[PRCo] Re: Riding continues to rise?

[John Swindler]

Numbers are meaningless because time frame too short, and haven't been adjusted for number of weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays in each month, and when the holidays fall.  This is just a press release - filler.  Won't know the actual trend until the spring, and still won't be able to make comparisons because of upheaval in economy.  
 
This is just a press release to amuse the public.  What about ridership at maximum load point by time of day?
 
John
 
> CC: etennyson at cox.net> From: fwschneider at comcast.net> Subject: [PRCo] Riding continues to rise?> Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:57:25 -0500> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org; bbente at bellsouth.net> > 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> 
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