Uptown knows ridership numbers are inflated
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New documents obtained by Dolcefino Consulting prove ridership numbers for a controversial $300 million dollar bus project leading through the heart of Uptown are grossly inflated.
More troubling, Uptown hasn’t told taxpayers.
Documents released by Uptown claim ridership by 2018 will be up to 18,400. That is the justification for tearing up Post Oak, spending tens of millions of dollars to widen the streets to accommodate two bus lanes operating every few minutes.
Here is what they haven’t told you.
First, the numbers are based on transit ridership from five years ago.
Second, the 18,400 figure is based on an elevated busway from the Northwest Transit Center down Post Oak.
Under current plans, that elevated busway won’t even be built until at least 2018.
“This isn’t field of dreams,” says Wayne Dolcefino of Dolcefino Consulting. “The only part of this project that is supposed to make it quicker to get to Uptown is that part.” If those numbers are bogus, the whole thing falls apart.”
Third, the Uptown claims are based on staggering increases in park and ride usage to Uptown just three years from now.
This was no independent study. The report justifying the numbers was prepared by contractors being paid by Uptown. The Uptown claims were made in June 2013 in a report by HDR Engineering to the Uptown Management District. The report was released to Dolcefino Consulting under the Texas Public Information Act.
One obvious red flag. The 2013 report is based on even older numbers from 2010. You don’t have to be a transit expert to prove they aren’t true anymore. You can count fares.
Here’s an easy one.
The report claims more than 1,150 people will be taking a bus to Uptown in 2018 on the Metro 285 Commuter bus. Uptown knows that won’t happen. The 285 Metro bus was cancelled months ago because of low ridership.
It doesn’t exist anymore.
Uptown knows this. They also know proposed ridership down Post Oak to the Bellaire Transit Center is likely wrong.
In April of 2014 the same Uptown contractor told that very thing to Metro.
“The increase in ridership resulted from Dedicated Bus Lane Extension to the Bellaire Transit Center is most likely to be half of what the model projects. This is why we are warning taxpayers,” says Wayne Dolcefino of Dolcefino Consulting. “There are already buses running down Post Oak that are three quarters empty. This isn’t about being against transit. It is about
wasting tax-payers money and tearing up a beautiful street and killing businesses on what sure looks like intentionally exaggerated promises.”
These documents come out amidst growing questions about blatant conflicts of interest by the people who are pushing this project in Uptown.
“Some of these perpetually appointed board members have this huge taxpayer piggy bank to pay for utility improvements for their properties, selling the right of way, and then cashing in further on redevelopment when stores in retail shopping centers go belly up,” says Jim Scarborough of the Post Oak Property Owners Association. “This is a real estate deal, not a needed transit project.”
9 Final UPT Ch 4 Conditions from METRO Park and Rides
Uptown DBL ridership results 04-04-2014 (2)
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