CATA logs 10 million riders over year

[RustTown]

CATA has finally broken the 10 million ridership mark, which solidifies it as the system with the second highest transit ridership in Michigan (after DDOT) which is a 7.3% increase from the year before. The ridership just keeps rising...

CATA logs 10 million riders over year

http://lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/...EWS01/612110323

[statedude3]

I know MSU ridership is a huge part of this number, but it is still great to see. According to my dad who works for CATA, ridership is up on almost all of the fixed routes.

I was a frequent rider of 9 and 11 when I still lived in Lansing and over the last 12 months there I noticed an obvious increase in ridership. I think perhaps people are catching on to the financial benefits of not taking a car everywhere.

[RustTown]

Yeah, the MSU factor is a huge factor. I think it accounts for half the yearly ridership numbers. But, that's a pretty set factor, as MSU enrollment has been pretty steady for years now. The increase is coming, I would think, from the Lansing end, mostly, but I'm wondering exactly where it's coming from? I heard that last time they talked about the increase in ridership earlier this year coming from high gas prices and such, but I wonder exactly who these people are?

[statedude3]

My aunt works downtown, and her company actually purchased bus passes for those interested in them because it saved them from having to contract parking spaces.

[RustTown]

Just out of curiosity, what company does she work for? It sounds like it must be pretty progressive. I wish the actual State of Michigan would be more progressive, downtown, and take up some of that surface parking they have on the westside of downtown and consolidate it into new garages and offer bus passes and such. That would open up so much land in western downtown.

I know there are some smaller measures being taken by downtown employers such as sponsoring biking programs to downtown and the like, and I think the state actually runs a small van carpooling service, but it needs to be more extensive.

[hood]

The state is reserving that land for future buildings, if they built a building for every department that wanted one and they gave them their requested amount of space they could probably easily fill all their lots with buildings and ramps of reasonable height, say 6+ floors. Just off the top of my head, Secratary of State wanted 200k+ sq ft over 5 years ago, DIT wants space for 1200+ workers, and the senators want a new building. There are many, many more I'm sure.

[statedude3]

Just out of curiosity, what company does she work for? It sounds like it must be pretty progressive. I wish the actual State of Michigan would be more progressive, downtown, and take up some of that surface parking they have on the westside of downtown and consolidate it into new garages and offer bus passes and such. That would open up so much land in western downtown.

I know there are some smaller measures being taken by downtown employers such as sponsoring biking programs to downtown and the like, and I think the state actually runs a small van carpooling service, but it needs to be more extensive.

[Cliff19336]

CATA has finally broken the 10 million ridership mark, which solidifies it as the system with the second highest transit ridership in Michigan (after DDOT) which is a 7.3% increase from the year before. The ridership just keeps rising...

CATA logs 10 million riders over year

http://lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/...EWS01/612110323

[RustTown]

Can you find me the numbers, Mark? As of 2005, CATA had topped SMART.

Hood, where did you hear that they were saving that land for state departments?

[hood]

Hood, where did you hear that they were saving that land for state departments?

[RustTown]

How long ago did your uncle leave the State?

[hood]

About four years ago, to retire in Florida.

[RustTown]

That sounds about right. A little after the turn of the millenium (particularly with the first election of Granholm) there seemed to be a big push by the state to start updating or building new state facilities in urban areas, but it seems to have kind of been put on the back burner (i.e. the economy is always the excuse). I really wonder if the State is going to get progressive. I mean, the renovation of the Washington Square Office Building was nice, but they could really save a lot of money and make the government more efficient with the construction of new facilities or expansions of some of the older ones.

[hood]

I think they have pretty much decided that all future new construction in Lansing would be downtown, of course excluding nonoffice space, like warehouses and such.