Stats that show the Atlanta Streetcar was a complete and utter failure of epic proportion (stores, rail)

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by Pemgin

Such a simple concept to understand, isn't it? And yet, they don't.....

It is simple, yes. But, it's a premise. Only time will tell whether it is true. I sure hope it is true, but folks cannot get upset that someone doesn't draw the same conclusion from a premise.

[0nyxStation]

Was at the Sweet Auburn Fest today, I have to say the trolley was convenient, but I only paid once after I noticed others getting on with out paying. Tons of people ride for free. i know the trolley doesn't make profit, there was opportunity today. They need a better system to get paid or document payment.

[fourthwarden]

Once the system is a bit better built out, they really should just integrate it into the MARTA setup of the Breeze Cards. That is, a MARTA trips also pays for streetcar /light rial trips, and vice versa.

In the mean time, we're getting a pay app that should help, and an increase in fare monitoring with enforced fees would go a bit further to helping it.

[jsvh]

That is also a key reason for the lower ridership counts. They are only counting paying customers.

The streetcar has had solid crowds on when I have seen it.

[krogerDisco]

Originally Posted by jsvh

That is also a key reason for the lower ridership counts. They are only counting paying customers.

The streetcar has had solid crowds on when I have seen it.

So counting only fare paying riders is an unrealistic and inaccurate measure?

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

So counting only fare paying riders is an unrealistic and inaccurate measure?

Only if you compare it against previous counts when no fare was charged.

If you make the reverse comparison, you get headlines like this: Atlanta Streetcar ridership exceeds estimates made when a trip was to cost $1 - SaportaReport

[alco89]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

So counting only fare paying riders is an unrealistic and inaccurate measure?

He didn't necessarily say that, but there have been posts saying that a good amount of people don't pay when they get on. Don't you think that would make a difference in the numbers?

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Do you the data to backup your statement?

See other thread about the utter failure of the streetcar.

[transit4lifeyo]

Originally Posted by DirkMcGirt

What does GDOT have to do with anything? Citing something else that is broken and suboptimal, doesn't justify something else being broken as well. What awful logic!

You can vote for it. When is that vote planned? Oh wait... it isn't. With every day that goes by with the streetcar's low, free ridership and mounting expenses, public support continues to wane.

So again... there is no funding identified for an expansion. Right now any expansion is years away, and the streetcar starts to smell more and more like MARTA with the homeless ridership problem. Great planning... but then again, I'm sure Kasim has hired the right people to manage and lead the streetcar

This was a great post too.

[krogerDisco]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Only if you compare it against previous counts when no fare was charged.

If you make the reverse comparison, you get headlines like this: Atlanta Streetcar ridership exceeds estimates made when a trip was to cost $1 - SaportaReport

But with no fare, you can get the homeless to pile in. Charging a fare and making it close to self-sustaining is what it's all about. People willing to pay to ride it would demonstrate its value. Latest figures show that it only recovers about 10% of its cost. It qualifies as a failure. It's just for show. A better route should have been chosen.