by Russell ManningI once read a comment on an article about our new light rail that said something to the effect that we shouldn’t compare ourselves to Charlotte, NC because it is not the same situation. I finally found the right statistic to refute that and to show why Hampton Roads is already doing better than Charlotte.
photo of Charlotte's Light RailPopulation:
- Hampton Roads = 1.65 (million)
- Charlotte MSA = 1.70 (million)
- Hampton Roads = 425 persons/sq. mile
- Charlotte MSA = 500 person/sq. mile
Now, you might be tempted to think that their higher population and density contributed to their having 181% of their first year projected ridership. I’m sure that has contributed to the large ridership, but consider this:
Total Commuters:
- Hampton Roads = 795,343
- Charlotte MSA = 801,778
- Hampton Roads = 1.86 (million)
- Charlotte MSA = 1.75 (million)
Hampton Roads can do this. Even more-so if the Beach gets on board. I do think that Norfolk needs to look at a larger parking deck for the Newtown Road Station. Charlotte’s end-of-the-line 1,120 space deck fills up by 8:15 AM.
Russell is a Political Science major at ODU, a Hampton Roads Magazine Top Ten Blogger at 757 Hampton Roads, and a Hampton Roads Partnership Intern.
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3 comments:
The larger number of Hampton Roads residents using public transportation
Charollote as a whole has 10.6% of the population under the poverty line. Norfolk, VA has 19.4%. Newport News has 13.8% of the population below, and Portsmouth has 16.2%.
Perhaps the reason more people use public transportation is because more people are poor.
Actually, according to the American Public Transportation Association, only 20% of all public transportation users are below the poverty line. Contrast that with the 25% that make between $50k and $100k or the 10% that make over $100k. The largest group is the $15k to $50k/year group, who make up 45% of all riders. So I think it is safe to say, that with 60% of riders making more than $15k, the number of overall riders DOES NOT depend on the number of poor. SOURCE: "A Profile of Public Transportation Passenger Demographics and Travel Characteristics Reported in On-Board Surveys." American Public Transportation Association. http://www.apta.com
In major cities, which have the bulk of the population, wealthy people commute on subways. The subways are public transportation. This could easily throw the statistic.
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