By: Diane Benjamin
It’s only a matter of time before Connect Transit makes at all the way to a $1,000,000 loss in one month. They are trying really hard to get there.
PDF page 8: file:///C:/Users/Diane/Downloads/26Jun18%20Board%20Meeting%20Packet%20Final.pdf
May income was:
Income barely covered fuel expenses of $104,193.08
Total expenses:
Total Operating Loss:
This isn’t monopoly money! This is YOUR money.
This is Democratic Socialism
Progressives play public transportation as helping people and being compassionate. It is neither. Riders of Connect Transit are enslaved to travel only where Connect Transit can take them. They can’t apply for jobs not on a route. They can’t shop at stores not on a route. They can’t get medical treatment that isn’t on a route. Connect is also stealing their time – it takes much longer to get anywhere on a bus! Worse, riders brains are enslaved to believe they can’t escape Connect for better alternatives..
Progressives use this modern day slavery to keep poor people poor and they use your money to do it! Progressives are in BOTH parties, the GOP continues to fund this abomination across the country.
Some choice spending:
Connect Transit finally funded tearing down the buildings on Oakland that were contributing to making downtown look like a slum. If the City of Bloomington hasn’t already bought that property, they will soon. The excuse will be they either have plans for it or they have to make sure somebody with the “Right Fit” gets it.
See PDF page 10 – Cost per unlinked trip (click to enlarge)
See PDF page 20. Connect has 9 preventable accidents in May. I wonder what happened to other vehicles hit by massive close-to-empty buses?
If you don’t demand your representatives stop this insanity it will one day stop on its own. Socialism always fails. Calling it Democratic Socialism doesn’t change historical facts.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I find it amusing that they actually name the revenue account “Operating Deficit”, like its a given that there will be a deficit.
Take the $904 K and divide it by the 54K (riders) and that’s roughly $16.60 per rider.
Heck, you could buy a cab or UBER ride for that..
Since they count borders as riders, anyone switching buses is counted twice. Their numbers lie.
All transportation is subsidized. Show me a road or an airport making money or not using tax dollars to stay open and well maintained. These posts about Connect Transit are ridiculous. AND as member of the elite (LOL) I use the bus. There are always other people on the bus. Last time…15 other people.
@Rich, be careful when using superlatives. The buses do not ALWAYS have riders. Case in point, an empty bus was headed out to SF corporate south on a Sunday morning. Why? Is it because Sunday bus service is offered? There is a problem with management or the board of directors when the service is not run efficiently. When the State and Federal subsidizing ends—and it will—Connect Transit service will also end.
Actually, you’re right #paws. I meant when I’m on the bus. But here’s the deal, ridership is cyclical through the day. Full in one direction, less so the other. And often that pattern reverses from morning to evening as people go to and from class and work.
When mass transit subsidy goes away (and I assume you mean nationwide) then what? Build more lanes. That doesn’t work (look at LA). The lanes simply fill up. Maybe we can all subscribe to a shared Rivian ride. Larry, you in? Will you ride with me?
@Rich, the main problem with Connect Transit is the management and board. They spew false numbers to garner financial support from Council. The more the City subsidizes, the larger amount of grant money CT can apply for. The subsidizing program I’m referring to is the transit funding for downstate Illinois.
Bus services should meet the need before expanding instead of the other way around which is the case locally—the proverbially known as the Carr before the horse.
No need to explain how bus service works to someone who has utilized metro service for 30 years—not locally, though.
As long as my money is being used to subsidize and it is my money being used I appreciate the information given that shows how it is being spent. For those that don’t want the information your wealth either allows you to subsidize at any level or you are using what I subsidize and not contributing. Keep up the good work Diane.
Rich isn’t worth my time anymore. He can just keep exposing his Elizabeth Warren side.
I was talking to an employee yesterday and informed the new the busses are always breaking down.
Didn’t they buy some electric ones?
Wait until the price tag for the downtown transfer station is presented.
This increase is probably due to those additional nighttime hours added , which weren’t supposed to cost 1 penny more. 😑
Maybe it’s past time for CT to downsize to more appropriately fit their ridership. What would be wrong (other than initial purchase cost) with using 16-22 passenger vans like State Farm uses for their shuttles? The behemoth buses in use now are unsustainable, racist (they’re painted white!), polluting, and not the right fit!