By: Diane Benjamin
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CbmR9DiMsXr6XQ1U_8AaLtGKH9yGbh_x/view
In April of 2018 Fixed Route Passengers per hour were 22.66. This April the total was 26.31 per hour.
More riders must mean higher losses:
The Operating Deficit for April of 2018 (fewer riders per hour) was only $865,139.24. April 2018 reports
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In March 2019 the Operating Deficit was $878,211.21
Cash from passengers in March (with fewer Fixed Rate Passengers per hour – 22.3) totaled $56,845.16. March 2019 reports
Cash from passengers for April totaled $55,153.94 with more riders.
Fewer passengers per hour generated more cash!
Connect Mobility (the small buses) was down in April – 2.98 per hour. 2018 was 3.15.
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I talked to a young women yesterday who needs to ride the bus. She can’t anymore. Routes don’t go where she needs them, she can’t get dropped off where she wants dropped off, and it wastes too much time. She also told me she has never been on a bus with more than 5 other people. She also knows the huge buses can not navigate the streets. They run over curbs and cross the center line frequently because they have to.
From Facebook:
How to fix Connect Transit:
- Smaller buses
- Give riders the ability to signal when they want dropped off
- Stops must be ADA compliant, not on grass
- No downtown transfer station until all stops are ADA compliant, the current plan will take MANY years to achieve 100% compliance
- Quit paying out of town consultants to map routes
- Serve those who NEED the service first, not riders with other options
- Quit pretending people will give up cars for the bus
- Other ideas?
- Replace the current board members with people who understand the above
That last one will never happen because both mayors have a different agenda for Connect Transit. The appointees merely reflect Koos and Renner, not riders.
William F. Buckley said: “Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other points of view and are then shocked and offended when they discover there are other points of view.”
Complete insanity brought to you by the leftist elitist leadership in this town. A $900,518.85 budget deficit for ONE month? Somehow I think we can find an alternative to spending nearly ONE MILLION dollars a month to move the poor and disadvantaged around our cities. This is not rocket science.
How about giving everyone uber or Lyft vouchers instead?
Connect Transit tried to get out in front of that on their website FAQ section with a very favorable comparison which by the way didn’t include a transfer to a second bus nor the difference between a customer selected schedule versus a government-determined schedule. They know uber and Lyft provide a more efficient, cost-effective, and sensible alternative, but they don’t want to break up the political golden goose that is Connect Transit. Politics before the end consumer…that’s government in action.
Not only does Connect Transit lose $900,000 in a single month and provide a woefully inefficient service, which is bad enough, but they use the working poor and disabled as chess pawns to further their political agenda and to feed this political hackarama of a transportation entity. The woman that spoke at Tari’s little open house said it best when she said ‘we’re disabled, not stupid’. Well ma’am, Mayor Koos and Mayor Renner think that you and most of us with common sense are stupid and that we are going to fall for this charade. Connect Transit is a joke! Most knew and felt it for a long time, but kept silent. Now that it’s no longer the third rail of local politics, Koos and his pals are coming unhinged. Go, Stan, go!
Yes the time is over for corruption as usual here and in the United States. The lefts support (media and politicians) attempted coup of our duly elected president is going to see the light of day and people will go to jail. The ordinary people are gaining power everywhere. Mayor Little Man and Fuhrer Koos days are numbered because of Diane, this publication and each and everyone who comments here. We are all committed to Making America Great Again.
What coup pray tell? Did someone in the FBI direct the military to overthrow your president? No. Who has gone to jail? Over 30 people connected to the Trump administration, there is the real corruption.
“If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” Mueller said, clearly not exonerating the president. The only reason Trump isn’t charged is because he is a president. It doesn’t mean that he can’t be charged after leaving office. America isn’t going to “made great again” by tariffs we consumers pay for or crying about mass transit that no one on this blog actually uses.Using one anonymous quote doesn’t count.
You are in for a rude awakening. Your media lies and you are their perfect audience.
Really Ken? I know you don’t understand because you watch the mainstream media and read the mainstream press but AG Barr is going to get to the bottom of the effort that was made to 1st spy on the Trump candidacy and then the attempt to bring a duly elected president down. Be prepared Ken… it is coming and people like McCabe, Comey, former FBI agent Peter Strzok and former Justice Department official Lisa Page, James Clapper, and John Brennen, to name just a few could find themselves behind bars. The FISA documents will be declassified soon showing how the application was based on a fake Democratically funded Steele dossier. Ken you are being lied to. Turn off the mainstream media please. The Muller report was conclusive – no collusion no obstruction. Muller added this obscene and legally unprecedented “didn’t indict because of Trump is a sitting president BS” to throw red meat to congress. Prosecutors DO NOT do what he did in this situation.
So now Barr will investigate the fake Russian witch hunt and those who started it. Get ready to have you world destroyed. This was an attempt take down a president. This was an attempted coup. This is maybe even treason (punishable by death) – this is not a game anymore, Ken. The very foundation of our democracy is at stake here.
Facts don’t matter with him. There are a lot of people who think CNN and MSNBC are telling them the truth. They still won’t believe actual facts when they are presented.
Where are you Ken? We want to hear more NPC stuff…. let’s talk about those nasty tariffs – let’s talk about unemployment for all races at an all time low – let’s talk about tremendous job growth and a booming economy – let’s talk about the defeat of ISIS and the ending of foreign wars – let’s talk about standing up to China and saying no more to their exploitation of America and abuse of intellectual property rights – let’s talk about moving North Korea from a nuclear adversary to the negotiating table – let’s talk about wages raising for workers all across the country – lets talk about standing up to the chief sponsor of terror in the world and ending the agreement that would lead to Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon – Lets talk about our president finally dealing with a southern border that is allowing illegal immigrants, criminals and drugs into our country unchecked – Come on Ken… turn off CNN and let’s talk… And yes our president and Diane and many other people here are standing up to you, the media, the Deep State, the SJWs, the Socialists, the Communists, the liberal elites, and the corrupt Democratic Party to Make America Great Again #MAGA
Latest comment got deleted. CNN has few viewers for a reason.
I hate to have loose ends Ken… I forgot to mention one very important person who has a very strong possibility of going to jail… Now I know that you are most likely still “With Her” but yes HILLARY is very likely to have a door with bars close on her in the near future. We all know that she is a criminal… perhaps someday you will know too? And since it is starting to appear that Obama was in on both the spying of candidate Trump and part of the coup attempt…. it is mine and many others hope that he goes to jail for treason too! The next few months are going to be an unbelievable time for the United States. AG Barr is going to unravel what happened, why it happened and who was responsible for the completely fake charges of collusion with the Russians. Many of the people responsible are very worried about what is going to come out. This is the biggest scandal in the history of the United States. Our own intelligence agencies with the knowledge of the DOJ and the executive branch conspired to spy and then try to bring down a duly elected American president with the help of a corrupt mainstream media. This should scare even you Ken. AG Barr will get to the bottom of this and it is not going to be pretty. So hold onto your hats…. the scandal (with treason) has just begun.
That side has no idea what you are talking about. CNN hasn’t told.The truth in years, their ratings prove people are tired of getting lied to. They still have a couple of brain dead viewers left though.
I know… I wrote it for us not Ken… He is pretty far gone. Stage 4.5 TDS
“Power to the people, right on!” John Lennon
I simply do not understand Mayor Koos on just about everything he says or does, but his comments about the open seat for the town of Normal on the Connect Transit board hit an all time record of inept leadership for even him. Renner is busy hand picking his replacements on the board, a sub committee is holding meetings generating public opinion on needed changes and Normal residents are being disproportionately affected by cutting the Olive route in north Normal. How, Mr. Mayor, are Normal residents not being under represented or inadequately represented by an empty chair since September 2018?
Mayor Koos’ continued avoidance of filling this seat will not make the problems of Connect Transit go away.
Fuhrer Koos knows exactly what he is doing. He is circling the wagons to protect Transit Disconnect. He is protecting the status quo and its massive money train. He is protecting what he knows is vulnerable to citizen input and the truth. The people have finally woken up and he is terrified of them.
It just occurred to me that the left is always squawking about “sustainability” well, uh HOW are constant/repeated losses of this sort of money “sustainable”? – Connect Transit, as it now exists, is NOT sustainable, at all, it’s like pouring money down a rat hole, same as several other of their little “pet projects”, and yet we are expected to still somehow prop them up.
I am angry and getting angrier no name calling but I wish the Kens of the world would relocate to California please!
Ken is an NPC. NPCs are not independent thinkers, they listen to what they are told and uncritically accept it as the truth, they are immersed in a Group-think which ties them to regurgitating the same talking points and propaganda, and they are afraid of sharing independent ideas for fear of violating a leftist socialist (SJW) norm that could lead to ridicule, harassment or excommunication. And now for your viewing pleasure: NPC University 28 Reee Therapy https://youtu.be/c2xhuWKb_2U
We,be heard enough of your #FakeNews.
Delete delete delete!
You are funny Ken… Shut us all up right? Censor us right? Is that all you got boy?
He won’t be responding
“He won’t be responding”
Because everyone here is a major snowflake, they need their safe space. I write the truth and no one here can handle it.
Doing comedy now? No more from you!
Ken, you are a riot….. Projection much? Snowflakes…. Really? Seriously dude… turn off the mainstream media and stop reading the Washington Compost and NYTs (among a few) – better yet do what I did many years ago – turn off your TV and put it to the road. You will be surprised by how much you start to know once you actively seek out and investigate what is really going on. Take it from a life long Democrat (50+ years) who campaigned for JFK when I was 9 years old… former union organizer…. voted twice for the Liar in Chief Obama. They are lying to you Ken. And we the people have awoken and we are truly Making America Great Again. Join us – we accept everyone.
Oh shut up Tari or Koos….your day is ending….
If Disconnect is a example of inclusive and fiscally responsible , I’d hate to see what the actual numbers of the Town of Normal are. Koos has been sniffing tire rubber way too long! Its done rotted his brain.It would take ONE lawsuit under the ADA to make King Koos eat that statement. I
WWG1WGA applies locally too!
Theoretically, can a newly-elected mayor clean house of all these committees and CT BOD or do they get to fill out their terms?
They all have terms. A new mayor would have to convince them to step down.
Heh, how about a new mayor AND a crowd bearing torches and pitchforks? Going all-Alinski on them is long overdue.
SO READY for Marc Tiritilli to be The Mayor of Normal!!