Q&A
Analysis of ferry landing subsidies and ridership
1:12:41
·
139 sec
Council Member Brooks-Powers inquires about ferry landing subsidies, particularly which landing receives the largest subsidy. James Wong from EDC explains the complexities of analyzing subsidies and ridership.
- EDC tracks ridership by individual landing but finds it challenging to assign individual costs to each site.
- They focus on evaluating high ridership areas and consistent ridership patterns.
- Council Member Brooks-Powers requests more detailed information on subsidies and average household incomes of neighboring communities to understand the allocation of public funds.
Selvena Brooks-Powers
1:12:41
Just going back to a question that the majority leader had at in terms of the subsidies and the communities that get subsidies.
1:12:53
Does EDC know which ferry landing has the largest subsidy?
James Wong
1:13:02
So we track ridership by individual landing.
1:13:05
It is not such a cut and dry thing on sort of how to assign individual cost to every single site.
1:13:12
We've taken a look at different things, but mainly I think the main part of what we are evaluating when we're thinking about how the system is operating is where are we seeing high ridership?
1:13:22
Where are we seeing people who are using the system?
1:13:24
Maybe not the most people, but most consistently.
1:13:27
So it is important to us even if it's not, you know, the the highest ridership landing in the system.
1:13:32
If it has assistant riders who are going to work every day.
1:13:36
Occasionally, in the summer, we have some fun, you know, people who just wanna get on on water.
Selvena Brooks-Powers
1:13:39
No.
1:13:40
Thank you for that.
1:13:40
Get that.
1:13:41
But I just wanted to know, does EDC know which of those various stops has is receiving the largest subsidy.
1:13:49
Do you know which one is it?
James Wong
1:13:51
Yeah.
1:13:52
So we have looked at the costs of different routes and different and different riderships.
1:13:59
It is hard to assign to a very single number without sort of, like, question added.
1:14:05
Whether or not you can say like a subsea for an individual landing is this.
1:14:08
There are many different ways to look at it.
Selvena Brooks-Powers
1:14:11
I would imagine that there's some in the agency, there's some type of analysis of these different very status to know which one is most successful even if you're looking at the ridership and what an individual ride subsidy would be anyway.
1:14:31
I think we could figure that out.
1:14:32
So I would like to have that information.
1:14:35
And in addition to that, I'd like to also have the information of that average household income for that neighboring community there.
1:14:43
Because I'm trying to understand where we're investing public dollars Mhmm.
1:14:50
In terms of subsidies versus where we have a need for it and not seeing that happen so that we can course correct what EDC on that.
1:14:58
Sure.
James Wong
1:14:59
I'd be happy to follow-up on that.
Selvena Brooks-Powers
1:15:00
Thank you for that.
