Monday May 12, 2008
How do you increase public transportation use? Well, you wait for the cost of gasoline to go up, and when it does you introduce new routes and lower rates to attract drivers that were on the fence. And since gas prices have just risen, it makes sense that Miami-Dade is cutting 600 bus routes and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority is considering dropping from 50 to 20 Tri-Rail trains per day. Update: A number of commenters have pointed out that the “600” figure is yet another example of the Sun-Post playing fast and loose with numbers.
Tags: transit, transportation · Comment feed: RSS, atom
This is typical SoFla behavior…
Cut when you need to expand, raise when you need to lower, and so on…
It’s amazing that this state and more specifically the tri-county area is still functioning. I mean, some of the worst schools in the country, possibly the most dysfunctional public transit in the country, some of the highest property taxes and insurance in the country, salaries that have yet to rise to the “new” cost of living, oh yea and corruption to boot!
An increase in metro ridership, that would substantially alleviate car traffic congestion and maybe lower our carbon footprint, would quickly overwhelm miami’s pathetic metro system. Everyone knows that. Even in the old cities with like NY with extensive public transport any spike in riders would be a crush. i think it is no accident that when an individual is behind the wheel of an auto, they lose autonomy. Why provide people the ability and ease of getting around town? Welcome to the swamp.
What’s up with car ads on the sides of busses? Am i the only one who thinks that stinks?
We, as a society have created this way of thinking and being. This is probably what attracted most of you here in the first place. Miami is a very dynamic and beautiful place and just like anywhere in the world there are bad neighberhoods, bad people, crime, etc. We, the people that live here and turn the other way when something wrong is happening are the problem, how many of us have ever gone to complain at any of our agencies about the unjust things we see in the city of Miami? Stop bitching and complaining and do something, start a movement, etc. Miami is not loyal to anything, this is who we are and it’s because the majority of you are like that. Ever been to a losing Dolphin game, or Hurricane footbal game after losing to FSU, been to a Heat game this year? How many? YOU ARE THE PROBLEM!
Bitching and complaining is part of doing something. If done correctly it lets your elected officials know that you will accept higher taxes and tolls to improve public transit, that you will accept less money being put into automobile-oriented projects and more being put into transit-oriented projects. It lets your fellow drivers know that gasoline prices are not high right now, but that they are still artificially low, and that suburban living bears a high cost to society as well as the environment.
couple that with the proposed gas tax moratorium… it’s gonna be an ugly summer out on the streets of Miami.
& btw, how the hell is it that loyalty comes into play with any of this? maybe if you meant for city commissioners to be loyal to the people of Miami rather than their own pockets (a Marlins’ stadium in Little Havana, to keep with the sports theme, PUHLEEZE) I’d understand.
i agree with “stick it” although i’m guilty of being a typical miami resident of bitching and not doing anything about it. But then again what can i do? what can you do in this backward society? I wouldn’t mind moving out of here and living in a city that makes sense…so watch out Brooklyn…i’m ready for all you hipsters.
The most we can do is vote the bums currently in office out. Elect new people, if they turn out to be bums, vote them out and elect a-new again. Eventually these fools will get the message that if they don’t do what the voters want, they’ll be out!
I know wishful thinking.
We are soo fucking sdrawkcab.
Partially because people like #3 believe attending a losing Marlins, UM, and/or Heat game is indicative of being part of a movement.
Last time I checked the Marlins had the best record in baseball.
^^^http://maps.google.com
Who cares about their record…
Public money being spent on a stadium is ridiculous, especially when the state is strapped for cash and there are much more important problems.
Did I say anything about the stadium?
I was simply commenting the fact that they are not the “losing Marlins” that people have stated that they are.
Relax, I know this city is screwed up, you don’t have to tell me. I’ve lived here long enough to watch it happen.
Where did you get the “cutting 600 bus routes” from? There aren’t even that many existing routes to cut. Here’s what I got from the article:
“commissioners passed a resolution that would eliminate nine bus routes used by an estimated 650 regular riders”.
it may be a mistake but the title of the article is “County eliminates 600 bus routes”
Tri-Rail records 28 percent ridership gain in April
http://www.progressiverailroading.com/10eastnews/default.asp?id=16380
Still seems way low:
“Average weekday ridership during March was 13,377.”
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/local_news/epaper/2008/04/30/0430trirail.html
I rode the bus from South Beach to Doral for 2 years. It was quite unpleasant and took almost 2 hours.
The 600 number comes from an article that is referenced in the sidebar next to the article that Alesh links to.
Appears to me to be a bit of shoddy reporting on the SunPost’s part. Channel 10 reported nine routes, Miami Today reported nine, and the Herald reported nine.
Or maybe the SunPost is the only one that has it right.
I’ll let someone else research the Tri-Rail numbers, which also seem high.
.
ok, I see where the 600 routes thing came from. That is somewhat misguided. Link to the actual resolution:
www.miamidade.gov/govaction/matter.asp?matter=081107&file=true&yearFolder=Y2008
It looks like some copy editor or whoever is responsible for writing headlines at the SunPost pulled the 600 figure out of his or her ass because even in the article itself, it clearly states that:
“commissioners passed a resolution that would eliminate nine bus routes used by an estimated 650 regular riders.”
And if you click on this link and use the little drop down menu, you will see that there isn’t anything near 600 routes in the county.
http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/routes1.asp
Now the question is, is the SunPost going to run a correction? Newspapers try to avoid that at all possible costs.
Not the Sun Post’s first time playing fast and loose with numbers.
Technically, you have the # of routes the county runs X the number of times per day the bus runs that route X the number of people on average riding the bus; but it’s bullshit to multiply the numbers out, because of course some of those people are still going to be riding the bus. They’ll just be less convinienced.
In other words, the number is bullshit, and I guess I should have given it a bit of scrutiny before repeating it.
I guess they are eliminating maybe 650 car-saving rides?
no matter what the hard numbers, the facts are clear that the county is cutting public services like schools and transportation and investing in it’s next big push for gentrification- mega projects. the housing market is dead for now, so they are divesting from their services that benefit the poor and investing in rich-folk attracting projects.
and just to do a totally self-promoting plug- tomorrow the CBC is hosting a forum on the global agreement, featuring in-the-know panelists. its at 4pm at 1900 biscayne blvd. you should come!