Posted on 06/04/2015 7:31:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Though many public transit systems across the U.S. have increased fares in recent years, chances are your local transit system still isn’t breaking even on your ride: According to a Hamilton Project (THP) post, of the more than 1,800 mass transit systems in the United States—including those running trains, buses, or other transport modes—only about two percent reported that fare revenue exceeded operating expenses in 2013.
And when it comes to metro rail systems across the U.S.—which include heavy rail, such as subways and elevated trains, and light rail, which operates at street level—all U.S. systems reported operating at a loss.
So just how much money are they losing? In general, average losses per trip are smaller for larger metro systems. For instance, riders in the five largest systems—New York, Washington, DC, Boston, Chicago, and the San Francisco Bay Area—pay about a dollar less than the actual cost of each trip. But when it comes to the smaller systems in cities like Seattle, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, riders end up paying approximately four dollars less than the cost of each trip.
Overall, these 10 metro rail systems are losing the most money per passenger ride:
10. Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFT Metro), NY Average loss per passenger ride: $2.83
9. Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), MD Average loss per passenger ride: $2.90
8. San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI), CA Average loss per passenger ride: $3.13
7. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), OH Average loss per passenger ride: $3.23
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
After the fiasco with the MBTA this winter, Charlie Baker has cleaned house and is reorganizing that hack haven from the top down.
Yup. We actually have a rather nice light rail system, but a lot of people quit riding it because the cars are always packed like sardines. Because they don’t have the money to schedule more trips. Because more than half of what they have is going out the door to pay for pensions and retiree health care.
If public transit won’t work in Pittsburgh it won’t work anywhere. Downtown is very small and compact, hemmed into a triangle. As a result parking is scarce and very expensive.
Unless I miss my guess, the Tide (Hampton Roads Transit Authority light train) got started with Fed money. It is essentially a federally subsidized way for The Entitled to get to malls to ruin them. Virginia Beach thus far has adamantly refused to spend their taxpayers’ $$ to extend the rail to the oceanfront. That is a wise move on their part.
IIRC, one of Scott Walker’s first acts as Wisconsin’s governor was to turn down $800M in federal light rail funding for a route between Milwaukee and Madison. The Democrats said it was stupid to turn down “free money”. Walker felt the light rail system would quickly start to suck up state funds, so the federal $800M went elsewhere (California ?).
No, it is not surprising that SF is so expensive. Union benefits and pension plans are factored into the cost of running that thing. And if you factor in the cost of living in SF and average everybody out, SF would be lower cost.
Walker did good there. The buses going between Milwaukee and Madison are half full at best. And, they could get most of the benefits of this by re-routing the Amtrak line to Madison and doing upgrades on the WSOR trackage from Watertown to Portage (including Madison) to allow standard passenger rail using existing Amtrak stock. But the numbers right now do not support this, given other transportation priorities in this state. Between Madison and Minneapolis it is not worth it, nor will it ever be.
The money used to operate these boondoggles goes into somebody’s pocket.
I’m shocked that Houston is not on the list.
Do you think the Chunnel between downtown & the North side might have a bit to do w/ the high cost?
Can’t they just make up the losses by increasing volume?
Seattle use to not charge anything for mass transit during daylight hours. Well, wait, they charged the taxpayers with the cost.
Dont worry they will make it up in volume!
http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2012/02/worst-american-rail-project-ever.html
NM Bill “Big Budget” Richardson’s train is a $30,000 per passenger per year subsidy.
$30,000 / 365 days / 2 rides per passenger = $41.09 per ride.
Don’t worry. As soon as Milwaukeestan, WI gets it’s trolley system, they’ll easily lose $15 per customer all day long and will give all other forms of transportation a run for their money!
Of course, we SHOULD be curtailing the rampant black on black gun violence in our Gang War Zone, but that’s too ‘nuanced’ a problem for Mayor Barrett!
*Rolleyes*
You are correct. He didn’t take any 0bamacare bribe money, either. Love My Gov. :)
Years ago San Jose built ‘light rail’ around the valley.
We are #2 on the list.
During rush hour the trains are never more than 1/2 full.
Off peak you can sometimes see a train go by with NO ONE on board.
Its a gold plated turd from the start.
Its nickname is “the shame train’.
Oh, 70% vote democrat, every election.
Amen , Bro. Light Rail in SillyCon Valley is just that. light on ridership.
but they have free wifi.
and more H1B visa holders than any other line running. ;-}
and AMTRAK is their daddy
They did a study years ago on our bus system (PB County) and found that on some routes, they could have hired private limousines to transport passengers and it would have been cheaper. Eventually they got smart and now they at least use transport vans instead of full sized buses on these low traffic routes.
Maybe in a place like NYC, but in most places mass transit makes it harder for auto's. In some cities the empty buses slow down traffic and get in the way. In Houston the train tracks were built ON roads, that does not relieve congestion.
Austin TX wants to build a train that will go a few miles into downtown at an exorbitant cost. Who benefits? It will most likely be built on a road. Why should taxpayers pay out the nose for the few hundred people who would ride this train?
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