Quote:
Originally Posted by PLANSIT
I’m not even sure what you’re trying say/prove.
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Actually, I was just making a couple of observations.
It's not that I didn't already know that the population had gone up while transit ridership had gone down, I just hadn't connected the two before. To connect the dots and answer my own questions; if transit ridership had merely gone up with the rate of population growth it would have risen by 15% to 20%. By deduction, since it's down 5% it has performed 20% to 25% worse than what would have been logically expected. That's quite a gap.
Obviously I've beat the drum for how RTD needs to get a better bang for it's buck and the above numbers elucidate how poorly its return is.
RTD could improve the service?
They've done that by opening 5 new light and commuter rail corridors over the last 7 years. To be fair, the G Line only recently opened and the B Line doesn't amount to much.
They could ask the voters for more 'operating' money?
IIRC,
bunt said he wouldn't vote for giving RTD more money unless... and I suspect most voters would agree with him?
They could right-size the quantity of service offered to better fit the demand?
Yes, this seems to be about the only near-term fix that I can think of. It would also be nice if RTD could figure out what riders want and would flock to.