[PRCo] Riding continues to rise?

[Schneider Fred]

Because someone on this list asked what happened to transit riders  
because of gas prices, I'm sending this to everyone.   Dennis might  
be amused because it is also a great example of the press office  
putting a false spin on data.

If you click on the press release, Dallas Area Rapid Transit District  
is telling the media how passengers are continuing to go up.   My  
late friend Howard White knew that a press release was something you  
issued to steer the media's attention where you wanted it, i.e. away  
from where the reported to go.   If you compare the current month to  
the wrong month, sure riding is still going up......

http://www.dart.org/news/newsrss.asp?ID=825

Dallas claims that their riding is continuing to rise even though gas  
prices are falling.   Is it?   Well, it is if you compare it to the  
right month in the past.   If you compare November 2008 to November  
2007, which was lower, then riding is still going up.

But when you compare a sequence of months in a row, people are doing  
just what you would expect when gasoline prices drop.   The public is  
going back to their automobiles.  (Note that the DART did not put out  
a press release showing September data; instead the published a  
fiscal 2008 release.)   The rail modes are also doing what I would  
expect; they are the most solid.

Bus average weekday:
November 2008:  161,327
October 2008: 173,000
August 2008: 174,575

Light rail average weekday:
November 2008: 70,690
October 2008: 71,400
August 2008: 73,058

Commuter railroad average weekday:
November 2008:  10,567
October 2008: 11,100
August 2008: 10,309