The Way I See It!

Guest Blog - Amy Geiger-Hemmer - Familiar words: "Well below projections"

Posted by Randy Hollenbeck on May 15, 2010

Guest Blog, Milwaukee County, Patricia Jursik, Bikes, Taxes, MCTS

On (4/20/10), buried in the Cue section of the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel, I came across the following story:

"USE OF BIKE RACKS ON BUSES WELL BELOW PROJECTIONS" by Tom Held

Just a small sampling of what was in the article:

"Riders used the bike racks on Milwaukee Country Transit buses 9,400 times in the first eight months of the new service, according to a release from MCTS.  Without a sharp increase, the service use would fall well short of the 200,000 annual figure touted during the earlier debates about the purchase and maintenance of the racks."

From a Milwaukee County Supervisor, Patricia Jursik:  "It is unfortunate that critics are not willing to let the bike racks catch on with riders and bikers."  Jursik believes "bike rack usage will increase as we become familiar with them (the bus bike racks) and learn more about how they work."

Hmmmm.  Then the cost:

"Maintenance costs for the racks have totaled $19,000.00 

The racks and installation cost $405,000.00."

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For the taxpayers footing the bill, the first year of the "bus bike rack" program has cost:  $424,000.00.  Given that the racks were used 9,400 times in eight months, that amounts to $45.10 for each bike to be put on a rack - just once!  Is it worth it?  Is the cost justified? 

I don't think so. 

(Need I even mention the ridership levels of Milwaukee County buses?  

In Milwaukee County, the number of people riding the bus has dropped 9% since 2008 - from 43.2 million riders in 2008 to the current level of 39,400,000.  Fares keep going up, services are getting cut, and people just aren't riding like they use to...) 

Now on to the bigger picture.

It is a GUARANTEE that the same words:  "WELL BELOW PROJECTIONS"   will eventually be applied to the high-speed rail project Governor Doyle plans to force upon the state of Wisconsin.  You know -  the taxpayer-funded money-sucking boondoggle for a choo-choo to connect Milwaukee and Madison that no one is going to ride. 

Actually, we've already had one "well below projections" moment in regards to high-speed rail.  The original number of jobs we were told would be created by this project was set at 10,000.  This was eventually revised to...55.  55 permanent jobs.  "Well below projections."

So just wait, if high-speed rail starts up here, we WILL hear the words

"WELL BELOW PROJECTIONS" again! 

Unfortunately, these words won't be used when referring to the start-up costs of the rail line, nor the money needed to maintain such a project year after year after year....

No.  These words will be applied to high-speed rail “ridership projections."   

Get your wallets out, taxpayers!