Another Rail Runner Record (NM-Free rides on Richardson's Railroad)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | January 5, 2009 | Journal Staff Report

[CedarDave]

Another week, another record broken.

The Rail Runner gave more than 12,000 people a lift Saturday, breaking the single day ridership records for the second time in two weeks, Mid-Region Council of Governments spokeswoman Augusta Meyers said Sunday. MRCOG operates the Rail Runner.

But the record-setting days ought to be over by today, Rail Runner officials have said, now that trains won't offer any more free rides.

[CedarDave]

Rides have been free on weekends beginning the weekend before Christmas. Christmas week saw over 30,000 free riders. Cost of the fare is now $6.00 one-way and $8.00 round-trip for the 60-mile trip to Santa Fe. However until April, the fare for Santa Fe residents is free.

Farebox recovery is estimated at a ridiculously low 10% of O&M costs. Taxpayers will make up the rest with a local transit tax which was approved last November (Obama won the area leading me to believe it might have otherwise failed).

[IYAS9YAS]

(Obama won the area leading me to believe it might have otherwise failed).

I think every new tax that was on the ballots passed in both Sandoval and Bernalillo Counties.

[CedarDave]

PING to the New Mexico list. (Freepmail greyfoxx39 to be added or removed from the list)

Click on keywords Richardson's Railroad or Rail Runner to see the history of this boondoggle.

[Pistolshot]

Employees for Los Alamos Labs that live in Albuquerque will no longer get milage for traveling. They do get a RR pass and transport to Los Alamos from Santa Fe instead.

The Feds pay less money on passes, than on milage. Guaranteed income.

[CedarDave]

There is a connection between the current Richardson grand jury investigation and this project. From the ABQ Journal (will put up a thread later):

CDR Financial Products LLC of Beverly Hills was paid $1.4 million from work it did on behalf of the New Mexico Finance Authority, which issued GRIP transportation bonds.

David Rubin, the company's principal owner, made at least $100,000 in contributions to Richardson-backed political committees about the time the firm got the work with the finance authority.

Two substantial contributions were three months apart and generally coincided with the separate awards to CDR — one of them a no-bid, sole-source deal.

Pay To Play Inquiry Derails Cabinet Post

GRIP is the acronym for "Governor Richardson's Investment Partnership" which were the monies that paid for the Rail Runner's construction.

[Santa Fe_Conservative]

Tragically all the tax-raising measures were approved by my fellow voters...the fools.

[greyfoxx39]

Tragically all the tax-raising measures were approved by my fellow voters...the fools.

Did the margin by which they passed equal the number of new voters registered by ACORN?