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Port Authority of Allegheny County spends twice as much to run a T car than a bus, yet fares from the light-rail system netted just 2 percent of the authority's total budget in 2006, federal data shows.
The 25-mile T system opened in 1984 at a price of $937 million and the goal of bringing rail service into Downtown. The light-rail line awkwardly serves only communities in the southern and western suburbs and does not extend north or east, where most of the authority's riders live.
Bus revenue topped $56 million in 2006, while the T generated $6.5 million -- enough to pay just 2 percent of the agency's total expenses, according to federal transit data.
So they spent $937,000,000 on to build a rail system that generates $6,500,000 a year GROSS? At that rate, it would take 150 years to pay for it even if operating it was free, but I guess its ok since it was taxpayer funded!! (anyone who does investments would understand that this is a negative $100+Million a year loss and might find it interesting that they just spent hundreds of millions more to expand the system a few more miles.
Port Authority of Allegheny County spends twice as much to run a T car than a bus, yet fares from the light-rail system netted just 2 percent of the authority's total budget in 2006, federal data shows.
The 25-mile T system opened in 1984 at a price of $937 million and the goal of bringing rail service into Downtown. The light-rail line awkwardly serves only communities in the southern and western suburbs and does not extend north or east, where most of the authority's riders live.
Bus revenue topped $56 million in 2006, while the T generated $6.5 million -- enough to pay just 2 percent of the agency's total expenses, according to federal transit data.
So they spent $937,000,000 on to build a rail system that generates $6,500,000 a year GROSS? At that rate, it would take 150 years to pay for it even if operating it was free, but I guess its ok since it was taxpayer funded!!
How much money does your local highway or roadway make? Does it cover capital expenses? Does it cover operating costs? How about the local post office? The police force? Fire service?
Rail transit is a public service. It is not a private business.
you guys ALWAYS seem to forget that your roads are HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED.
your airplanes and airlines are HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED.
what makes railroads and "light rail" (pretty much bringing back the street cars - and most every city in the country seemed to have those, even dinky little Knoxville, Tenn. - that the auto industry destroyed 50 years ago) such a dirty, dirty word?
What are you people talking about? It's not an anti-public-transit post. It's an anti-rail-because-buses-are-superior post.
Light rail is stupid on such an immense level. Liberals always seem to fall in love with the most expensive project.
It can't pay for itself and once the rail is there, it's there for good (relatively speaking). However, buses can change routes and frequency. They can be repaired by nearly any mechanic. (Their power cords don't ice up like light rail does.) They flow with traffic (rather than interrupting it). Their fuel systems can be changed relatively easily to adapt them to new, more eco-friendly fuels.
What are you people talking about? It's not an anti-public-transit post. It's an anti-rail-because-buses-are-superior post.
Light rail is stupid on such an immense level. Liberals always seem to fall in love with the most expensive project.
It can't pay for itself and once the rail is there, it's there for good (relatively speaking). However, buses can change routes and frequency. They can be repaired by nearly any mechanic. (Their power cords don't ice up like light rail does.) They flow with traffic (rather than interrupting it). Their fuel systems can be changed relatively easily to adapt them to new, more eco-friendly fuels.
Light rail is just stupid on so many levels.
I tend to agree with everything except..."Liberals always seem to fall in love with the most expensive project." Nothing to back that up at all. I didn't know this was ideologically divided. My city is very conservative and has a light rail system. Unfortunately, I am just now remembering a current very expensive war that liberals wanted no part of...
Plenty of liberals voting yea...Reid, Kerry, Clinton...
Well, I didn't know liberals were limited to elected liars. I was talking about the millions of citizens out there. The liberals I know didn't support this three trillion dollar debacle, thus undermining your contention. But, again, why is ideology even in this thread? Plenty of boondoggle municipal projects have been backed by conservatives.
How much money does your local highway or roadway make? Does it cover capital expenses? Does it cover operating costs? How about the local post office? The police force? Fire service?
Rail transit is a public service. It is not a private business.
Here is where your posting is wrong.
Roadways and highways are covered with taxes placed upon the individuals that use them.. (gasoline tax, sales taxes on autos etc), and the post office gets nothing from the taxpayers, they are now an independent corporation owned by the government.
And, since the rail service can not even make enough money to keep itself afloat, the question is why should the taxpayers continue to fund something that they themself do not deem worthy? They cant even use the system so why are we funding it again?
If people stopped using roads, the same argument would apply but even with gas prices being as high as they are, people continue to drive.
I tend to agree with everything except..."Liberals always seem to fall in love with the most expensive project." Nothing to back that up at all. I didn't know this was ideologically divided. My city is very conservative and has a light rail system. Unfortunately, I am just now remembering a current very expensive war that liberals wanted no part of...
Please name a city thats run by conservatives, where there is a transit system thats losing nearly $1Billion, and continues to be funded. If you can then your point is valid.
What city do you live in and is the rail system losing this type of money?
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