PDA

View Full Version : Dear NCGA: We don't want train money. Sincerely, Charlotte




musicmax
06-01-2011, 07:03 AM
Why isn't anybody (Glen) telling our Chamber-of-Commerce-sponsored GOP General Assembly that light rail is a money pit?

Tillis and Rucho need to be impeached, as well as every Republican who votes for this garbage.

eduardo89
06-01-2011, 08:28 AM
I love light rail, but it's just not cost effective in urban spawl. It works dense cities like Vancouver, Canada or Portland, but not in suburb-centric cities.

GunnyFreedom
06-17-2011, 06:35 PM
Well, I did cosponsor the "no money for high speed rail" bill that never went anywhere.

MozoVote
06-17-2011, 07:30 PM
At least Mecklenburg county pays some of the underlying cost through it's own financing. The state adds matching funds to that.

The last referendum on the transit tax passed 70/30 in favor, so people here generally do want the train. (And I did vote to keep the tax too, since it's one of the public amenities I can obtain some value from ... unlike the politically moribund public school system.)

It's a different dynamic than the long distance train that Glen is fighting, that will eat up farmland in Franklin county and is very unpopular with the locals.

eduardo89
06-17-2011, 07:32 PM
At least Mecklenburg county pays some of the underlying cost through it's own financing. The state adds matching funds to that.

The last referendum on the transit tax passed 70/30 in favor, so people here generally do want the train. (And I did vote to keep the tax too, since it's one of the public amenities I can obtain some value from ... unlike the politically moribund public school system.)

It's a different dynamic than the long distance train that Glen is fighting, that will eat up farmland in Franklin county and is very unpopular with the locals.

The problem with this light rail is the ridership/cost ratio is atrocious!

21,000 daily riders, $470 million cost for first line. -> $22,400 per rider


Compare to Vancouver's Canada Line -> 115,000 daily riders, $2.054 billion (Canadian dollars)-> $US16,200 (at the time $US 1=$CAN 1.10)
Take out $750 million that was paid by the private company that runs it, and the Airport Authority (100% non-taxpayer funded) that paid $300 million for the spur to the airport, gives us:
115,000 daily riders, $1.004 billion (Canadian dollars) -> $US8000 per rider of taxpayer money