It only took a couple of e-mails to verify, but what do you see wrong with this public transit picture?
Crazy New Yorkers and their “free market” system:
It varies from system to system, depending on the market, passenger volume, and many other system-specific dynamics. Off the top of my head I’d say about 30% of a trip is covered by fares, the rest through other means (which includes State/Federal funding, as well as other revenue generators like bus and shelter advertising).
Crazy Haligonians and our socialistic tendencies:
Actually, Metro Transit generates 65% to 70% of its revenues from the farebox and receives no operating subsidies from the Provincial or Federal government. We have one of the highest revenue cost ratios of any transit service in Canada.
I think Halifax is actually proud of this. I will give them kudos for their profitability in a narrow business sense, but investing in public transport would make Halifax a better place to live and help ease traffic, minimize pollution and spur economic growth.
A couple suggestions off the top of my head:
- Get rid of every second stop on most routes (like the #1)
- 24 hour ferry service to Dartmough
- Make the #7 an actual loop
- Don’t charge $0.50 more for Link service (especially pass holders!)
- Start direct Metro Link service between shopping hubs (Bayers Lake, Halifax Shopping Centre, Scotia Square, Mic Mac Mall and the soon-to-be-constructed Dartmouth Crossing)
Check out these farebox recovery ratios from around the world.
2 Comments
I second the 24 hour ferry. That would have the added bonus of opening up downtown Dartmouth for students and low income folks in a real way.
Things that drive me nuts:
- TOO MANY BUS STOPS in downtown! Why every block when the blocks are only, what, 360 feet long?
- NOT ENOUGH LOOPS - a bus that ran clockwise and counterclockwise through downtown, from Dartmouth the Mumford, and stopped at Dal/SMU!
- MORE BUSES - More cars I actually read an article about how the 1929 Street Car system worked. Halifax had 100,000 people and 85 street cars running in loops! Halifax now only has about 150ish buses for 350K people!
- DEDICATED LANES - pave where the tracks USED to be in the railway cut, for transit buses only.
And with dedicated lanes, people sitting in cars during gridlock would see a bus zoom on by and realize there is a better option.
Now, sitting in traffic behind a bus is doing nothing for the public transit cause.