By: Diane Benjamin
When you vote April 6th keep in mind Chris Koos appointed people to this board (after leaving a seat empty for 1 year and and half) and fully supports this massive abuse of taxpayer dollars!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l1-FAtzgx813CrntasrMvlqTvhxYcITY/view
PDF page 22
Free bus rides during February 2021 totaled 108,736
February 2020 rides were 236,504
Free Mobility rides during February 2021 totaled 4,119
February 2020 rides were 7,298
PDF page 8
Connect had an operating loss of $980,349
PDF page 9
Every bus ride cost them $7.45
PDF page 10
Every Mobility ride cost them $57.05
PDF page 28:
The budget for FY 2022 projects revenue of $1,242,500
The expense for FY 2022 are projected at $15,000,000
That is a planned loss of $13,757,500.
That loss will be covered with LOCAL tax dollars and tax dollars you pay to the State of Illinois and the Federal Government.
This year the City of Bloomington will give them $760,000
This year the Town of Normal will give them $490,000
Those amounts are for operating expenses.
Both also give them money for capital expenses: PDF page 30
The large buses (electric are even heavier) wreck the roads, gutters, and curbs. How much Motor Fuel Tax do they pay to repair them? Zero?
Who dreams up fleeces like this?
Better question, why do people keep voting for them?
See PDF page 29. By 2026 Connect is planning to lose almost $17,000,000 a year.
Even if they ever go back to charging customers for rides it will barely make a dent in this their irresponsible losses.
Don’t forget about the new transfer station you will also pay for, solar panels, and new electric buses.
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how many Uber drivers can you hire for $15M?
CT started getting lots of questions about that. In response, they put an FAQ (more like an F.U.) on their website to “explain” why Uber costs more money per ride. (Guess they forgot about the overhead, salaries, and other expenses.) You have to read their “logic.” It’s hysterical and full of misleading and false calculations. CT actually claims to cost less and operate more efficiently. Hahahahaha! https://www.connect-transit.com/riding/connect_transit_faqs.asp
Connect Transit exists for the benefit of itself, its employees, and the vendors that make money from the organization. CT markets itself both as a key element of the community’s economic development strategy and a necessary public service for those in need. (The latter is understandable and worthy of discussion.) Over time, as those most in need and vulnerable have complained about inaccessibility and mismanagement, however, CT has put more energy into selling itself under the nebulous term of “economic development” and a service that employers look for when relocating. Sure. Right. Whatever the case, no reasonable person can argue that a community of the size of BN needs a public transit agency of the size, scope, business model, and (mis)management of CT. Unfortunately, those that benefit from feeding at the CT trough vote in droves for the establishment status quo, lest they actually have to earn business on their own merits.
Maybe Rodney Davis and Darren LaHood need to hear from us!
Davis and LaHood have heard from me, numerous times. If they bother to respond, it is boiler plate jibber jabber. They’re useless enablers.
Maybe a TON of letters would help!
What matters in BN is who came up with the concept, who benefits and who gets credit. Lower-level worker bees could come up with great ideas on anything and it will never see the light of day because they were not members in good standing amongst the long embedded local ruling class. In order for anything to come to fruition, the ruling elite must be able to take full credit but only when the idea can be presented as successful (see CT, SF Downtown Building or Rivian). CT was introduced because the local elitist wanted “big city public transit”. Although proven to be an abysmal failure and totally unnecessary, it will continue to be funded at the highest of levels ( think too big to fail) because all the “right people” were behind it. It’s the idea and intention that’s important, not the undeniable long term result.
Looked up the average price per mile for Uber is $1.00
It doesn’t look like Connect reported their total miles for 2020.
At $1/mile Uber could cover 15,000,000 miles in Bloomington/Normal
Miles would be less because a route and transfers wouldn’t be needed
Is not voting the problem or is it who counts the votes that is the bigger problem??? I seriously think there are some shenagigans going on.
Can Bloomington/Normal think outside the box like Arlington Texas?
Or is it just easier to grab for the taxpayer’s wallet and be done with it?
A partnership with Rivian?
Possible wins for replacement of empty buses with ride sharing electric vans.
Environment
Tax payer savings
Future expanse of business for Rivian
Better service
Private business competition v. government bureaucratic monopoly
https://youtu.be/Kb44JX29Ub8
The above video was from 2018. since then Arlington has expanded their service more than once. It’s working.
In this article – ARLINGTON CONTINUES VIA RIDESHARE FOR 3RD YEAR, EXPANDS SERVICE AREA TO SOUTHERN CITY LIMITS
https://www.arlingtontx.gov/news/my_arlington_t_x/news_stories/via_rideshare_2020_expansion
Common sense and local government takes a huge change in leadership. Maybe April 6th on Town will get it.
You asked if this is mental illness. In a way it is I think. Like laziness or big government or socialism is a mental illness.