Reader Wonders How Much New Street Cars in Atlanta Will Really Cost
Steve Ramey adds up the time and money it would take to make it from Gwinnett to Atlanta using public transportation.
Dear Editor, I just read the Atlanta Journal Constitution article about the Federal Government sending additional monies (our tax dollars) to Atlanta for the streetcar project ($72 million project before cost overruns). Has anyone put a pencil to the monetary return from such a project? According to the AJC article, 2330 riders are expected to ride the streetcars each day at $2 per ride. I used my trusty calculator to estimate that it will cost $27.7 million per mile for the 2.6 mile project. That seems a little pricey in itself but when you break it down to when the ridership will repay the investment it becomes just a little more significant. With $2 fares it will only take 26 million riders to pay for the project, mind you that does …
Buckhead Coffee
6:44 am on Monday, July 18, 2011
You forgot the savings you'll realize on the wear and tear pm your car; and your nerves. Plus, with all that walking you can realize another windfall by canceling the gym membership. Not only that but your "Green Footprint" will be improved and I think you might get the government to remunerate some small sum for that effort. Ll in all, sounds like a great deal too me. Where can I sign-up? more ›