The T Continues Sticking It to Cowtown Taxpayers

So, the folks over at the yankee-owned daily finally wised up a little to what a rotten deal The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) is for taxpayers.

In today's article by Gordan Dickson, the S-T interviews a Mr. Alan Douglas. Mr. Douglas has concluded that he'd rather spend $3 a day on gas to drive his own car to work than take The T for $2.50. See, taking the bus would add a full two hours to his daily commute to the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base where he works. "It's worth the extra 50 cents to sleep the extra hour, and be home an hour earlier," he said. He'll get no argument from me there.

Of course, their tree-hugging prejudices prevent the S-T from spelling out exactly how badly The T is sticking it to Cowtown Taxpayers. So, I'll tell ya'.

Get your sliderule out and do some math with me.

Annual Budget for The T: $47,800,000.00.

11% of budget covered by fares: -$5,258,000.00.
Total Tax-payer Subsidy: =$42,542,000.00.

That's right, taxpayers are paying an astounding forty-two millions bucks so a handful of people can ride nearly empty buses.

Up for just a little more math?

According to the U.S. Census, only about 5,300 people in all of Tarrant County ride a bus or train daily. So $42,542,000.00 divided by 5,300 passengers means that taxpayers pay about $8,026.79 a year for people to ride the bus.

Put another way, taxpayers could give each and every regular bus rider a fairly nice, reliable, used car, abolish the Fort Worth Transportation Authority and still come out ahead.