By: Diane Benjamin
Connect Transit didn’t release financial information at their July 26th meeting because it is year end. They did provide some other interesting information – see PDF pages 28 and following: https://www.connect-transit.com/file/637/07%2026%202022_BoT%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf
Passenger trips isn’t the number of people – anyone who has to transfer to another line is counted twice on their way somewhere and twice when they return:
Ridership is way down, it should have recovered by now since COVID lockdowns ended a long time ago.
Mobility service has been up since March but it isn’t because people are switching from the huge buses to the tiny ones, the number of riders don’t validate that:
See PDF page 30 for why you see empty buses everywhere – 17 riders per hour across all routes:
PDF page 22: Why your electricity rates increased and why brown outs and blackouts are likely under democrats:
See PDF pages 18-19. Senator Darren Bailey introduced a bill for a COVID Religious Exemption. That bill was introduced in January and still has NO Co-Sponsors! Think other Republicans deserve your vote?
Start reading at page 12. Connect pays Cornerstone Government Affairs to keep them up to date on possible legislation. It is appalling the way many legislators think they need to run your life! That explains why people are continuing to flee Illinois. It also explains why so many corporations are relocating to states that allow them freedom to do what they do. Sure would be nice to have a real Republican Party!
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At those riders-per-hour numbers, it would cost taxpayers far less to pay 100% of the cost of their UBER or cab fair. I realize there are ADA-accessible cabs. Since the government is involved they are too worried about people losing their jobs and pensions to actually do what is in the best interest of the riders and taxpayers.
How can it be down? Can you have a negative amount of riders? Do they have less than zero riders now? I know I saw a “rider” the other day on one of the buses. This can’t be right. Quick…can someone go hop on the bus for a few minutes like they are in “leadership” for a photo opportunity with the local lying media? Maybe your air conditioner is broken and you need a few minutes of bus cooling? Come on B/N slaves and cretins… it’s time to take one for the team and ride a bus. A spreadsheet somewhere will thank you!
Connect Transit Is Bad For The Environment!
On average, at any given time each of the big buses is shuttling around One Person (plus the driver). Some sort of Uber or taxi system would be cheaper And more environmentally friendly – using smaller vehicles that mostly already exist rather than the environmental impact of creating the buses, moving their excessive weight around, and increasing the wear and tear on not only our roads but also the vehicle components vs smaller vehicles.
If one wants to argue that we cannot get rid of public transportation, then we need to rethink it. Perhaps keep buses for routes or times that they make sense – i’ve seen full buses on the ISU campus – but perhaps set up push buttons at bus stops so they auto-call lyfts or taxis or even smaller Connect Transit vehicles?