Sunday, September 12, 2004
South Jersey Light Rail Closes in on Absurdly Low Ridership Goal
Once again, it is proven that if you set your goals low enough, you can always meet them. New Jersey Transit reports that its South Jersey "River" light-rail line is close to meeting its ridership goal of 5,900 riders per day. In August, it carried an average of 5,600 riders per day. This is heralded as a great triumph.
The line cost nearly $1 billion to build and New Jersey Transit lost more than $9 in operating costs for every rider carried since it opened last March.
Just how good is 5,600 riders per day? In 2002, Cleveland had the lowest ridership of any modern light-rail line, yet carried more than 10,000 people per day on a route that is less than half as long as South Jersey's 34 miles. San Jose's light-rail line was the worst performer on a per mile basis, yet carried 26,000 riders on less than twice the miles of South Jersey's River line.
Light-rail systems in Sacramento, Baltimore, Salt Lake City, and Denver all carried between 28,000 and 35,000 riders per day yet all had fewer route miles than the South Jersey line. San Francisco's light-rail system is about the same number of miles as South Jersey; it carried 160,000 riders per day. Boston, the national champ, carried 246,000 riders per day on just 26 route miles.
No doubt we will soon be hearing rail advocates talk about what a great success the South Jersey line is.
The line cost nearly $1 billion to build and New Jersey Transit lost more than $9 in operating costs for every rider carried since it opened last March.
Just how good is 5,600 riders per day? In 2002, Cleveland had the lowest ridership of any modern light-rail line, yet carried more than 10,000 people per day on a route that is less than half as long as South Jersey's 34 miles. San Jose's light-rail line was the worst performer on a per mile basis, yet carried 26,000 riders on less than twice the miles of South Jersey's River line.
Light-rail systems in Sacramento, Baltimore, Salt Lake City, and Denver all carried between 28,000 and 35,000 riders per day yet all had fewer route miles than the South Jersey line. San Francisco's light-rail system is about the same number of miles as South Jersey; it carried 160,000 riders per day. Boston, the national champ, carried 246,000 riders per day on just 26 route miles.
No doubt we will soon be hearing rail advocates talk about what a great success the South Jersey line is.
Comments:
The RiverLine is a success because it's attracting new business and luxury condo construction that would never have been possible with the rail line. Once these new buildings are completed, we will see ridership increase.
Camden and Trenton are basically run down poor black neighborhoods that has not seen development in the last 50 years! The Riverline is going to change all of this within the next 20 years.
The new lightrail line will attact over $2 million passengers this year alone with more to come. These passengers would have ended up on I295 creating more girdlock and polution. While it is true the Riverline is under priced, this is going to change once NJ Transit raises it's fares. I wonder why the article left out revenues received from monthly parking?
What's not inluded in the article are the greater TAX REVENUES the cities along the rail line now receive due to increased property taxes and new business developement. These figures have been completely left out of the article. In Bayonne, property values along the Hudson Bergen light rail increased 30% over the past two years compared to those 25 blocks or greater.
If you think the Riverline is a boondoggle, the cost of upkeep the highway (295) next to it is in the hundreds of millions. In fact, 295 makes the Riverline look like a bargain. Furthermore, since it's not tolled, that highway will be a money pit for the rest of it's life!
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Camden and Trenton are basically run down poor black neighborhoods that has not seen development in the last 50 years! The Riverline is going to change all of this within the next 20 years.
The new lightrail line will attact over $2 million passengers this year alone with more to come. These passengers would have ended up on I295 creating more girdlock and polution. While it is true the Riverline is under priced, this is going to change once NJ Transit raises it's fares. I wonder why the article left out revenues received from monthly parking?
What's not inluded in the article are the greater TAX REVENUES the cities along the rail line now receive due to increased property taxes and new business developement. These figures have been completely left out of the article. In Bayonne, property values along the Hudson Bergen light rail increased 30% over the past two years compared to those 25 blocks or greater.
If you think the Riverline is a boondoggle, the cost of upkeep the highway (295) next to it is in the hundreds of millions. In fact, 295 makes the Riverline look like a bargain. Furthermore, since it's not tolled, that highway will be a money pit for the rest of it's life!
