A new study on poverty rates in the city [PDF] reveals some information that every New Yorker already knows: taking a cab to work is the most expensive way to get there. Just 1% of the 4.3 million New Yorkers who commute take a cab to work, while most opt for the subway, and about 10% are able to walk. Traffic consultant Samuel I. Schwartz told the Times, “This reminds me of the traffic engineer’s joke about New York City. ‘Shall we walk or do we have time to take a taxi?’ Those who can afford to commute by taxi probably have the luxury of time on their side.” Hilarious. So what else does the study say about the city's commuting patterns?

Taking a cab to work could cost you twice as much per year than taking a commuter rail line, $4,704 compared to $2,163. Taking your own car or motorcycle could cost you around $1,500 in gas a year, not including the cost (and trouble) of parking. About half of commuters take the some form of public transportation, which the city estimates costing $965 a year. Walking, biking and the luxury of commuting from home are all free. With all the options, New York Metropolitan Transportation Council spokesman Lisa Daglin said, “Deciding how to get to work shouldn’t be a job in itself."

Just 0.2% of New Yorkers decide to bike to work, though that is a 33% increase from two years earlier. The same percentage also take the ferry, and 0.4% use "other method" (probably those who would be caught dead in a Pedicab). After trudging through all the commuting data, the study finally concludes, "As expected, poverty rates without work-related expenses are lower."