Uptown and METRO don’t want you to read the fine print
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METRO has put out new ridership projections for the proposed $200 million bus project. It proved Uptown had grossly exaggerated ridership when they sold the real estate deal to Houston City Council, but the Houston Chronicle headline still read, ‘Why it doesn’t matter.’
The basic gist was that taxpayers should follow the logic once espoused by gubernatorial candidate Clayton Williams. Just relax and enjoy it.
Well, here at Dolcefino Consulting we kinda think facts do matter. And our new Chicago style Houston City Hall just hates when someone actually reads the fine print. But we did…
The new METRO numbers analyze ridership today so they can forecast what will happen in 2018.
What should be really alarming is that even METRO now admits 40% fewer suburban commuters will take buses from Park and Ride lots to transit centers near Uptown than was originally claimed. Look at the documents on saveuptown.com. Forty percent. Wasn’t that the whole point of this transit boondoggle?
Commuters would drive to a Park and Ride lot, take a bus to a transit center, then get off that bus and on to a second bus to then go to Uptown, then get off that bus and walk to their office buildings in rain or 100 degree weather. Yes, I know it is not logical, but that’s the plan.
So why does METRO say the ridership projections are only down 15%…not 40%? In that fine print you will see they claim ridership from two neighborhood bus stations virtually doubled in the last two years. Riders getting on the bus at Hollyhurst grew from 800 to 1650. West Alabama from 500 to 900 riders. That’s a transit miracle. Aren’t you surprised there isn’t a METRO News Release touting this sudden huge surge of bus riders in the middle of the city?
The Chronicle has called this project a waste of money before and City Hall didn’t listen. We have invested and think this is a smelly real estate deal disguised as a transit project that we have proven will make some of the folks pushing the deal millions of dollars.
Maybe in Chicago that’s the way it works…but not here.
Taxpayers are smart. It does matter.
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