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From: "Tom Bazan" <tbazan@houston.rr.com>
To: <viewpoints@chron.com>,
<opinion@semananews.com>
Cc: "Wall, Lucas" <Lucas.Wall@chron.com>,
"Spellman, Dennis" <DSpellman@tribune.com>,
"Paula J. Alexander" <PA04@ridemetro.org>,
<patrick@ksevradio.com>,"Palmer,
John - CNL"<John.Palmer@cityofhouston.net>,
<newsdesk@eldiausa.com>,
<michael.moore@cityofhouston.net>,
<mayor@cityofhouston.net>,
<judge_eckels@co.harris.tx.us>,
<josh.harkinson@houstonpress.com>,
<jcolley@bizjournals.com>,
"Jan.Crow" <Jan.Crow@mail.house.gov>,
<edd@ksevradio.com>,
"Don Gallagher" <houstonmonorail@sbcglobal.net>,
<desk@kprc.com>,
"Dan Monaghan" <mobdaldm@ont.com>,
<chrisbaker@clearchannel.com>,
<bballeza@kprc.com>,
"Alan Clark" <alan.clark@h-gac.com>,
<aframnews@pdq.net>,
<11listens@khou.com>
Subject: A
FEW REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS SURROUND METRORail's 35th "REPORTED"
ACCIDENT
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2004
00:23:06 -0500
***********
April 17,
2004, 11:19PM
2 riders injured in MetroRail accident
Copyright 2004
Houston Chronicle
***********
The
time of the incident was reported to be at 1:20PM. Was this not
at the height of the busiest day for the 33rd annual Houston International
Festival? The projection was for 450,000 attendees this weekend.
According to our truth-challenged METRO, there were only 70 riders
at what should me a peak load time. A two-car tram has a capacity
of 400 seemingly mostly free fare riders; thus, the tram, at
a peak load time was only about 18% full, and I suspect with
little to no significant revenue at the fare box.
On one positive note, it sounds like METRO finally got the $750,000.
automatic counter system installed.
The first question should be, "is the METRO reported count
reliable?"
The next question should be "did any of the riders pay or
have a ticket?"
METRO boasts of the success of their transit "Backbone."
I would not be surprised if METRO reports 1 million Light Rail
riders for April (we should believe METRO if they claim
that there was a very large ridership spike on the first
day of April). The media will not challenge any METRO propaganda,
and those we elected to lead us, refuse to stand up for the taxpayers.
The poor and minority bus transit dependent riders are being
shortchanged, and we are all victims of the METRO waste of our
precious resources.
Who's watching out for whom?
Tom Bazan
P.O. Box 2786
Houston, TX 77252
832.673.0018
BAZAN, a long-time real estate broker, appraiser and environmental
consultant, is the Independent Candidate for the 18th Congressional
District of Texas, running to replace Sheila Jackson-Lee
www.BazanForCongress.com
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