Posted on 10/07/2010 5:44:53 PM PDT by CedarDave
Riders took 45,207 fewer one-way trips on the Rail Runner Express in the second quarter of this year compared to April, May and June of last year, new figures show. At the same time, the fiscal year that ended June 30 was the most successful for the commuter train.
The second-quarter numbers are the first true comparison of riders during a time in which free rides were not offered. For much of the first quarter of 2009, Santa Fe residents rode without paying.
Between the second quarter of last year and the second quarter of this year, one-way ridership dropped from 329,874 to 284,667, according to numbers released by the rail system.
Train project manager Chris Blewett said the state of the economy, coupled with fairly low gas prices, could be behind the dip.
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Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation, said he suspects the train attracted many one-time visitors who never went back.
"A lot of people, both tourists and New Mexico residents, took the train once or twice because they thought it was a fun and new, a neat way to see a difference perspective on the way up to Santa Fe," he said.
"But it's just not a convenient form of transportation for the day-to-day person. That's what it boils down to," he said.
Looking ahead, Gessing said getting rid of the train "definitely has to be on the table.
"You can do it much more effectively with some kind of bus system between various places like Albuquerque and Santa Fe. We're never going to get the $400 million back, but we have to realize we can't afford the $18 to $20 million annual operating costs."
(Excerpt) Read more at santafenewmexican.com ...
The portion of I-25 that is crowded is from ABQ to Bernalillo. That is because the highway was part of the original interstate system built in the 1960’s. Instead of widening it from two lanes each direction, Richardson diverted money from it and other state highway projects to build the nearly one-half billion dollar Rail Runner. Only now is it being widened. I drove ABQ to SF yesterday right around 8:30 a.m. for a meeting. Once I got past the construction zone, it was 75 mph all the way to SF. Even the environmental assessment for the RR admitted that the highway north of Bernalillo would not reach capacity until the 2020’s.
BTW, view this fancy piece of video. Wonder how much the taxpayers paid for this:
Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation, said he suspects the train attracted many one-time visitors who never went back.
The "Rio Grande Foundation" is a marketing agency whose objective is to increase gasoline consumption and higher prices.
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