Right now, many New Yorkers who normally embrace, or merely tolerate mass transit are fantasizing about buying a car as our free movement has been curtailed by necessary social distancing and a shelter-in-place order. The long term investment could provide immediate mobility without fear of mass transit contamination now, but it could also provide liberation from the MTA’s abysmal service later. Either way: Freedom, freedom, freedom!

Well, good news — that freedom is already available to New Yorkers, through a taxi or rental car, for far cheaper than a private car’s monthly upkeep and for much better societal and environmental impacts.

It’s in our DNA here: New York City has always drawn people who cannot or will not drive for various reasons but are still able to have independent lives that are not car-dependent at all.

Between the subway, the busses, paratransit, bikes, rideshares and cabs, and the sheer walkability of the city, owning a personal vehicle should be a last resort for most able-bodied New Yorkers. The city, in turn, makes it punitively hard to own a car here, as it should be.

The average new-car price was $37,285 in 2019, according to Kelley Blue Book. That’s nearly 1,500 cab rides that cost $25 or less, so you could take 150 cab rides every year for nearly a decade for that amount of money. Last year, the average used-car price was about $20,000 according to Edmunds; again, that’s 800 cab rides. Don’t forget your car loses value every minute after you buy it, the definition of an unwise investment.

Car insurance rates vary by driver, of course. But let’s just say an adult female New Yorker over the age of 25 with a spotless driving record would still pay more than $130 a month for basic GEICO liability coverage for one driver. The annual emissions inspection test costs $27 — keep in mind you have to make an appointment and find a local garage to perform the inspection test. The registration every two years is $42.50.

Maintenance is a consideration. If you get new tires every three or four years, that’s at least $300. Various components will break down for unknown reasons. Headlights, air filters, wiper blades all add up. Oil changes are $75 for synthetic oil every six months — and no, you cannot change the oil yourself in New York City unless you have access to the proper disposal containers. Gas is currently around $2.20 a gallon, and in recent years there have been spikes up to as much as $4 a gallon, and that's if you can find a station at all. And if you don’t think you’re going to spend much money on gas, why do you need a car at all?

If the financial burden doesn’t sway you, consider the parking situation: street parking is free, but the tradeoff is the gas and the amount of time you will waste circling blocks looking for spots and dealing with alternate-side parking. Metered parking is limited to one or two hours. A monthly garage spot is around $400. And this is all just to keep your car in your home neighborhood. Once you get to your destination -- where are you going to park? How about a garage or lot that charges $31 an hour minimum? If you do opt for street parking, know that you will have damage to your vehicle, sometimes very expensive damage. A replacement bumper or door can cost more than $1,000.

Beyond the individual financial and time commitment, buying a car sends a signal that yet another person is opting out of the great New York City experiment that showed mass transit can thrive in America. What version of New York City do we want to come back to after we finally emerge from the pandemic: a city that’s obsessed with car culture, or a better community that’s committed to safe streets and the best mass transit available?