The Metro Rail looking back...

[WNYresident]

So over all, was building the subway worth it? What did it end up costing? $100,000,000? $200,000,000?

How much does the labor, maintenance and administration cost versus how much tax payer money goes in each year?

Do people think the businesses that went out of business during it's construction on Main Street would still be in business if it wasn't built?

[Bioguy231]

Who was behind the whole subway fiasco?

[WNYresident]

I don't know who was behind all of that.

Looking back though it looks like it was an extremely stupid idea or I'm missing something here..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Metro_Rail

In 2008 there were 6,860,000 rides according to the above page...

If you took 6,860,000 divide by 365 days a year you would get 18794 rides a day...

So 18,794 people use it a day? or is it 9,350 people a day... to and from someplace?

Think those numbers are correct?

[WNYresident]

Configuration 2- to 4-car trains 51 seated people 140 total. Fleet of 26.

18700 rides a day / 51 seated / 26 trains running

Are the cars always full? As little as I do go down town the cars never look full.

26 cars would have to shuffle 720 people each per day..


<table class="wikitable"><tbody><tr align="center"><th>Year</th> <td>2006</td> <td>2007</td> <td>2008</td> </tr> <tr> <th>Ridership</th> <td>5,631,864</td> <td>5,543,100</td> <td>6,860,000</td></tr></tbody></table>

How are these numbers calculated? Anyone know?

Seems like such a short distance

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/BuffaloMetroRail.png/236px-BuffaloMetroRail.png

[Linda_D]

I've already made my thoughts known on the other thread: it was a boondoggle of massive proportions.

[WNYresident]

I've already made my thoughts known on the other thread: it was a boondoggle of massive proportions.

So as community why don't we **** can it?

[Dougles]

So as community why don't we **** can it?

When was the last govt run program that was **** canned?

Plus you'd be called a racist and hater of the poor...

[WNYresident]

Time to think out of the "government" box.

Frankly I am sick and tired of having my property taken away "legally" and pissed away. Hey, it's a global economy. People in WNY/NYS better starting thinking what level of the food chain they wanna be at.

[sharky]

Configuration 2- to 4-car trains 51 seated people 140 total. Fleet of 26.

18700 rides a day / 51 seated / 26 trains running

Are the cars always full? As little as I do go down town the cars never look full.

they're full after an event at HSBC arena (I made the mistake of taking the first train to leave one night after a Bandits game. We were stuffed in like sardines) and during the morning commute hours. the times I've had to report to jury duty first thing in the morning the trains have been full, say around 7:45-9 iirc. I've never taken them right around 5pm so I don't know how the afternoon commute looks. later in the morning and early afternoons there is plenty of room on each car

[equinox]

I've heard it said that the best thing for the subaway would have been to build it, then shut it down. I saw a comedian who said he'd never been on a subway where after he took it to the end of the line, he could still see where he started.:p

[NBuffaloResident]

Personally, I think the LRT in Buffalo (In it's current state) is useless. Unless it gets expanded past what is present, it's a useless piece of the mass transit system, which can be served by the 8 line (Main St.).

So, we either need to expand it out, or get rid of it.


Time to think out of the "government" box.

Frankly I am sick and tired of having my property taken away "legally" and pissed away. Hey, it's a global economy. People in WNY/NYS better starting thinking what level of the food chain they wanna be at.

When has your property been taken away "legally"?