Maybe if people didn’ t have to stand from downtown to the MOA, especially during the Twins…they would ride more. I personally WILL NEVER ride the train again, after I was told soo rudly that I pay for a ride not a seat. Umm sorry but…if i’m paying…then that alone says I should have a seat. Not to mention….it’s just down right dangerous. I say…one of these days…a metro transit …or MVTA bus or any other mass transit vehical…is going to end up gettig sued someday beause someone got hurt while standing, and the bus or train got into an accident.

also…if people had more shelters to protect them from the heat/wind/and rain, there would be more riders. Who the heck wants to stand outside and wait for a train for 10 minutes…or a bus for 20 minutes? Sure…the train stalls are heated but they do no good when it’s blowing wind.

There are quite a few people like me who will not drive because of these inconvienences.

That is a glossey way of saying that it is harder to get your own seat nowadays and is becomes less pleasant to ride bus.

The headline should be ‘ Light Rail Transit Declines in 2011′.

Shouldn’t this press release include the assiciated revenue PL??

‘Associated’

For those of you that are confused about the decline in LR you will have to visit the Met Council site here:

http://metrotransit.org/TransitArticles/Story.aspx?pageid=18&mid=393&articleid=682

CCO spun the release and left off the last half of one sentence indicating the decline in LR.

Shame on you CCO – Pathetic Reporting!

I happy with the ride, its warm and Its sure does beat walking, stop with the complaining you can’t stand ten minnutes,,,,how is the hell did you get to the train fly, LOL… Unless your handicap, your just a wienie cry baby …Same goes for the bus…..and sure it get jam packed at times,,,really not so hard to deal with…. if you can’t deal ….walk or bike or get a car…

So with ridership up so much can we stop subsidizing the project?

Public transportation, a system so good it HAS to be subsidized.

I can think of several things more stressful than taking the bus. Try driving in a 19 year vehicle that is falling apart and you are wondering if you will make it to work. that is a reality for some of us. My job pays the bills and the mortgage, not enough to pay for a newer vehicle. Not buying another 1,000 beater again! Besides my company subsiidizes my bus fare and I only walk 8 blocks to the bus so it really is convenient.
By the way, highways and planes are heavily subidized as well, no city or county can afford to buy and maintain all their roads!

So let me get the numbers straight. If the number is 81 million is that 81 million fares? If so, a normal working person would go to work about 240 days per year assuming 4 weeks vacation and no weekends. To and from work thats 480 fares per person per year. That is only 169,000 people using public transportation. Out of 5.3 million people thats only 3.2% of the population that uses public transportation. Seems like an awfully low number for all the dollars we waste on this.

The headline should Metro Transit lost record amounts of taxpayers’ money. Less than 31% of its operating cost comes from fares: http://www.metrotransit.org/about-metro-transit.aspx