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2010 Tennessee Pork Report
Copyright © 2010
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The Music City Star costs taxpayers $4.1 million a year to subsidize.
Based on the average ridership in 2008, Cato Institute Senior Fellow Randal O’Toole determined that the government spends $25,000 each year per commuter. In other words, as O’Toole noted, this is “enough to buy each commuter using the train a new Toyota Prius every year for the next 30 years.”
I wonder if the train cars smell like bacon. |
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American Public Transportation Association, Public Transit Ridership Report, Fourth Quarter 2009
02-Mar-10 |
TN Nashville Regional Transp Auth COMMUTER RAIL TRANSIT RIDERSHIP REPORT This report calculates the percent change between 4th quarter 2009 (OCT '09-DEC '09) and 4th quarter last year (OCT '08- DEC '08).
Ridership on the Music City Star shows a slight increase of less than 1/2 of a percent, 0.43%, for the fourth quarter of 2009. Ridership is down –4.91% for all of 2009 as compared to 2008.
RTA projected 2009 average daily ridership of 1,740 which was later revised to 1,519. The average ridership in the APTA report is rounded to 700. So, the Music City Star is carrying LESS THAN HALF of the ridership projected by RTA.
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American Public Transportation Association, Public Transit Ridership Report, Third Quarter 2009
23-Nov-09 |
TN Nashville Regional Transp Auth COMMUTER RAIL TRANSIT RIDERSHIP REPORT
This report calculates the percent change between 3rd quarter this year (JUL '09-SEP '09) and 3rd quarter last year (JUL '08- SEP '08).
Nashville's commuter rail continues to show a decline in ridership. Ridership for the 3rd Quarter is -1.08% compared to the same quarter last year. Year-to-date ridership is -6.63% compared to the same timeframe last year. |
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Northeast Corridor Mobility Study
September 9, 2009 |
The Northeast Corridor Mobility Study was initiated by the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to develop a regional transportation strategy for the 30-mile corridor between downtown Nashville and Gallatin, TN.
This is an important document because of the criterion used to eliminate transportation alternatives in a preliminary screening.
The document under Recent Downloads, "Tech Memo 5: Preliminary Alternatives Screening (PDF)", was previously available. It was a preliminary screening of 10 bus and rail alternatives for the Nashville-Gallatin corridor. Only 3 alternatives passed this stage, one of which is light rail. The light rail alternative passed, in part, because it has the greatest number of activity centers within 1/2 mile of the proposed corridor and the most acres of densely or intensely zoned land within 1/2 mile of all the proposed stations.
Two commuter rail alternatives were eliminated because, in part, there were fewer activity centers and less densely or intensely zoned land within 1/2 mile of all the proposed stations. |
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American Public Transportation Association, Public Transit Ridership Report, Second Quarter 2009.
21-Aug-09
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TN Nashville Regional Transp Auth COMMUTER RAIL TRANSIT RIDERSHIP REPORT
This report calculates the percent change between 2nd quarter this year (APR '09-JUN '09) and 2nd quarter last year (APR '08- JUN '08).
2nd Qtr Change for Nashville's commuter rail is an astounding -20.16%
YTD Change for Nashville's commuter rail is -10.09% |
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Clarksville-Nashville Transportation Corridor
July 9, 2009 |
A Project Summary published by CUAMPO (Clarksville Urbanized Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) states that since the Clarksville-Nashville Corridor has the unique character of concentrated population centers with very low interim population density; a commuter rail alternative appears to be especially advantageous.
Not for those of us that have to pay for it.... |
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MASS TRANSIT CHOICES FOR A GROWING CUMBERLAND REGION
May 27, 2009 |
A brochure from a summit that was a collaboration of the Nashville MPO, Cumberland Region Tomorrow, and TDOT, “dedicated to moving forward on regional transit initiatives in middle Tennessee.”
The brochure highlights the expected (?) population changes by 2035. |
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Shaping the Future of Transporation for the Greater Nashville Region!
November 2008 |
This is a document published by the Nashville MPO.
The highlight of the document, from our perspective is page 18, “Typical Transit Revenue Sources.”
25-40% of the revenue comes from state and federal grants and 40-50% of the revenue comes from LOCAL taxes, consisting of money from the General Fund AND/OR a Dedicated Revenue Source. They separate dedicated funding like it's not a source from government and then you read that slide and it's our taxes "dedicated' to this whole drain on our pockets. Even more outrageous is the fact that only 20-25% of the funding comes from operating revenues.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to see a profitable mass transit without the push from the people who make the money. I believe mass transit is never a business that will make money UNTIL people realize the safety, ease of use, environmental benefits, monetary savings and environmental benefits that exist to use the system. Now quantify those 'benefits' and maybe, just maybe, there will be 'profit' in mass transit.
Can anyone point out a mass transit system, anywhere, that pays for itself?
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October 2008 |
According to Kevin Walker, P.E., "The purpose of the study was to see what feasible corridors were out there and on what scale are the associated costs. It was meant as a tool for the governmental agencies involved to have a better grasp on what commuter rail could look like in between Clarksville and Nashville. This study is not a final determination of the alignment. The next step involves a more detailed alternatives analysis that includes ridership modeling, environmental study, public meetings, etc. It is at the end of that step that an alignment would be determined."
Hmmmmm.....I was apparently misled by the study's subheading, "3.5 Selected Route", the statement that it was "the preferred alignment by the study team," and the fact that the rest of the report (89%) "looks into this option in more detail."
Additionally, NO INFLATIONARY COSTS were added to the estimated capital cost of the project (subheading, "6.0 Capitol[sic] cost estimate). |
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Nashville's Newest Star
2006? |
The line for the Music City Star was selected because it would be the simplest and most cost-effective of the corridors. Ironically, the most successful of the commuter bus corridors -- the one connecting the city with Hendersonville and Gallatin to the northeast -- was passed over for the initial commuter rail line. The southern corridor, roughly through Smyrna and on to Mufreesboro [sic] and Middle Tennessee State University, is another with high ridership potential. But it, too, is a challenge because the current connecting track is under private ownership.
And listen to what was said about the northeast corridor:
Sumner County Executive Hank Thompson, worries that population density measurements within direct proximity to the railroad tracks might be lower than the agency typically likes to see. He says, "I know they (the Federal Transit Administration) like to see how many people live within walking distance of the line, but that's not how we'll likely use the northeast corridor...There's no question about ridership -- and don't tell me people won't ride!"
"Cost-effective" does not mean least expensive. There must be ridership to support a line or else the taxpayers will pay.
The star is tarnished. |
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Music City Star East Corridor, Commuter Rail Service, Business Plan
Issued July 9, 2004
Revised and Adopted August 17, 2005
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The Business Plan details the key activities and functions that the RTA will take to ensure a viable commuter rail service.
This business plan, first issued in July 2004, probably came about after it was pointed out in a risk assessment study published in May 2004 that the RTA had no business plan. In effective management, business plans are living documents and should be kept up-to-date to keep management on top of things and improve the chances for success. The Music City Star East Corridor Business Plan was last revised in August 2005. Need I say more?
Oh, yes, I do need to say more. The last revision of this business plan in 2005 states, "Financing and funding issues continue to exist..." |
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Nov-2004 |
Regional Transportation Authority's Fact Sheet
- RTA projected 2,000 daily riders on the Music City Star by 2012.
- Annual operating subsidy required was estimated at approximately $800,000 annually--THAT'S YOUR TAX DOLLARS, FOLKS!
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A RISK ASSESSMENT OF THE EAST CORRIDOR
May 2004 |
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), as one of the financial partners supporting the East Corridor Commuter Rail Project (Music City Star Commuter Rail), has developed a framework for assessing and managing risk associated with the East Corridor Commuter Rail Project. TDOT has a specific interest in this project since it is an active member of the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) Board of Directors, the agency responsible for financing, constructing and operating the East Corridor Commuter Rail Project. It is also a member of the RTA’s East Corridor Oversight Committee, which provides project guidance and direction to project staff; and TDOT, as a funding partner, has an inherit responsibility to ensure state funds are administered effectively and efficiently. Finally, TDOT wants to facilitate the development of an effective regional commuter rail network that operates seamlessly with other regional local regional and local transportation systems.
I repeat, "...TDOT, as a funding partner, has an inherent[sic] responsibility to ensure state funds are administered effectively and efficiently."
So what went wrong? |
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August 2002 |
A report prepared at the direction of the U.S. Department of Transportation for the purpose of exploring lessons learned from the experience of rails-with-trails (RWT's).
Railroads generally oppose RWT's for the following reasons:
- Trails are not related to railroad operations
- Trails do not generate revenue for the railroad
- Rights-of-way may be needed by the railroad
- Poor designs lead to trespassing, injuries, etc.
- A narrow right-of-way complicates safety for workers
- There are no financial benefits for increased exposure
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2002? |
This is a statement from certified real estate appraiser that explains a situation called "external obsolescense" and how it adversely affects property values. The appraiser uses the following example. "Consider the following: Two homes are identical in every respect except one is located near active railroad tracks and one is not. Market forces dictate that the home near the tracks is less desirable and would sell for less than the other house."
Although the appraiser is licensed in New Jersey, external obsolescense may be applicable to active railroads in Tennessee. More research is needed. |
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