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Public Transit Ridership in the United States
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<p>[quote user="CMStPnP"]</p> <p>[quote user="Sam1"]The toll roads in Texas have been or are being built so that low income motorists can avoid them. Very few people in Texas use public transportation.[/quote]</p> <p>This is just absolutely silly.....</p> <p>I live in Dallas and I do not see a specific income class using the toll roads. I see all income classes using them. Dallas is using toll road construction because it lacks funds SIMILAR TO OTHER STATES LIKE INDIANA to keep up with the rapid population expansion. The Dallas area is reluctant to raise taxes to pay their share of the Federal Matching formula to increase highway construction so they are leaning towards Toll Roads to fill the gap.</p> <p>Plenty of people ride the transit system including Middle Class ole me. I have the choice of using my car but mass transit in DFW is cheaper than the car everytime. I can travel from my home to Fort Worth for just a $7 day pass, the pass works on the Light Rail segment to Downtown Dallas, Trinity Railway Express to Fort Worth........and then on the Fort Worth City Bus system to the Stockyards. If I drive my car that distance you can calculate for an average car that I would be paying more, athough the trip would be shorter in time consumed. Add one or two family members in the car or the rail pass system and the costs become a little more competitive between the two but I still think with two family members I pay less with the mass transit option.</p> <p>Likewise for the benefit of the readers here that are unaware, the Dallas Light Rail system stops right at the downtown Arena where the Mavericks play, likewise, it stops right at the Zoo and the State Fair as well as Dallas Union Station for a cross platform transfer to Amtrak. Additionally, you can transfer to the McKinney Avenue trolley (which is free on weekends sometimes) to get to the Art Museum and other locations. Dallas is pretty well covered by the Light Rail system and shortly there will be an airport spur into DFW Airport. That makes it a very convienient option.</p> <p>It just is a mystery to me why on these Forums the DART system is made to look like a folly or waste of money because I can assure you the predominant attitude in Dallas is it is money well spent. More folks in Dallas think the Bus System wastes money and some bus lines run empty. So there is some waste there that needs to be fixed. DART is well patronized though. [/quote]</p> <p>You have lifted a single sentence from my posting and stated it out of context. Your posting does not have a single data reference to support your point of view. It is based on your observations. Apparently anyone disagreeing with you is silly. </p> <p>According to the U.S. 2010 census, the median household income for Dallas County was $48,942. The median household income for Dallas was $42,259, which is impacted by the large number of poor people in south and west Dallas. The median household income in south Dallas was $39,120. The median household income for north Dallas was $60,575 and the median household income for Collin County was $82,758. The median household income for Highland Park was $219,096 and that for University Park was $151,862.</p> <p>The primary point in referencing the Dallas North Tollway was to show that affluent people will pay the the cost of commuting. Of course a variety of economic classes use it. But a close look at the map of the DNT and the adjacent communities it serves shows that it draws a significant portion of its traffic from affluent areas.</p> <p>Dallas as well as Texas have turned to toll roads because the Texas Legislature has refused to raise the state's fuel tax, which is the primary source of funding for through arteries in Dallas, as well as Texas other major cities. Although Dallas pays most although not all of the cost of its local streets, the throughways, i.e. Dallas North Tollway, I-35, U.S. 75 are funded primarily by state and federal funds. Dallas does not have much skin in the game with respect to these roadways.</p> <p>The population served by most of the light rail system was 3,342,361 in 2010. Approximately and 80 per cent of this population was over 16. The numbers would be slightly higher in 2011 because of growth, especially outside of Dallas but within the service area.</p> <p>Of the major modes of transit offered by DART, the HOV lanes had the highest average weekday passenger trips of 141,700 at an average subsidy of 22 cents. The average weekday passenger trips for the buses was 125,900 at an average subsidy of $5.12 per passenger. The average weekday passenger trips on the light rail system was 71,600 at an average subsidy of $4.23. These are passenger trips. Most weekday passenger trips are for work and consist of a roundtrip for each user. Thus, the average number of users for these components of the system would be 169,600 per day. This means that approximately 6.3 per cent of the population served by DART's HOV, bus, and light rail lines used the services. Also, one should keep in mind that approximately 25 per cent of the light rail riders begin their ride on a bus that forces them onto the light rail line to complete their journey.</p> <p>Yes indeed. You can travel from Dallas to Fort Worth and onto the stockyards for $7. And you can get back on the same tickets. What you failed to mention, however, is you get a subsidy on the Trinity Railway Express of $11.08 ($5.45 each way), but subsidies on connecting transportation in Dallas and Fort Worth.</p> <p>The numbers speak for themselves. You can check them out. If you think that the numbers make the DART spend on light rail, etc., a waste that is your prerogative. The point I made with my opening comments is that public transit in the United States is not well used, even when taking into consideration the higher ridership numbers in the nation's major metropolitan areas.</p> <p>Before you call someone silly, you should check the facts. </p>
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