Quote:
Originally Posted by electricron
Some simple math: $28.9 Million/7,000 customers = $4,128.57 per customer each year. Let's take the ridiculous position that each para-transit rider needs a ride twice a day every day of the year.
More simple math: $4,128.57/customer/730 customer trips = $5.65 per trip (that's as low as I can honestly make this figure).
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How many regular riders does MetroRail have? 500 or so, if that? $6.4 million divided by 500 riders comes out to $12,800 per customer. Even if ridership wrere to grow closer to what CapMetro was predicting, that would be at least 50% more per customer than paratransit.
Cutting what is often the only means of mobility for the disadvantaged to pay for a poorly-planned commuter rail line is not my idea of how CapMetro needs to be fixed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by electricron
Sure, the Metrorail project is now stated to have used $140 Million of CapMetro's reserve. But I suggest much more than $140 Million has been wasted so that one third of its bus riders can ride FREE.
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The sets of people who get to ride it for free are more likely to be reliant on it, and to have less money -- and in the case of seniors, this comes after a lifetime of paying taxes into the system. I don't mind paying extra to give them a break.
Could/should fares be raised to levels comparable to other cities, and/or the reduced/free fare benefits be means-tested? Probably, but even at 15% fare recovery you're still heavily affected by fluctuations in tax revenue, and the more you raise the fares the more people who have a choice just go back to their cars (especially if they can pollute and park for FREE).