Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Getting off the T
While the Port Authority (PAT) boasted of increased ridership of bus, incline, and light rail of 2.6 percent from 2005 to 2006, the latest monthly breakout suggests that weekday ridership on the light rail is starting to decline. News reports note that the amount of weekday riders using the light rail in October 2006 were 8 percent lower than in October 2005. The official explanation was construction that may have made increased the length of a trip, thus dissuading riders.
That explanation may account for a small decrease but it would not fully rationalize why more than 2,100 riders stopped using light rail. The construction only delayed the trip by detouring the train, adding on a few extra minutes—it did not increase the time of the trip substantially. Since most weekday riders use light rail to commute to work, more than likely they would adjust their boarding times to compensate, not abandon the system altogether.
A more likely explanation is the fall in gas prices. In October 2005, the nation was reeling from a spate of hurricanes and the rising price of gasoline. This more than anything forced people to mass transit and the Port Authority benefited.
However, until FY2006, the longer term trend pointed to a decline in ridership. From 2002, PAT fare paying passengers on the bus, incline, and light rail services fell 2.1 percent from 52.8 to 51.7 million in 2005. But in 2006 the number of riders had climbed to just over 53 million for a one year increase of 2.6 percent—but a four year increase of only 0.4 percent. As gas prices stabilize, will more riders abandon light rail and prove this one-year increase to be anomaly in a declining trend?
Despite the decline in riders, the Port Authority continues to pour money down the rails. First it was the Overbrook line, with a cost of $386 million, the South Hills station parking garage ($24 million), and now the North Shore Connector boondoggle—with expected costs of $435 million. That’s nearly a billion dollars being spend on light rail riders—who become fewer and fewer every year.
However, the true outrage is that despite the declining trend in ridership and escalating costs, the Port Authority continues to go hat-in-hand to taxpayers asking for more subsidies. Their pleas have found a sympathetic ear in the Governor whose task force has recommended increasing a variety of taxes—including an 11.5 cent increase to the gas tax. Enough is enough. Until the Port Authority begins to cut expenses, privatize functions, and abandon the North Shore Connector, they should not receive another nickel.
That explanation may account for a small decrease but it would not fully rationalize why more than 2,100 riders stopped using light rail. The construction only delayed the trip by detouring the train, adding on a few extra minutes—it did not increase the time of the trip substantially. Since most weekday riders use light rail to commute to work, more than likely they would adjust their boarding times to compensate, not abandon the system altogether.
A more likely explanation is the fall in gas prices. In October 2005, the nation was reeling from a spate of hurricanes and the rising price of gasoline. This more than anything forced people to mass transit and the Port Authority benefited.
However, until FY2006, the longer term trend pointed to a decline in ridership. From 2002, PAT fare paying passengers on the bus, incline, and light rail services fell 2.1 percent from 52.8 to 51.7 million in 2005. But in 2006 the number of riders had climbed to just over 53 million for a one year increase of 2.6 percent—but a four year increase of only 0.4 percent. As gas prices stabilize, will more riders abandon light rail and prove this one-year increase to be anomaly in a declining trend?
Despite the decline in riders, the Port Authority continues to pour money down the rails. First it was the Overbrook line, with a cost of $386 million, the South Hills station parking garage ($24 million), and now the North Shore Connector boondoggle—with expected costs of $435 million. That’s nearly a billion dollars being spend on light rail riders—who become fewer and fewer every year.
However, the true outrage is that despite the declining trend in ridership and escalating costs, the Port Authority continues to go hat-in-hand to taxpayers asking for more subsidies. Their pleas have found a sympathetic ear in the Governor whose task force has recommended increasing a variety of taxes—including an 11.5 cent increase to the gas tax. Enough is enough. Until the Port Authority begins to cut expenses, privatize functions, and abandon the North Shore Connector, they should not receive another nickel.
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You are indeed a voice in the wilderness. As a former western PA resident, I marvel at the decisions being made by local and state pols. And 2 decades after the mills closed, the mindset of locals is slow to change. After the pay raise fiasco in the legislature last year, maybe the tide is slowly turning.
Your critial analysis of the many shortsighted decisions in the region may finally strike a chord in the populace. Regarding the N.shore connector, I get the feeling that anything that benefits the occupants of Heinz Field is a always a done deal.
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Your critial analysis of the many shortsighted decisions in the region may finally strike a chord in the populace. Regarding the N.shore connector, I get the feeling that anything that benefits the occupants of Heinz Field is a always a done deal.
# posted by 
: 11:32 AM
: 11:32 AM << Home
