not driving it.
True, if the alternative is an inexpensive day trip on a bicycle or foot. Bicycle and walking trips that would turn a day trip into one requiring overnight lodging throws the economics into a tailspin. Even more realistically, trips beyond the range of practical foot or bicycle travel may be cheaper by alternate means such as mass transit ONLY if those alternatives are available and meet the requirements of the traveler for time, convenience, comfort and safety.