|
From: "Tom
Bazan" <tbazan@houston.rr.com>
To: <viewpoints@chron.com>
Cc: "Wall, Lucas" <Lucas.Wall@chron.com>,
"Paula J. Alexander" <PA04@ridemetro.org>,
<paul_bettencourt@co.harris.tx.us>, <newsdesk@eldiausa.com>,
<michael.moore@cityofhouston.net>, <mayor@cityofhouston.net>,
<judge_eckels@co.harris.tx.us>,
"Josh Harkinson" <josh.harkinson@houstonpress.com>,
<jcolley@bizjournals.com>, <houstonreview@hotmail.com>,
<editor@chronicallybiased.com>, <edd@ksevradio.com>,
<districti@cityofhouston.net>, <districth@cityofhouston.net>,
<districtg@cityofhouston.net>, <districtf@cityofhouston.net>,
<districte@cityofhouston.net>, <districtd@cityofhouston.net>,
<districtc@cityofhouston.net>, <districtb@cityofhouston.net>,
<districta@cityofhouston.net>,
"Dimond, Lisa - CNL" <Lisa.Dimond@cityofhouston.net>,
<chrisbaker@clearchannel.com>, <atlarge5@cityofhouston.net>,
<atlarge4@cityofhouston.net>, <atlarge3@cityofhouston.net>,
<atlarge2@cityofhouston.net>, <atlarge1@cityofhouston.net>,
"Alan Clark" <alan.clark@h-gac.com>, <aframnews@pdq.net>,
<11listens@khou.com>
Subject: HC
BLURB - MORE TAKING RIDES ON METRO LIGHT RAIL
Date: Sun,
8 Aug 2004 10:07:29 -0500
Baloney! In April and May,
when people had the option to voluntarily ride the glorious Utopian
"transit backbone" tram (virtually for free to anyone), the
numbers were dismal, which shows that Houstonians did not embrace
the tram. When rail ridership increases only after METRO
diverts about 1/2 of all the bus routes on May 31st certainly
does not indicate any significant ridership growth at all.
The METRO concocted June ESTIMATE was about 26,000 boardings,
and now the METRO concocted estimate for July is 29,570. I say,
"so, what?" It is no big deal! METRO continued to
allow riders in the Medical Center with the "Free Fare For
Life" Stored Value Cards after being exposed by FOX
26 Investigates. They also allowed the Free Fare SVC's until
after the MLB All-Star weekend where I doubt there was any enforcement
of the "Honor System" for holding a "paid"
ticket. Therefore, there was no provable growth in ridership.
It only documents that many bus transit dependent, poor
and minority riders have been "herded" onto the tram
in order to justify the wrong-headed decision made by METRO to
build this boondoggle without specific voter approval!
METRO's arguments
of growth and acceptance by the public fly in the face of logic.
These reported numbers are not positive. They do not reflect
any growth in ridership; in fact, with over 250,000 week-day
boardings for buses, and with 1/2 of bus routes now tactically routed
so as to force bus riders to transfer to the "transit backbone"
tram, METRO can only muster less than 25% (250,000/2 = 125,000;
29,570/125,000= 23.7%) of those riders transferring to the tram.
The sickening reality is that the METRORail "transit
backbone" tram is not an "option" for most bus
transit dependent riders, and it wastes their precious time as
well as taxpayers' resources. There have been far more negative
impacts generated by the METROrail system than positive.
The question
to METRO should be "Where's the Beef?" Where are the
fare box revenue numbers? A while back, I was told by a
METRO official that they were now running METRO like a business.
Other than federally-subsidized AMTRAK, what other businesses
can lose so much money each day in operations while allowing
revenue from users to steadily decline? METRO can not continue
to rely on sales tax growth and federal pork revenue if it intends
to float billions of dollars of bonds to extend the Main Street
tram.
Where' the
outrage?
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
**********
Aug. 8, 2004, 1:37AM
AREA BRIEFS
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
News Service
More
taking rides on Metro light rail
**********
|