BUFFALO, N.Y. — How much time does it take to get you to work? If you drive, how much longer would it take without your car? A new study by Goodwill of Western New York said it could cost you not only time, but money, too.

“I think it's just important to be connected to the place that you live and getting around is just such a key part,” said Sinclair McGuffin, an outreach specialist at Go Buffalo Niagara.

For McGuffin, getting from point A to point B is sometimes easier said than done.

“I was raised on the east side, but often I didn't get a chance to discover other parts of my city just because I didn't have accessible transportation there,” she said.

Getting a car wasn’t in the cards.

“I don't really enjoy it," she added. "And then we also just couldn't afford a car that wasn't breaking down on us every eight to 10 months.”

To this day, everything is a calculation, whether transit by bike, bus, or anything else.

“It takes a lot of looking at my schedule ahead of time,” McGuffin said. "The risk reward ratio has to be right.”

That includes for work.

“I do remember [...] going, 'Oh, it's good, but it's just too far away,' " she said. "There's no way that I'm going to be able to do this on a normal day without a vehicle.”

While her job now offers flexibility, those who don’t have options could face issues.

“If I am late to my shifts, I get in trouble. If I get in trouble, I get written up. If I get written up, I might get fired and that I no longer can take care of my family,” McGuffin said

That’s the reality facing thousands.

“Every single year we survey our membership," said Josh Veronica, director of public affairs at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. "Every single year, one of the top concerns that they raise is transportation. Workers need reliable ways to get to work.”

According to the Goodwill study, those without cars make about $24,000 less per year and are six times more likely to live in poverty, a transportation gap that also cuts off access for employers to potentially get top candidates.

Assemblymember Jon Rivera is pushing to pass a bill that would allow any employer to let workers to use pre-tax dollars for transportation, whether transit passes, bike repairs, rideshares, or more.

“For individuals to be able to put aside money for the increasing cost of transportation pre-tax is just one of many tools in our toolchest that we’re going to use to [...] minimize this gap,” Rivera said.

McGuffin's work at Go Buffalo Niagara involves sharing incentives and programs with employers. She says transportation isn’t all or nothing on any one method.

"Usually, when I do commuter consults with people - and these are people that know they want to try a sustainable commute - we really try to aim for like one or two days a week,” she said.

Her work aims to make a culture shift. Any benefits, like those pre-tax offerings, help because it’s all about finding what’s best for you.

“Do you feel like you kind of perfected your commute?" asked Spectrum News 1 Buffalo.

"Oh, not at all. Not at all," McGuffin replied. "But I am very curious to keep trying until it is.”

Rivera's proposed bill remains in committee.