One of my biggest complaints government spending on public transportation while neglecting road improvements. In 2006, the Regional Transportation Authority in Middle Tennessee secured $41 million in taxpayer money to run a commuter train between Lebanon and Nashville. Local leaders dubbed it the Music City Star. Despite proponents’ predictions that it would have a daily ridership of 1,500 passengers, the train hit its peak in January 2010 with just 850 passengers per day.
This figure is roughly three times the average ridership over the life of the Star, which costs $4.1 million per year to run.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.”
We have just gotten a daily train from Lynchburg through Charlottesville to DC * its TIMES do not make it conducive for work; however, it will take shoppers OUT OF OUR AREA to the DC area....
I was hoping you had a great bbq recipe!!!
Dang!
Larry,
As I was reading your story and before I got to the punchline, I drew the same conclusion. :)
Steve