roughly 10,000 people are headed eastbound from downtown Portland. Another 9,000 are headed westbound. In both directions, at rush hour, about 26 percent of the total number of people traveling are on light rail.
Time to do the numbers, ladies and gentlemen.
10,000 + 9000 = 19,000 commuters
26 percent on light rail = 5000.
$1 billion cost divided by 5000 commuters = $200,000 per commuter.
Wouldn't it be cheaper just to pay them early retirement?
Where in heaven's name did you ever learn how to "do the numbers"?
Arthur Anderson?
Sheesh! When does anybody amortize construction costs over the number of passengers serviced during one hour on one day? You compeletely ignore that there are usually TWO such peak periods every workday: both morning AND afternoon rush hours. Plus all the commuters who utilize the system during non-peak periods.
Wouldn't it be cheaper just to pay them early retirement?
Nope. It's much better that they continue to work and pay taxes like everybody else. A good mass-transit system facilitates such commerce and helps expand the tax-base, lowering the tax that must be paid by each individual by spreading the load over more people. Paying people to take early retirement shrinks the tax base, putting more of a load on fewer people.