Sound Transit's bus operating costs are twice what it costs Metro

by Maggi Fimia

Question: Where do the numbers come from to support the statement that Sound Transit's costs per trip are twice what it costs Metro?

The 2000 Summary of Public Transportation -Washington State Dept. of Transportation document-
KC Metro operating cost per passenger trip = $3.34/trip
ST operating cost per passenger trip = $6.78

My second source for Metro operating is their web site:

http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/aboutus/tranfact.htm

Their 2001 operating cost per transit passenger trip is $3.04. I believe this is the net cost after the operating revenue (fares) is subtracted. That number is $.83. Together they add up to $3.87. When I was on the County Council, we used $4.00 per trip as the cost number and $1.00 as revenue- our policy was to try and capture about 25% of the operating costs from the passengers. That is why I believe the $3.04 is the NET not the GROSS cost. I use the gross cost- about $4.00 per trip.

(If you divide the Metro 2001 operating budget $290,594,318 by total passengers (ridership) for year: 98,867,969 you get almost $3.00/passenger)

My source for the Sound Transit costs come from their 2002 Adopted Budget document.

Page 135 says that their forecast is $6.4 million boardings in 2002

Page 164 says that their Regional Express Transit Operations Budget is $51,567,289.

If you divide $51,567,289 by 6,400,000 you get $8.06/passenger, twice the cost per trip on Metro.

I did not add in the Regional Express staff Operating Budget - $3,796,036- because some of their duties, I assume, including capital projects.

None of the Capital costs are included for either agency.

The actual cost to "purchase transit services," (defined as "direct operations and maintenance costs for Pierce Transit, KC Metro, and Community Transit per the adopted 2001 Implementation Plan") is $38,280,326. That still comes to almost $6.00/passenger trip. I do not have an explanation for that $2.00 discrepancy.