RE: mel loop operation

[Vaughan Williams <ender2000@MailAndNews.com>]

Well, the rapid decline in absolute numbers stopped, mostly (I think) due to 
the introduction of multimode ticketing. Patronage then increased slowly 
through the 80's, but market share after briefly levelling off resumed its 
decline and remains at its lowest level ever (it might have levelled off 
again 
in the last couple of years). Mostly, the decline was arrested and patronage 
has since increased in line with population. It hasn't kept up with growth 
in 
car usage.

When patronage is in free fall, the most obvious response is to work out 
what 
the problem is and try to stem the decline. Working on infrastructure to 
increase capacity seems like a dumb thing to do - A bit like expanding your 
restaurant to fit in more tables when you are getting fewer and fewer diners 
and having no trouble finding tables for them.

>===== Original Message From "Daniel Bowen" <dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au> 
=====
>"Vaughan Williams" <ender2000@MailAndNews.com> wrote in message
>3AD7DF21@MailAndNews.com">news:3AD7DF21@MailAndNews.com...
>> And yet the loop was designed and built at a time when patronage was in
>free
>> fall. Spending a fortune on infrastructure to increase capacity at a time
>> when patronage is rapidly declining seems to me to be a dumb thing to do.
>
>But didn't patronage jump in the 80s? That's supply-led growth, Vaughan!
>
>
>Daniel
>--
>Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia
>dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au
>Melbourne public transport FAQ http://www.custard.net.au/melbtrans/
>

Vaughan Williams
Secretary
Public Transport Users Association
247 Flinders Lane
Melbourne 3000
http://www.ptua.org.au