Key quotes:
If initial goals are not met, the board sets new goals at a fraction of the level once promised. Current performance then is compared with revised goals set so low that nearly any improvement is cause for celebration.and:
At present, the taxpayer subsidy for each round trip on the Everett-to-Seattle rail commuter line is about $547! Not included is the $6 fare ($3 each way). The $547 subsidy is 32 times more than the round-trip taxpayer subsidy for Sound Transit's regional express buses.Amazing.
2 comments:
Our region is attempting to imitate Europe's success with rail. The problem is that our homes, businesses etc.. were built AFTER the introduction of the auto.
Travel by rail is fine if you live within a few blocks of a station and your destination is also close to a station. If it is not, forget it!
I think that we could enhance the rail system by making it easier for taxi cabs to be licensed. If there were more cabs available, the "distance" (at least in terms of time) from destination-to-station would be reduced and people would be more likely to actually use the rails.
A good example of this is the rail system in Washington D.C. There are cabs everywhere! You can take a rail or a bus for the long leg of a trip and depend on finding a cab to take the short leg.
Metro has again failed us by monopolizing cab licenses. They have restricted cabs to such a degree that cabs are in essance, not really a part of the system. Because there is no "short" leg connections, the rails are not filled to capacity.
In short, rail might work if there were better connections (via cabs). This won't happen until Metro actually becomes realistic instead of being idealistic.
Hmmm ... and a two lane bus-only limited access highway would carry the same load for 1/100th of the cost of a MAX-style light rail.
What is wrong with this picture?
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