Valley Metro light rail opened last December. Opponents viewed the $1.4 billion, 20-mile line a boondoggle for the largely auto-dependent city. Now some of them admit to riding it. In fact, the LRT has become a symbol of civic pride. However, the system is unlike any other in the country in terms of its ridership.
"Unlike the rest of the country's public transportation systems, which are used principally by commuters, the 20 miles of light rail here stretching from central Phoenix to Mesa and Tempe is used largely by people going to restaurants, bars, ball games and cultural events downtown.
The rail was projected to attract 26,000 riders per day, but the number is closer to 33,000, boosted in large part by weekend riders."
Thanks to Gladwyn d'Souza
Comments
FTA Underestimates Light Rail Ridership
Phoenix is not an isolated case.
http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/21/the-cost-of-lowballing-light-rail-...
Charles Siegel
A conservative approach is not such a bad thing
I would far rather communities and the FTA take a conservative approach in projecting ridership and then see it easily exceed expectations. It makes for good press and in most communties that helps to sell future transit improvements.
When you can't hit numbers, either ridership, financial, or otherwise it makes for bad press and can seriously jepordize future improvements. In the case of Denver, they've dug themselves quite a hole becuase of very, very optimistic financial forecasting.