Turmoil in the middle east has led to significantly higher gas prices, transit riders, however, can take comfort. According to the American Public Transportation Association: as U.S. gas prices have increased 28 cents a gallon in the last 10 days to $3.47 per gallon, people who take public transportation — buses or commuter rail — save $825 per month on average.

So the next time someone suggests you hop into a car , just remind yourself of the significant savings in your bank account.

In its calculations, the study also included the average price of $161.56 people spend on an unreserved parking space in most business districts downtown.

With political uncertainty in Libya unlikely to end anytime soon (and gas prices only likely to rise further), the study finds that individuals would save an average $9,904 each year moving forward. APTA added, “this is the highest savings for public transit riders in two years.”

Commuters who rely on public transportation in New York City save about $14,376 a year over a driver, followed by those in Boston, San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle.

Makes us really glad we don’t own a car. Can you imagine what you could do with over thousands of dollars in savings each year?

Here’s APTA’s top 10 list of cities for transit savings (this includes cost of local gas prices, monthly transit passes, and local monthly unreserved parking):

1. New York City — $14,376 (annual savings)
2. Boston — $13,188
3. San Francisco — $13,055
4. Chicago — $11,889
5. Seattle — $11,682
6. Philadelphia — $11,487
7. Honolulu — $11,181
8. Los Angeles — $10,725
9. Minneapolis — $10,510
10. San Diego — $10,396