[PRCo] Re: Who'da thunk it?

[John Swindler]

And what about bus ridership year to year????
 
For the rest of the story that Progressive Railroading chose to ignore, see MTA press release below, and  compare bus -vs- rail year to year.
 
And didn't you have some comments, Fred, about how the Pasadena light rail line, being a former AT&SF alignment, didn't serve population centers?  That 23,141 average daily ridership on Pasadena compares with 23,163 weekday average on PAT light rail during May 2007.  
 
Any update on Santa Monica via Airline?
 
John
 
 
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> From: fwschneider at comcast.net> Subject: [PRCo] Who'da thunk it?> Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:30:29 -0400> > 6/17/2008 Ridership in Los Angeles copied from Progressive > Railroading. I'm not sure I would apply the word spike to the > headline over a 5.5% gain but it is Los Angeles and different laws of physics apply there. They don't even need guard rails on elevated > structures! The weekday average is probably very close to 
> 300,000 passengers. fws> > Los Angeles MTA's subway, light-rail ridership spike in May> > Last month, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation > Authority’s (LACMTA) Metro Rail ridership increased 6 percent > compared with May 2007 — one of the highest year-over-year spikes on record, according to the agency.> > More than 7.6 million passengers boarded LACMTA’s two subway and three light-rail lines last month vs. 7.2 million in May 2007.> 
> The authority expects ridership to rise even more when the six-mile Metro Gold Line Eastside extension to East Los Angeles opens next year and the Exposition light-rail line from downtown L.A. to Culver City opens in 2010. 
 
 






June 12 , 2008 Contact:Marc LittmanMetro Media Relations213.922.4609/213.922.2700www.metro.net/pressroom
Metro Rail Ridership Surges as Drivers Do the Math and Bypass Gas Pump

Metro offers cheap, fast alternative 
Metro Rail ridership last month shot up 6 percent over May 2007, one of the highest one month spikes on record, as commuters and others parked their cars and trucks and took advantage of fares that are about one fourth the cost of a gallon of gas. The surge was led by gains in subway ridership and the Metro Gold Line, which saw more riders than ever traveling from downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena (23,141 average weekday boardings).
During May 2008, 7,625,541 passengers boarded Metro’s two subway lines and three light rail surface lines. That compares to 7,192,173 boardings in May 2007. That number will grow exponentially as the Metro Rail system, now spanning 73 miles of track, expands by six miles about a year from now with the opening of the Eastside extension of the Metro Gold Line to East Los Angeles, a region with a population that is heavily transit dependent, and with the opening of the Expo light rail line from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City, expected in 2010.
The popular Metro Orange Line, a 14-mile busway that operates like a “train on rubber wheels” from North Hollywood to Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley, boosted ridership by 1.3 percent over last year, which was a strong ridership period.The combination of cheap fares and fast service competitive with driving is luring more riders, according to Metro officials.
“The cost of a gallon of gas now is only slightly less than a $5 Metro Day Pass, good for unlimited rides day and night on Metro buses and trains,” said Metro CEO Roger Snoble. “When you factor in the cost of fuel, vehicle depreciation, maintenance, insurance and parking, hard-pressed consumers can easily save well over $6,000 a year by going Metro and getting rid of one of the average family’s 2.5 cars and trucks.”
Snoble also noted that Metro is getting strong interest in its other rideshare programs including subsidized vanpools and carpools. Moreover, Metro’s employer pass programs are taking off as more employers partner with Metro to buy annual transit passes for their workers and realize tax benefits for their companies.   
More than 1.2 million passengers boarded Metro buses on an average weekday in May, slightly above April’s levels, however, comparing ridership for the full calendar month of May year over year, bus ridership is down 5.37 percent. Metro schedulers explained that in May 2007, Metro bus ridership jumped dramatically as gas prices peaked before the summer driving season, and Metro bus ridership was impacted by the fare increase last July though Metro Rail has consistently gained riders eager to avoid pain at the gas pump.
Go to Metro.net to access the 24/7 Metro trip planner and learn more about Metro rideshare programs or call 1-800 Commute for information.
 
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