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ChineseDaily Transit Links Roundup
Contributed by Fred Camino on March 7th, 2008 at 8:58 am
- The Governator doesn’t like trains and one man doesn’t think he plays fair.
- Marina Del Ray bus line on Metro’s chopping block, much to the chagrin of area residents.
- Arrival information coming to the shiny LCD screens in Red Line stations “by the end of June at the latest”.
Discussion
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Please keep discussions civil: exercise Troll Controll.
Good for the Marina folks speaking up. This area got a hit from the 220 being cut. To be honest, extending the BBB14 to Fox Hills Mall and perhaps a Culver City Bus serving the Marina might bet them better, more reliable and more comfortable service. But, the MTA was originally going to cut its service on Santa Monica Blvd. west of Westwood BEFORE the 704 went online and the outcry caused them to at least wait until the alternative came up.
I don’t know if it will make a difference, but there are a lot of potential transit riders in this area who would probably use it if they had reliable service. However, if one’s service only comes once and hour and at an unreliable time, that’s discouraging. That doesn’t meant here is a potential demand to be met.
I find the news about the 108 bus sad, as I depend on this line to get me to and from work when the weather is bad. In the article, it says that the Metro cited low ridership as a reason for the cuts — yet at some times in the day, the 108 goes to the Marina only once every 3 hours. Is it any wonder that folks don’t ride the 108 all day long? When I do take this line, the drivers are not on the lookout for passengers. Twice I’ve been waiting at a stop for my once-every-3-hour bus when the driver of the 108 whipped past my expectant wave, leaving me stranded for the next 3 hours.
With that said, I’d love to send a letter to Metro about this. Does anyone know the right person/address/email to use?
I found this passage from the California Progress Report link interesting.
I guess our automobile driving Governor doesn’t?
You could send an e-mail to customerrelations@mta.net
Thanks, Dan! I’m sending my email now…
Caltrains carry an average of 38 passengers. Cost $173m and collected $30m in fares. 72¢ per passenger mile, 60¢ of which is subsidy. People are seriously not calling this underutilized?
How does that compare to automobile rates and where did you get that info?
Tony, you are supposed to feed the trolls, didn’t you get the memo?
The National Transit Database at ntdprogram.gov has the 2006 filing for Caltrain.
The latest auto data is not so specific. Roughly 32¢ per passenger mile with possibly as much as 1/2¢ per vehicle mile in subsidy.
Rob, does that info account for infrastructure, lawsuits over auto accidents, and all that kind of stuff?
Yes, although I never saw “lawsuits” specifically singled out. The usual category is “law enforcement.” That may not include lawsuits but I also don’t see much in the way of “subsidy” there.
The interesting thing about police, health and safety issues is that on net all benefit from roads and roads users despite the massive carnage and law breaking and such. The faster response and greater purpose directed mobility paid for by the users is also used by police and fire to be able to reduce their costs and increase their effectiveness.
There should be something for lawsuits. After all, who has to reside over those cases?
Tony,
It isn’t that simple. By straining definitions like we are doing here it could be said that speeders subsidize the courts and therefor speeding fines should be reduced.
BTW, Caltrain is one of the more least unprofitable transit systems in the US. Their total costs per passenger mile are less than most per passenger mile operating costs.