More public transportation could mean more area jobs, that's according to a new study.

Eau Claire Transit says more chances to get around town could be better for businesses and employees but the Chamber of Commerce says it's not sure if the benefits outweigh the costs brought up by the study.

Eau Claire Transit says jumping on a bus in Eau Claire can help people get around town on the cheap.

"If you ride public transportation here in Eau Claire for a month it's $45, unlimited. How much do you spend on a tank of gas, probably about the same, so you're already saving some money there," says Eau Claire Transit Manager Mike Branco.

A new study looked at 20 metropolitan areas across the country. Big cities like Los Angeles and Atlanta and smaller communities, one of which was Eau Claire. The study was done by the Transportation Equity Network. It says Eau Claire could see 1,600 new jobs if transportation was expanded but that's by taking 50-percent of the money being invested into area highways.

President of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce Bob McCoy says it could help get more people to work but he's not sure it will be good for businesses.

“I don’t know that putting more money into public transportation creates more new jobs, a few bus drivers obviously, but we don’t have companies telling us they can’t get any workers because there is no public transportation,” says McCoy.

Branco says the study is a good start but more needs to be looked at and there are other options to expand transit besides taking money from roads.

“When we look at transit related funding for it in Eau Claire right now is not the 50-50 funding that was in that report, although that would be nice, we really need to be looking at transit as more of an investment,” says Branco.

The groups used data from Transportation Improvement Programs, or TIP’s, from all 20 of the communities to put the study together. The study says Eau Claire spends about 26-percent of TIP money on transit.