From what I understand, its pretty standard for public transportation systems to operate in the red with taxpayers covering the shortfall.
25% rider funding is generally considered a great success. The people mover in Detroit is about 3% rider funded with taxpayers picking up the other 97%.
Abquerque-Santa Fe NM line ended up generating $2.8M, costing $24.5M to run. Any line that says it is in the green is due to creative bookeing.
And....gotta cover the graft.
I can understand some taxpayer funding. It is getting people off the roads and making it better for those driving them. But 97% tax funded?!
-——From what I understand, its pretty standard for public transportation systems to operate in the red with taxpayers covering the shortfall.-——
See that’s the rub....if local taxpayers want to invest in a losing project, that’s no skin off my nose, since they know upfront they will be “investing” (cough) for decades...
This rail line was funded by the Feds for 50% of the cost...and 25 % by the state of Florida
So 75 % of the initial cost was taken out of my pocket and I will never use the thing...