During the last public budget hearing (spring 2011) for City of Phoenix, the City was proudly stating that the Light Rail was and is an economical success.
REALLY…let’s take a look at the City of Phoenix Public Transit Department 2011-12 Operating Budget
City of Phoenix Public Transit Department
2011-12 Operating Budget
(in thousands)
|
Operating Budget Resources |
Bus (1)- $ |
Light Rail (2) – $ |
Total PTD – $ |
|
Transit 2000 Sales Tax |
76,518 |
18,491 |
95,009 |
|
Fare Revenue (3) |
34,394 |
6,241 |
41,503 |
|
Dial-A-Ride Fare revenue |
868 |
|
|
|
Advertising |
3,100 |
201 |
3,301 |
|
General Fund (4) |
19,232 |
|
19,232 |
|
FTA Grant Funds |
8,931 |
1,045 |
9,976 |
|
Public Transportation Fund |
10,759 |
|
10,759 |
|
Other Agency Funds (5) |
9,728 |
|
9,728 |
|
Fuel Tax Credit |
3,288 |
|
3,288 |
|
Regional Service Cost Recovery |
2,000 |
|
2,000 |
|
Miscellaneous Federal Grans |
809 |
|
809 |
|
Other Funds |
1,372 |
|
1,372 |
|
Interest Earnings |
1,100 |
|
2,202 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Operating Resources |
172,099 |
1,102 |
199,179 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transit 2000 Sales Tax – Debt Service |
650 |
47,746 |
48,396 |
|
Total Public Transit Resources |
172,749 |
74,826 |
247,575 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating Budget Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
Fixed Route Bus Operations (6) |
152,955 |
|
152,955 |
|
Dial-A-Ride Operations |
15,689 |
|
15,689 |
|
Reserve-A-Ride Operations |
3,455 |
|
3,455 |
|
Light Rail Operations |
|
27,080 |
27,080 |
|
Total Operating Expenditures |
172,099 |
27,080 |
199,179 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Debt Service |
650 |
47,746 |
48,396 |
|
Total public Transit Expenditures |
172,749 |
74,826 |
247,575 |
- Includes fixed route bus, Dial-A-Ride (DAR) and Reserve-A-Ride (RAR)
- Light Rail resources and expenditures represent Phoenix’s share of the system
- Fixed route bus services fare revenue represents 22.5% of the fixed bus operations costs. The regional goal for fixed route farebox recovery is 25%, which is typical for the fixed route bus industry.
- General Fund (GF) includes $15.8M for fixed route bus and DAR, and $3.4M for RAR. The GF contribution for bus and DAR was $29M in 2000-01 (RAR operations was moved to the Public Transit Department in 2010-11.
- Other Agency Funds represent payments from cities of Avondale, Glendale, and Scottsdale, and the Regional Public Transportation Authority, for the transit service provided by the City of Phoenix
- 68% of bus operations expenditures (excluding RAR) is for transit service contracted to private providers. Including other services such as facilities cleaning and maintenance, landscape maintenance and technology system maintenance, 86% of bus operations is outsourced
Simple review of the budget:
Total operating budget (for 2011-12) is $247M, less than 18% is recovered from revenue.
Cost to the taxpayers each year is a minimum of $203M (4 food taxes).
How can City of Phoenix justify this? This is an economic disaster
