tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008568241665831715.post7012764963032079220..comments2024-01-25T07:47:23.112-06:00Comments on Hi / Zeph / 400: Northstar Regional Rail vs. Northstar Commuter RailMike Hickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257599090818492294noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008568241665831715.post-71326829439753890572011-06-30T17:56:27.322-05:002011-06-30T17:56:27.322-05:00I think this makes it clear that the operating bud...I think this makes it clear that the operating budget does not account for revenue:<br /><br />http://www.metrocouncil.org/about/2010Budget/Budget.pdfAlexhttp://gettingaroundmpls.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008568241665831715.post-2003201330133940782011-06-30T16:12:24.440-05:002011-06-30T16:12:24.440-05:00The media articles seemed to say that the $16.8m w...The media articles seemed to say that the $16.8m was the operating budget, and this article seems to corroborate that:<br /><br />http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/article/Passenger-Rail-at-a-Glance-Agency-Profiles--24685<br /><br />APTA reports 2010 ridership as 710.4 thousand, but the only revenue estimate I've seen was 2.8m, and that was for 2011 if there were 750k riders.<br /><br />The 2.8m revenue against the 16.8m operating budget would be a farebox recovery rate of 16.6% - not good, but not much worse than a lot of major city bus systems. <br /><br />On the other hand, I don't know that there's much reason to believe ridership will increase much more. My count shows about 5500 people in the zip codes on the line north of Fridley that work in Downtown Minneapolis - if 1000 of them are already riding Northstar, that's pretty good mode share.<br /><br />My crystal ball says the line could probably get to 20-25% farebox recovery - then it would need your extension or a miracle to do better.Alexhttp://gettingaroundmpls.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008568241665831715.post-82689131829405844322011-06-30T14:54:07.311-05:002011-06-30T14:54:07.311-05:00I'm lacking hard financial data for 2010, so I...I'm lacking hard financial data for 2010, so I just used $15 million divided by 750,000 riders. Now that I actually look at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northstar_Line" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia article</a>, I see the estimated ridership for the year was 715,000 (using year-end data) and the projected budget for the year was $16.8 million for 2010 (before the year began—but does "budget" equal "subsidy" or total costs? I'm not sure.)Mike Hickshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15257599090818492294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1008568241665831715.post-17959930519369562312011-06-30T14:00:29.067-05:002011-06-30T14:00:29.067-05:00Great post - I think a lot of the political suppor...Great post - I think a lot of the political support for Northstar came from the idea that it would go to St Cloud, so your proposal would have legs.<br /><br />Is the $20 per trip the operating subsidy? If so what figures are you using for operating costs and revenues?Alexhttp://gettingaroundmpls.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com