Quote Originally Posted by gdogslim View Post
No I am 100% right on target.
Can anyone name a light rail system that runs a profit? maybe a couple in the world, or isn't massively subsidized.? New York many years ago.
Look at The People Mover. 8 - 10 MILLION a year subsidized by taxpayers!
Outrageous. Should be called the Detroit Tax Soaker.

Amtrak is different obviously, inter city rail, but it is still a government subsidized boondoggle multi BILLION. that has never had a profit overall. "The Pew Charitable Trusts SubsidyScope Project has just released a new report that finds 41 out of Amtrak's 44 routes lose money. The losses ranged from nearly $5 to $462 per passenger, depending upon the line, and averaged $32 per passenger."

As we all know the government does not create jobs, just transfers wealth.
We all know what happened to the Michigan Central Station.

Sure it might be good for students graduating in planning for jobs, union contractors who are big enough and donate to the right politicians and passenger who use trains at the expense of taxpayers who subsidize their transportation costs.
Land use problems, land costs, people choosing to drive cars , people move, it will never make money in michigan.
Instead maybe have electric or hybrid buses that are FLEXIBLE.
So what if a rail system doesn't profit. It would be a nice side benefit if it did. I pay my taxes, so therefore I'm paying for the system I ride. I also pay taxes for the sidewalks I walk. You pay taxes for your road, so quit concerning yourself with worrying about our train.