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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'> <BR>And we also have a 35 year old nephew-in-law who would rather walk 7 miles when his car broke down instead of riding the local bus. (this was 12-15 years ago) I'd put him into the norm category. (For Fred's benefit, that was Bonnie's son)<BR> <BR>Another comment heard several years ago was that many people associate public transit with riding a school bus to school, and it wasn't necessarily a pleasant experience.<BR> <BR>It's a tough business with a lot of stereotypes to overcome.<BR> <BR><br> <BR><div>> Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 11:34:20 -0500<br>> From: shadow@dementix.org<br>> To: pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<br>> Subject: Re: [PRCo] Cleveland numbers<br>> <br>> i'm younger. well. probably younger than the rest of you. i'm 40.<br>> <br>> if i can avoid driving i do. before i had an enforced 1 month pause in<br>> biking due to breaking my hand i<br>> rode 2500 miles from may 1 to september 25, including trips to such places<br>> as new kensington (round trip), monroeville (also round trip), manor, and<br>> robinson (the short way, 14 miles via steuben st, and the long way, 68<br>> miles via glassport and clairton.<br>> <br>> so yeah.<br>> <br>> <br>> On Tue, Nov 26, 2013 at 11:15 AM, Lattner, Raymond <rlattner@pa.gov> wrote:<br>> <br>> > Who are these "younger people" that you speak of that do not want to drive<br>> > by choice? I can tell you<br>> > That in my world both my son and daughter could think of nothing but the<br>> > day they could obtain their<br>> > Learners permit to drive. Ditto for buying their own cars. This was true<br>> > of all their friends also.<br>> ><br>> > Take public transit when they could drive themselves, NEVER.<br>> ><br>> > Disclaimer. This was meant in a humorous way and not to criticize your<br>> > comments.<br>> ><br>> > -----Original Message-----<br>> > From: pittsburgh-railways-bounces@mailman.dementix.org [mailto:<br>> > pittsburgh-railways-bounces@mailman.dementix.org] On Behalf Of John<br>> > Swindler<br>> > Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 11:04 AM<br>> > To: Western PA Trolley discussion<br>> > Subject: Re: [PRCo] Cleveland numbers<br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> > Transit ridership is rising for several reasons. One surprise was that<br>> > younger people don't think the same way as us "old geezer" generation.<br>> > They are NOT as enamored by autos. Not massive numbers of young people -<br>> > just a couple percentage points. Negligible effect on highways, but<br>> > significant impact on transit ridership. This comment was from Amtrak -<br>> > they are finding young people not only without cars, but without drivers<br>> > license - not by circumstances, but by choice.<br>> ><br>> > Also, never realized that Amtrak handles four oil trains a day to a<br>> > Delaware refinery. Amtrak admits they never saw (this traffic) coming.<br>> ><br>> > And we should all be aware that VRE exists. I thought it was just a<br>> > couple daily commuter trains from Virginia into Washington. Didn't realize<br>> > that it was 30 daily trains. Busiest station?? If assumed it was Union<br>> > Station, would be wrong. It's L'Enfant Plaza. VRE is currently at<br>> > capacity and has more cars on-order. Also negotiating with railroads for<br>> > extensions to both lines.<br>> ><br>> > MARC ridership was around 18,000 in 1997. Currently around 36,000 riders.<br>> > It's seen a 3.5% average annual growth over past 15 years.<br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> > > From: fwschneider@comcast.net<br>> > > Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 10:25:48 -0500<br>> > > To: pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<br>> > > Subject: Re: [PRCo] Cleveland numbers<br>> > ><br>> > > The positive numbers are in the western and southwestern cities. Los<br>> > Angeles has more rail riders today than Pacific Electric had in their 1923<br>> > peak.<br>> > ><br>> > ><br>> > ><br>> > > On Nov 26, 2013, at 6:18 AM, PC wrote:<br>> > ><br>> > > > ..........><http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railway<br>> > > > s/2013-November/032450.html> ..........>from Fred Schneider<br>> > > > fwschneider at comcast.net ..........>Sun Nov 24 11:32:53 EST 2013<br>> > > ><br>> > > > ..........>Do not know where you find positive Cleveland numbers.....<br>> > > ><br>> > > > The above is your original question isn't it. You could not find<br>> > positive Cleveland Numbers. I answered that question didn't I.<br>> > > > Positive Cleveland numbers were provided. Now all this below.......<br>> > > > You seem disappointed that ridership is rising--transit ridership,<br>> > trolley, tram, bus--interests of people on this list.<br>> > > > How is it possible to please you?<br>> > > ><br>> > > > To address Cleveland ridership one observes the trend is sloping<br>> > > > downward with occasional rises above and dips below this trendline.<br>> > This is very openly noticed and admitted, along with the following:<br>> > > > 1-birds are hatched, birds grow, birds live, birds grow old, birds die.<br>> > > > 2-animals are born, animals grow, animals live, animals grow old,<br>> > animals die.<br>> > > > 3-plants sprout, plants grow, plants live, plants grow old, plants die.<br>> > > > 4-People are born, people grow, people live, people grow old, people<br>> > die.<br>> > > > 5-a business is formed, the business grows, the business thrives, the<br>> > business grows old, the business dies.<br>> > > > 6-industries form, industries grow, industries thrive, industries<br>> > grows old, industries die.<br>> > > > 7-etc.<br>> > > > 8-Everything has its day in the sun [then trundles into the mists of<br>> > > > history.] Vanity vanity; all is vanity. King Solomon<br>> > > ><br>> > > > Nothing lasts forever does it. Nothing is all inclusive isn't it.<br>> > > ><br>> > > > But if it makes you happy:<br>> > > ><br>> > > > People are falling off transit! People are falling off transit!<br>> > > > The sky is falling! The sky is falling!<br>> > > > Woe is mankind. Woe is mankind.<br>> > > > The end is here. The end is here.<br>> > > ><br>> > > > sighhh.<br>> > > ><br>> > > ><br>> > > > Pc<br>> > > ><br>> > > ><br>> > > ><br>> > > > --------------------------------------------<br>> > > > On Sun, 11/24/13, Fred Schneider <fwschneider@comcast.net> wrote:<br>> > > ><br>> > > > Subject: [PRCo] Cleveland numbers<br>> > > > To: "Western PA Trolley discussion"<br>> > > > <pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org><br>> > > > Date: Sunday, November 24, 2013, 4:14 PM<br>> > > ><br>> > > > Most agencies in industrial areas had increases in the last three<br>> > > > years because we were coming out<br>> > > > of the recession. Of course if you only<br>> > > > look at the last three years, then you miss the large drop in riding<br>> > > > at the beginning of the recession.<br>> > > ><br>> > > > Cleveland had a drop of perhaps 12 million the year going into the<br>> > > > 2010 recession but it appears to be masked by a series break in the<br>> > > > counts between 2005 and<br>> > > > 2006. A series break is a statistical term<br>> > > > when something happens to screw up the<br>> > > > data. The information was not sent to APTA<br>> > > > for 2006 leading me to suspect that perhaps the guy or gal who was<br>> > > > crunching the numbers in 2004 retired and the new person didn't<br>> > > > understand how to do it the same way and took several years to get<br>> > > > his or her act<br>> > > > together. Then in 2008, Cleveland sent in<br>> > > > data for both 2006 and 2007. Those 66 and 60 million<br>> > > > numbers in 2006 and 2007 look rather fishy.<br>> > > > S--t happens.<br>> > > ><br>> > > > The true numbers are probably more like a drop to about 52 or 53<br>> > > > million riders in the 2000-2001 recession, then back up to around 57<br>> > > > million through most of the early 200s until we hit the big<br>> > > > recession and then down to 44<br>> > > > million.<br>> > > ><br>> > > > Here are the total Cleveland numbers (Bus, Rapid, Light Rail and<br>> > > > Demand Responsive) since 1995 by year from the APTA website.<br>> > > ><br>> > > > 1995: 58.265 million Cleveland<br>> > > > city population around 492,000.<br>> > > > 1996: 58.736 million<br>> > > > 1997: 60.892 million<br>> > > > 1998: 60.557 million<br>> > > > 1999: 59.300 million<br>> > > > 2000: 59.116 million 2000-2001<br>> > > > Recession Cleveland city population 2000 census<br>> > > > 478,403<br>> > > > 2001: 58.128 million Unemployed in<br>> > > > Cleveland number around 45,000.<br>> > > > 2002: 52.626 million<br>> > > > 2003: 53.446 million Unemployed in<br>> > > > Cleveland area top 60,000<br>> > > > 2004: 55.419 million<br>> > > > 2005: 57.026 million<br>> > > > 2006: 66,602 million Average unemployed in<br>> > > > Cleveland about 62,000<br>> > > > 2007: 60,025 million Average unemployed in<br>> > > > Cleveland region around 67,000<br>> > > > 2008: 57,287 million 2008-2009<br>> > > > recession Average unemployment in Cleveland<br>> > > > around 72,000.<br>> > > > 2009: 49,706 million Unemployment over<br>> > > > 80,000 people in Cleveland<br>> > > > 2010: 44.592 million Average unemployed in<br>> > > > Cleveland between 95,000 and 100,000. City population<br>> > > > 396,815.<br>> > > > 2011: 46.175 million Average unemployed in<br>> > > > Cleveland about 82,000.<br>> > > > 2012: 48.152 million Unemployment in<br>> > > > Cleveland in the high 70,000 range.<br>> > > > 2012: looks like a 1/3 of 1% increase<br>> > > ><br>> > > > http://www.deptofnumbers.com/unemployment/ohio/cleveland/<br>> > > ><br>> > > > Phillip, I trust some agency numbers more than<br>> > > > others. Houston, for example, counts light<br>> > > > rail passengers as they walk through a light beam in the car<br>> > > > doorway. No matter how they pay their fare<br>> > > > ... pass, cash fare, or simply sneak on ... they are<br>> > > > counted. PATCO is probably fairly reliable<br>> > > > because every rider has a magnetically encoded ticket and they are<br>> > > > counted going through the fare gates.<br>> > > ><br>> > > > In addition, some counts are just plain lies because the agencies<br>> > > > are trying to prove to politicians that they are<br>> > > > worth bigger subsidies. Some are accidental<br>> > > > lies. Some are misunderstandings of<br>> > > > procedures. Some are done by clerks who<br>> > > > don't give a rat's ass. Some are<br>> > > > excellent.<br>> > > ><br>> > > > But, except for the apparent break in the numbers in 2006 and 2007,<br>> > > > I have no reason to suspect the continuity of the Cleveland numbers<br>> > > > because they mirror what is happening in the economy and with the<br>> > > > local population.<br>> > > ><br>> > > ><br>> > > ><br>> > > ><br>> > > > _______________________________________________<br>> > > > Pittsburgh-railways mailing list<br>> > > > Pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<br>> > > > https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways<br>> > ><br>> > ><br>> > ><br>> > ><br>> > ><br>> > > _______________________________________________<br>> > > Pittsburgh-railways mailing list<br>> > > Pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<br>> > > https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways<br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> > -------------- next part --------------<br>> > An HTML attachment was scrubbed...<br>> > URL:<br>> > http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20131126/5e0b8ec8/attachment.html<br>> > _______________________________________________<br>> > Pittsburgh-railways mailing list<br>> > Pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<br>> > https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways<br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> > _______________________________________________<br>> > Pittsburgh-railways mailing list<br>> > Pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<br>> > https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways<br>> ><br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> -------------- next part --------------<br>> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...<br>> URL: http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20131126/4f467f97/attachment.html <br>> _______________________________________________<br>> Pittsburgh-railways mailing list<br>> Pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<br>> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways<br></div> </div>
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