Comments on: Call to Action: Win Back Stimulus Funding for Transit Service http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/26/call-to-action-win-back-stimulus-funding-for-transit-service/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Max Rockatansky http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/26/call-to-action-win-back-stimulus-funding-for-transit-service/comment-page-1/#comment-62136 Max Rockatansky Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:39:30 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5327#comment-62136 Gotcha - thanks. Time for another coffee. Gotcha – thanks. Time for another coffee.

]]> By: Larry Littlefield http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/26/call-to-action-win-back-stimulus-funding-for-transit-service/comment-page-1/#comment-62135 Larry Littlefield Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:05:10 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5327#comment-62135 "Larry - I'm feeling a little dense today, could you rephrase your statement re: saving more jobs from transit than the system costs. Not quite following you there. Thanks." The extent to which NYC employment is above average in public transportaiton is less than the extent to which it is below average in auto-related sectors, meaning there are fewer jobs in transportation overall. Since that saves money, there is also less consumer spending on transportation overall. Which means more consumer spending on other things. The data is not directly comparable, because the government employment is "full time equivalent" and weights part timers less, but for mass transit the figures are 79 public transit workers per 100,000 residents for the U.S., vs. 579 in NYC, 314 in the Downstate Suburbs, 78 in Upstate metro areas, 138 in NJ. “Larry – I’m feeling a little dense today, could you rephrase your statement re: saving more jobs from transit than the system costs. Not quite following you there. Thanks.”

The extent to which NYC employment is above average in public transportaiton is less than the extent to which it is below average in auto-related sectors, meaning there are fewer jobs in transportation overall.

Since that saves money, there is also less consumer spending on transportation overall. Which means more consumer spending on other things.

The data is not directly comparable, because the government employment is “full time equivalent” and weights part timers less, but for mass transit the figures are 79 public transit workers per 100,000 residents for the U.S., vs. 579 in NYC, 314 in the Downstate Suburbs, 78 in Upstate metro areas, 138 in NJ.

]]> By: ddartley http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/26/call-to-action-win-back-stimulus-funding-for-transit-service/comment-page-1/#comment-62134 ddartley Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:58:05 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5327#comment-62134 I called, and also posted a hastily written Dailykos diary on it: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/26/121722/653/384/689136 The call was very quick and pleasant. I called, and also posted a hastily written Dailykos diary on it:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/26/121722/653/384/689136

The call was very quick and pleasant.

]]> By: Max Rockatansky http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/26/call-to-action-win-back-stimulus-funding-for-transit-service/comment-page-1/#comment-62132 Max Rockatansky Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:40:52 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5327#comment-62132 Larry - I'm feeling a little dense today, could you rephrase your statement re: saving more jobs from transit than the system costs. Not quite following you there. Thanks. Larry – I’m feeling a little dense today, could you rephrase your statement re: saving more jobs from transit than the system costs. Not quite following you there. Thanks.

]]> By: Larry Littlefield http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/26/call-to-action-win-back-stimulus-funding-for-transit-service/comment-page-1/#comment-62127 Larry Littlefield Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:42:05 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5327#comment-62127 This didn't go through earlier, but there are reports of (moving down the food chain) auto parts suppliers looking for a $10 billion bailout at http://www.ft.com And California towns bailout out auto dealers at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123292845938013899.html . Which reminds me of something. Each year I compile U.S. Census Bureau data on the number of public employees (per 100,000 residents) in different places by category of service (ie. public schools, police, transit). Since NYC has such a large transit system, such a comparison would make it seem over-staffed. So to put the number in context, I also include data on the number of workers in "auto-related" industries per 100,000 residents. Just the local ones, such as dealers, gas stations, car washes, parking lots, repair shops, wholesale trade, etc. Not motor vehicle and parts manufactuers. The data shows that we save more jobs from transit than the transit system costs, and other data shows we save more money on automobiles not owned than we spend on transit, including both rider and taxpayer costs. And that's the way I generally present it. Looked at another way, however, the motor vehicle world is a massive, organized political constituency. Really, really massive. In 2007, 481 auto related jobs per 100,000 residents in NYC, but 1,431 in the U.S., 1,136 in the downstate suburbs, 1,426 in upstate metro areas, 1,347 in rural upstate NY, and 1,263 in NJ. This didn’t go through earlier, but there are reports of (moving down the food chain) auto parts suppliers looking for a $10 billion bailout at

http://www.ft.com

And California towns bailout out auto dealers at

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123292845938013899.html .

Which reminds me of something. Each year I compile U.S. Census Bureau data on the number of public employees (per 100,000 residents) in different places by category of service (ie. public schools, police, transit). Since NYC has such a large transit system, such a comparison would make it seem over-staffed.

So to put the number in context, I also include data on the number of workers in “auto-related” industries per 100,000 residents. Just the local ones, such as dealers, gas stations, car washes, parking lots, repair shops, wholesale trade, etc. Not motor vehicle and parts manufactuers.

The data shows that we save more jobs from transit than the transit system costs, and other data shows we save more money on automobiles not owned than we spend on transit, including both rider and taxpayer costs. And that’s the way I generally present it.

Looked at another way, however, the motor vehicle world is a massive, organized political constituency. Really, really massive. In 2007, 481 auto related jobs per 100,000 residents in NYC, but 1,431 in the U.S., 1,136 in the downstate suburbs, 1,426 in upstate metro areas, 1,347 in rural upstate NY, and 1,263 in NJ.

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