I came across the 2002 estimated cost of the [San Diego] “Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project” — the so-called light rail line from Old Town to points north. It was $30 million per mile.
http://www.lightrail.com/projects.htm#San_Diego
Doubtless because of “galloping inflation” (geezers will recall that term — used by President Richard Nixon to describe the 4.7% inflation in the early 70’s that caused him to impose Draconian wage and price controls), naturally this project’s cost today is estimated to be higher. How much higher? Somewhere north of $160 million per mile. Now THAT’s inflation!!
Well, actually, it’s S.O.P. — low-ball the costs to get the project approval, get the project rolling, and only later reveal the true costs. Liar, liar, trolley wheels on fire.
BTW, it’s fun to try to Google the current cost of the project. The SANDAG documents bury the cost deep within the trolley-babble. It’s like an afterthought. Furthermore, the “updated” cost is always wrong. And it’s always STILL too low. Always.
I sure hope SANDAG doesn’t actually PAY someone to grind out these fictitious numbers. Sadly, they do pay — and SANDAG pays a LOT. A below-the-radar agency, SANDAG’s pay and benefits are second to none — outside of “public safety” employees.
When completed, this trolley doubtless will carry only a fraction of the projected passengers. If it follows the pattern of previous trolley spurs, about 75% of the riders will be former BUS riders — few will actually get out of their cars. One analyst friend of mine estimated that the time saved by Mid-Coast trolley riders from Old Town to the UTC shopping center (vs. using the bus) would be about four minutes.
Madness!
But there’s method in their madness. And it’s an evil, premeditated madness.
Comments 13
$160MM per mile??? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to fix the roads and add more lanes? The ROI on this one stinks!
I sometimes ride the trolley and I used it to commute to/from work for a few years.
What is on the trolley:
-thugs
-criminals
-drug dealers
-the insane
-SDSU students
-the occasional scared tourist (who probably happily rides mass transit in their country)
-illegal aliens
-homeless
What is not:
-those who want to reduce their carbon footprint by not driving
-any elected office holder (especially one that thinks the trolley is so great)
-security
-anyone with a concern for timeliness, comfort, safety, or efficiency
-Greenpeace members
-deodorant
-enough commuters to have any impact on traffic
-airport travelers (seriously, who plans mass transit without an airport stop???)
Why do you meanies want to deprive Supv. Ron Roberts of his legacy project?
But they make such great photo ops!
Mr Schwartz–
If you rode the trolley for a few years and this is all you saw:
” -thugs
-criminals
-drug dealers
-the insane
-SDSU students
-the occasional scared tourist (who probably happily rides mass transit in their country)
-illegal aliens
-homeless”
Then in which of those categories were you?
Bill, can you point me to the section of my post where I said “this is all I saw”?
But if I had to pick a category to place myself in…insane. Insane for riding that financial black hole of a homeless toilet on wheels for so many years.
Don’t beat yourself up on this, Michael. Personally I never fault the people using the trolley. Indeed, I’m DELIGHTED that they (and you) do.
It provides a trickle of revenue to cover a fraction of the operating costs — costs that (sadly) will be incurred whether or not they choose to ride this boondoggle on rails. Regardless of their personal decision to ride the rails (and often to buy a ticket for the trip), we taxpayers get stuck with 100% of the capital costs and replacement outlays.
What I DO fault is people desperately still trying to justify and expand this outdated, inconvenient, incredibly expensive and largely useless mode of transit. It’s like they’ve had a transit lobotomy — the ability to reason in this matter has surreptitiously been cut or burned out of their brains
“Bill, can you point me to the section of my post where I said “this is all I saw”? ”
Shoot, you can also see those kind of people just walking around town, or at a Raiders game or the DMV.
Nothing personal intended. ; )
“It provides a trickle of revenue to cover a fraction of the operating costs — costs that (sadly) will be incurred whether or not they choose to ride this boondoggle on rails. Regardless of their personal decision to ride the rails (and often to buy a ticket for the trip), we taxpayers get stuck with 100% of the capital costs and replacement outlays.”
Out of curiousity, which of my taxes are paying for this? Is this thing subsidized through sales tax, property tax, state, federal, or all of the above? I wonder what money they throw at this when its paradoxically low-income transportation and tourist attraction.
Elliott, it’s a combination. We have a county (SANDAG) half cent sales transportation tax. Much comes from the feds, which means income tax, corporate taxes or (in reality) more borrowing.
There are other sources I’m not clear on. Don’t have time to look it up, but it shouldn’t be hard to locate.
Bill, I try to avoid downtown, the Raiders games and the DMV as well! Go only when I HAVE to.
One big difference — you are semi-trapped on a trolley when it’s underway. Not comforting.
Thanks, Richard. Another example why dissociating services from their revenue sources hides a lot of waste when people think they are getting something cheap.
If this trolley were to be done correctly, it would attract a better clientele. Perhaps even better clientele than me!
To run correctly:
-Competent security
-Effective collection of fares
-The ability to get to colleges/malls/airport/beaches/north county
-Adherence to the schedule
-No transfers in the middle of the line (like Old Town was and One America Plaza/Sante Fe Depot is)
But then if you did all of that…you wouldn’t be able to find a seat with all the environmental lawyers and registered Democrats riding it, I am sure.