Tom Bazan emails Metro’s July’s farebox revenue numbers:
The METRO fare box revenue for July 2005 DECLINED 56.6% ($1,654,991.17) from July 2004 ($3,817,130.00).
Further, for the pro-METRORail folks, the TVM (Ticket Vending Machine) revenue for July 2005 DECLINED 16.9% ($140,064.50) from July 2004 ($168,507.80).
The combined revenue (excluding the sales tax “windfall”) for July 2005 DECLINED nearly 55% ($1,795,055.67) from July 2004 ($3,985,637.80).
Lord have mercy. A 50+% DECLINE in revenue from last July.
If this were a private business…well, we all know what would happen. But this is Metro — an unaccountable, quasi-governmental agency that has been rewarded for its incredible performance with hundreds of millions more in taxpayer dollars. Instead of planning more rail lines that will only exacerbate the current financial crisis, Metro should focus on increasing its PAYING ridership!
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Commenter Bobby Warren left the following note on Lone Star Times, which posted Bazan’s figures today also:
Hmmm
