Not that I disagree with this editorial, but it is quoting yearly figures after one-third of its first year of operation. I heard an interview yesterday, with an MTC flak, in which he was saying that ridership in the first year is about 15-20% below projection, but average fare intake was higher than predicted, so they were actually operating in the black. Of course, he was never asked if all of that $16.8mil was fares or if it included subsidies!
It turns out that there are nearly as many people taking the train to see a game as there are taking the train into Minneapolis for work each day.
Take this past July, for example. That month, the average daily commuter ridership was 2,530. On a Saturday when the Twins were playing at home, average leisure ridership was 2,373.
So, there nearly as many people taking the train to catch a game as there are taking the train to work on a weekday.
Remember when the $317 million train was sold to the taxpayers as a transportation option for commuters? It turns out that an argument can be made that Northstar is little more than a taxpayer-subsidized tool catering to baseball fans looking for a ride to a taxpayer-subsidized baseball yard.
Evidence of Northstar’s underperformance is especially critical on two fronts.
For one, the limited ridership is proving the claims of critics like the Anoka County Watchdog that predicted the train would prove to be a financial white elephant demanding massive, long-term taxpayer subsidies.
Those fears have proven correct, based upon subsidy data collected by our good friends over at the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota.
http://freedomfoundationofminnesota.com/northstar-running-an-operating-deficit-of-more-than-1-million-a-month
According to these statistics, Northstar commuter rail is suffering an operating deficit of over $1 million per month!
Perhaps the most shocking and disappointing statistic is that taxpayers subsidize a whopping 83% of the cost of every Northstar ride, while the rider only covers 17% (called the “fare box recovery”).
It breaks down like this:
Each one-way trip costs on average $22.37
Each rider pays an average one-way trip cost of $3.74
The taxpayers pony up the difference for each and every trip.
Through July 31st, taxpayers have subsidized Northstar’s operations to the tune of over $7.5 million!
Perhaps this is why, as reported in the Watchdog recently, the Anoka County Regional Rail Authority is proposing to raise its property tax levy a whopping 45% next year.
http://www.anokacountywatchdog.com/email/2010/08.30.10_update.htm
It is critical that all understand that one of the reasons Anoka County is raising the levy is to provide capital and funds to pursue not only an EXPANSION of Northstar rail but also a brand new commuter train line to Duluth, called Northern Lights Express.
Despite irrefutable evidence of missed ridership projections and massive subsidies, Anoka County commissioners are doubling down on commuter rail with billions of your tax dollars riding on the bet.
Thanks.