Pittsboro Express Passenger Count for Friday morning, Sept. 25

[Gene Galin]

With all the discussion about the Pittsboro Express and the tinkling contest between Integrity Ticket and Populist (and others) I decided to ride down to the Pittsboro Lowes parking lot this morning and see for myself how many folks were on the bus.

7:15 am - 7 passengers
Bus heading up to Chapel Hill



7:34 am - 2 passengers
Bus heading down from Chapel Hill



7:48 am - 0 passengers
Bus heading up to Chapel Hill

[Silk_Hope]

Lets see, 9 passengers for 3 bus runs averaging 3 passengers a bus, the bus seats 40. Sounds to me like a van is needed or a compact car depending on the run.

[Everett McGill]

This particular service at this particular time is definitely;   "Change I don't Believe in" ......

[snowcamper]

Thanks Gene... now there's some high-quality investigative reporting we won't get anywhere else in Chatham County.  Kudos.

It may seem simple, or maybe just old-fashioned journalism to do such a thing, but we need more of it.

[whatsup]

7:48 am - 0 passengers
Bus heading up to Chapel Hill

Wow!  

No wonder the pro bus people did not want to supply any ridership numbers.

[integrityticket]

7:48 am - 0 passengers
Bus heading up to Chapel Hill

Wow!  

No wonder the pro bus people did not want to supply any ridership numbers.

Don't worry. Just wait for the attacks and excuses to start rolling in a little bit later on.

[mary51802]

 



Don't worry. Just wait for the attacks and excuses to start rolling in a little bit later on.
[/quote]

No attacks, I am smart enough to give it time and let people whine. NO I am not a left winger....

[Populist]

If you oppose public transit then no scenario will ever be satisfactory.  If you think it is an investment then you will treat the project as an investment and act accordingly.

It is nice that Gene visited the site, but unless he visits every day for at least a month it is not much more than a snapshot of one moment in time. Each day the numbers will change.  This was started as a pilot program, why not evaluate it on the of the intended program.  This obsession with short term results is exactly how our country got so far off track. Based on the analysis no one could ever innovate because they would be criticized to death during the process.

From what I understand through casual discussion with workers who have been commuting and using the bus service for years this service in less than one month is ahead of the original service to North Chatham.

In any case, I imagine data is being compiled and adjustments will most likely be made to accommodate and increase ridership.

[integrityticket]

If you oppose public transit then no scenaritho will ever be satisfactory.  If you think it is an investment then you will treat the project as an investment and act accordingly.

It is nice that Gene visited the site, but unless he visits every day for at least a month it is not much more than a snapshot of one moment in time. Each day the numbers will change.  This was started as a pilot program, why not evaluate it on the of the intended program.  This obsession with short term results is exactly how our country got so far off track. Based on the analysis no one could ever innovate because they would be criticized to death during the process.

From what I understand through casual discussion with workers who have been commuting and using the bus service for years this service in less than one month is ahead of the original service to North Chatham.

In any case, I imagine data is being compiled and adjustments will most likely be made to accomodate and increase ridership.

As expected the excuses have started.

Gene gets slammed for actually going out and taking a look, while Populist and Randolph provide NO concrete numbers. The other numbers we have heard so far range from 0 to 9. Populist and Randolph provide no other concrete numbers and it is evident why. They are so low and not close to the 12 passengers per bus that Randolph claimed.

BTW, what workers have been commuting and using the bus service for YEARS. Apparently these were not people in Chatham county. Probably some of your friends in more densely populated places like Chapel Hill? Or was it Starkweather's wife using the North Chatham Park & Ride?

[Clyde]

nobody slammed Gene all he did was point out a fact, Gene's numbers are a snapshot of ridership on one particular friday morning during a 30 minute period.

what i don't understand is why didn't the poster who has been demanding numbers from everyone else go out and get these for itself. It's just like "the right" to want someone else to do its bidding while taking no responsibility personally for what it wants.

[snowcamper]

Well, Gene counted zero riders at the 8:00 bus on Friday, I counted zero Riders on the same bus on Thursday...

And it isn't exactly our responsibility to justify the existence and expense of the program...counting simply allows us to say "I told you so". 

See, the end results of every lib program are very easy to predict...except by libs, who always predict roses and sunshine and grateful poor people throwing organic, free range, cruelty free jasmine petals at their wise, liberal, betters.

The reality is, any lib program will be an expensive catastrophe.

[WolfpackFan]

And to go along with what snowcamper said, we have had several different posters provide snapshots over the last several weeks, and they have posted similar low numbers.  Given all of the snapshots, I am starting to see a well developed picture being made.

[WolfpackFan]

If you oppose public transit then no scenaritho will ever be satisfactory.  If you think it is an investment then you will treat the project as an investment and act accordingly.

Do you mean oppose public transit in general, or oppose subsidizing a large bus for a few riders?

[Populist]

I applaud Gene's efforts, however, inducing a trend from one observation is problematic. Let's pretend I know nothing about basketball and I happen to watch the 1984 NCAA tourney where Michael Jordan scores just 13 points in his final game.  If that is the only game I ever view what would I conclude about Michael Jordan, UNC, Dean Smith, etc, etc. Anecdotally, I have been told by friends that ridership varies daily and as many as 15 have been using the service-which certainly outstrips the humble start the park and ride service from UNC had in North Chatham.  Again if you do not see a value in the investment in public transit than no scenario will ever be satisfactory.

[WolfpackFan]

I applaud Gene's efforts, however, inducing a trend from one observation is problematic. Let's pretend I know nothing about basketball and I happen to watch the 1984 NCAA tourney where Michael Jordan scores just 13 points in his final game.  If that is the only game I ever view what would I conclude about Michael Jordan, UNC, Dean Smith, etc, etc. Anecdotally, I have been told by friends that ridership varies daily and as many as 15 have been using the service-which certainly outstrips the humble start the park and ride service from UNC had in North Chatham.  Again if you do not see a value in the investment in public transit than no scenario will ever be satisfactory.

Actually, by many accounts, Jordan's college career was good, but not overwhelmingly remarkable.  Some feel Dean held him back some to create more of team enviroment.  Jordan really began to "super excel" in the NBA.

While it is nice to explain to us how one point does not make a graph, and give us a nice BB analogy to make the post longer, you fail to encompass the other points that many poster here have indicated with their personal experience.  There have been several reports of seeing very few riders on the bus, not just one.  Again, if you do not see how spending a lot of our tax money on something very few people will use, then no scenario will ever be satisfactory.

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