From: Greenmun, Reid F <Reid.Greenmun@mantech.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 27, 2013 at 9:53 AM
Subject: RE: Report: HRT has serious fiscal problems | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
To all,
I believe THIS is the first salvo in a media campaign to begin the lobbying for HRT to siphon off as much of the new transportation funds as possible. Tom Holden used to work at the Pilot and HRT hired him as their Public Relations guy. Tom isn't wasting any time "working" the Pilot to stir up the Freeloader Class to demand that HRT fare increases are avoided (or reduced) and that the "new money" from HB 2313 will be used to "keep fares affordable" ...
What we have is a defacto regional light rail tax and a whole lot of other wasteful mass transit spending being added to the tax burden paid by the good people of Tidewater - well, the Productive Class anyway.
The problem with HRT has always been a failed business model that depends upon charging people NOT RIDING the mass transit HRT provides to pay the majority of the costs incurred by HRT to provide the mass transit.
HRT likes to point to "ridership" as a metric of success or "need"; often in accurately depicted as "demand".
The truth is that if each ride on Norfolk's 7.4 mile light rail actually costs $15 for the service provided, how many people would pay $15 to ride 7.4 miles at an effective speed of 15 MPH?
None. Zip.
HRT likes to market their service as a "bargain" when compared to the cost of driving and buying gas, etc. But that is only a bargain because so many of HRT's riders pay from ZERO to only $1.50 for a ride on their light rail train/trolley. Buses are subsidized roughly 80% by non-riders. That figure comes from HRT. It may be worse!
Time is money - and HRT consumes MASSIVE time taking riders from point A to Point B.
This racket needs to be exposed for the unsustainable transit model it truly is.
-Reid Greenmun
Citizen & Taxpayer
Hampton Roads TEA Party - Virginia Beach Chapter
Tidewater Libertarain Party
Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance
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