DoAssignment.ca

C3.1 · Compare monetary, health, and environmental impacts of daily travel

Learn to compare monetary, health, and environmental impacts of daily travel through clear examples and targeted practice.

Ontario Grade 11 Mathematics

Transportation and Travel

A practical way to weigh travel costs, health, and the environment

A trip to school, work, or an appointment can affect your budget, your health, and the environment. These effects are called impacts. A travel choice that costs less may take more time or involve more physical activity. A choice that is convenient for one person may not be safe or possible for another. Comparing impacts means looking at the same trip in a fair way, then explaining the trade-offs. In this lesson, you will use everyday information, simple arithmetic, and sample estimates. The figures are examples, not promises about every route or community.

What you will learn

Compare daily travel choices using monetary, health, and environmental impacts.
Use clear assumptions and simple calculations to compare travel costs.
Explain why one travel choice may be better in one area but not another.

1. Set up a fair comparison

Start with a specific trip, such as travelling from home to a part-time job on five weekdays. Compare travel choices for that same trip. A fair comparison keeps the distance, number of travel days, and destination the same. If one option is available only on some days, say so.

A monetary impact is an effect on money. It can include fares, fuel, parking, or a pass. Include only costs that fit the comparison, and state what you leave out. For example, a car’s fuel cost is not its full ownership cost. Insurance and repairs may matter in a broader comparison, but a short exercise might compare only daily fuel and parking.

A health impact is an effect on a person’s physical or mental well-being. Walking or cycling can add physical activity. Travel can also involve concerns such as traffic safety, weather, stress, or exposure to vehicle exhaust. These effects depend on the person and the route; do not assume the same result for everyone.

An environmental impact is an effect on the natural environment. For daily travel, a useful comparison may use an estimate of greenhouse gas emissions or fuel use. Greenhouse gases are gases that contribute to warming when released into the air. Use the same source and units for all options. A sample estimate is not a direct measurement of every trip.

Compare the same trip and travel schedule.
State which costs and effects are included.
Separate measured facts from estimates and personal considerations.

2. Gather information and calculate costs

Look for useful information in fare listings, parking notices, route planners, or a travel log. A travel log records trips and costs over time. A calculator or spreadsheet can help with repeated addition and multiplication. For example, if a fare is CAD 3.25 each way and you make two trips on each of five workdays, multiply the one-way fare by two and then by five.

Check what a price covers. A transit pass may cover many trips, while a single fare is charged for each ride. A car trip may include parking as well as fuel. If fuel cost is supplied as a daily estimate, use it as given rather than pretending it is exact. If a cost is shared with other passengers, explain how you divided it.

A spreadsheet can make the comparison easy to review. Put each travel option in a separate row and use columns for trips per week, cost per trip or day, weekly cost, health notes, and environmental estimate. Label the units, such as CAD per day or estimated kilograms of greenhouse gas per trip. A total is useful only if its time period is clear.

Before choosing, check the arithmetic and the assumptions. Ask whether each amount covers the same number of travel days. Check whether a weekly total includes both the trip to the destination and the return trip. If a number is missing, mark it as unknown rather than guessing.

Use the same time period for each cost total.
Count return trips and travel days carefully.
Label units and identify estimates.

3. Compare health and environmental effects

Not every impact is a number. A short walk to a bus stop may add activity, while a long walk beside a busy road may raise safety or comfort concerns. A car may help someone who has mobility needs or must carry equipment. Record relevant details without judging a person’s needs.

Environmental estimates also need context. A trip in a car carrying several people may have a different impact per passenger than the same car carrying one person. A transit trip’s impact can depend on the service and how many people use it. Walking and cycling do not use fuel while travelling, but the route, safety, and access still matter. Do not claim that one option has zero total environmental impact unless the information actually supports that claim.

Make a comparison before making a recommendation. You might find that one option costs less, another offers more physical activity, and a third has a lower estimated travel emission. Explain which impacts matter most for the person making the choice. There may not be one best option for everyone.

Health and safety effects can differ between people and routes.
Environmental figures are estimates with limits.
A good comparison explains trade-offs instead of hiding them.

4. Make a supported decision

A clear decision uses evidence from all three areas: money, health, and the environment. State the comparison period and any important assumptions. Then identify the strongest advantage and concern for each option. If the information does not settle a question, say what more you would need to know.

For example, a person might choose a bus for a regular work trip because its weekly cost is predictable and its estimated emissions are lower than driving alone. That decision could change if the bus schedule does not fit the work shift or if accessibility needs are not met. A sound comparison respects practical limits as well as totals.

Keep conclusions proportional to the information. If the sample data show a lower estimate for one mode, say that it is lower in this comparison. Do not turn that result into a claim that it will always be lower on every route.

Use evidence from monetary, health, and environmental impacts.
Include practical needs and limits.
Make a conclusion that matches the information available.

Example comparison format

Travel choice	Weekly money	Health notes	Environmental information
Bus	Fare or pass	Walking to stops; access and schedule	Estimate and its units
Car	Fuel and parking estimate	Comfort, safety, and personal needs	Estimate and its units
Walk or cycle	Travel fare, if any	Physical activity; route safety	Record available information or note it is missing

Worked example

Example 1: A five-day work commute

Jordan travels to work five days each week. A bus fare is CAD 3.25 each way. A car’s fuel and parking are estimated together at CAD 11.50 per workday. For this comparison, the bus trip is estimated at 0.8 kg of greenhouse gas emissions each way, and the car trip at 4.2 kg each way. Compare the weekly costs and estimated emissions. Then note a health consideration.

Count the bus rides
Jordan makes a return trip on each workday, so there are two one-way bus rides per day. Multiply by five days to find the weekly number of rides.
$2 × 5 = 10$
Find the bus cost
Each ride costs CAD 3.25. Multiplying the fare by ten rides gives the weekly fare cost.
$3.25 × 10 = 32.50$
Find the car cost
The car estimate is already for one whole workday, including the return trip. Multiply CAD 11.50 by five workdays.
$11.50 × 5 = 57.50$
Compare estimated emissions
The bus estimate is for one way, so count two trips each day across five days. The car estimate is also for one way, so use the same trip count. These are estimates for the stated comparison, not exact measurements.
$0.8 × 10 = 8; 4.2 × 10 = 42$
Consider health
The bus may involve walking to and from stops, adding some activity. Jordan should also consider walking conditions, schedule, and personal needs. The figures provided do not measure health effects.

Answer: The bus costs CAD 32.50 per week, compared with an estimated CAD 57.50 for the car. The supplied emissions estimates total 8 kg for the bus and 42 kg for the car over the week. The bus costs less and has the lower estimate in this example. Walking to stops may add activity, but route safety and access also matter.

Check: The bus total covers ten one-way rides. The car total covers five workdays, each already including the return trip. The emissions totals both use ten one-way trips.

Worked example

Example 2: Choosing among three options

Sam’s workplace is a short, safe route from home. Sam travels five days per week. A weekly bus pass costs CAD 34. Driving costs an estimated CAD 8 per day for fuel and parking. Walking costs CAD 0 in travel fare. A local planning sheet estimates 0.6 kg of greenhouse gas emissions per bus trip each way and 3.0 kg per car trip each way. Walking has no travel-emissions estimate in this sheet. Compare the weekly monetary costs and the emissions estimates. Identify one health benefit and one limitation to check.

Calculate driving cost
The daily driving estimate includes both directions. Multiply it by the five travel days to get a weekly estimate.
$8 × 5 = 40$
Record all three money amounts
The bus pass already covers the week, so do not multiply it by the number of trips. Walking has no fare in the information given; this does not mean it has no possible costs, such as suitable shoes.
$\text{Bus: CAD }34; \text{car: CAD }40; \text{walk: CAD }0$
Calculate the bus estimate
The bus estimate is per one-way trip. Five return trips make ten one-way trips, so multiply the estimate by ten.
$0.6 × 10 = 6$
Calculate the car estimate
The car estimate is also per one-way trip. Use ten one-way trips for the same five-day schedule.
$3.0 × 10 = 30$
Interpret the comparison
Walking is likely to add physical activity on this short route. Sam should check that the route remains safe and suitable in different weather. The planning sheet gives no walking emissions figure, so report that as missing rather than treating it as a measured zero.

Answer: The weekly amounts are CAD 34 for the bus pass, an estimated CAD 40 for driving, and CAD 0 in travel fare for walking. The supplied estimates are 6 kg for bus travel and 30 kg for driving. No walking estimate is provided. Walking may add activity, but Sam should check route safety and conditions.

Check: The bus pass is counted once for the week. The bus and car emissions each use ten one-way trips. The missing walking estimate is not presented as a measured result.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Comparing a bus fare for one ride with a car cost for a full day.

Correction: Put both options on the same trip schedule and time period.

Treating an estimate as an exact measurement.

Correction: Label estimates clearly and use them only for the stated comparison.

Calling an option best based only on cost.

Correction: Also consider health, environmental information, safety, access, and practical needs.

Reporting missing environmental data as zero impact.

Correction: Write that no estimate was provided. Do not invent a value.

Lesson summary

Compare the same trip, travel days, and time period.
Calculate costs carefully and label estimates and units.
Consider health and environmental information alongside money.
Explain trade-offs and practical limits before recommending an option.

Check your understanding

Question 1

A return bus fare is CAD 2.80 each way for four workdays. What is the weekly fare total?

CAD 11.20
CAD 22.40
CAD 5.60
correctIndex туураIndex

Show answer and explanation

CAD 22.40

A return trip has two one-way fares each day, so there are eight fares. Eight times CAD 2.80 is CAD 22.40.

Question 2

A travel sheet gives an emissions estimate for a bus but none for walking. What is the fairest report?

Walking has exactly zero environmental impact.
Walking’s estimate is missing from this sheet.
Walking has the same emissions as the bus.
correctIndex

Show answer and explanation

Walking’s estimate is missing from this sheet.

Missing information is not a measured zero or a reason to copy another option’s value. State that no estimate was provided.

Question 3

Which health comparison is most careful?

Walking always improves health for every person.
Walking may add activity, while route safety and personal needs also matter.
Driving has no health effects.
correctIndex

Show answer and explanation

Walking may add activity, while route safety and personal needs also matter.

The careful answer notes a possible benefit without claiming it applies to everyone, and it considers route and personal needs.

Key terms

Impact: An effect or result of a travel choice.
Monetary: Related to money or cost.
Estimate: A useful approximate amount, not an exact measurement.
Greenhouse gas: A gas released into the air that contributes to warming.
Trade-off: A choice where an advantage in one area may come with a disadvantage in another.

Continue through MEL3E

View the complete Ontario Grade 11 Mathematics learning path

About this lesson

Published by DoAssignment. This AI-assisted lesson follows Ontario Grade 11 Mathematics (MEL3E), expectation C3.1. It is a study resource, not an official curriculum publication.

Official curriculum reference

Report a correction or ask a question