[cturitzin]

I believe the "farebox recovery ratio" of Muni in San Francisco is ~20%. Which means, the actual cost of a bus ride is $11.25 ($2.25/0.2). So, the government is paying $9 subsidy for each rider.

Looking at how municipalities subsidized dial-a-ride, are any subsidizing ride-sharing (uber, lyft) systems? Many uber/lyft rides inside of SF are cheaper than the cost of a muni trip.

[gohrt]

> fare capture

Terminology "fare capture" refers to the % of rides that are paid (vs "stowaways"), not the $ of expenses that are paid by fares.

> So, the government is paying $9 subsidy for each rider.

This isn't quite right. A proper analysis needs to separate marginal cost from overhead. If the system is not running at capacity, adding more rides would decrease the subsidy per ride.

[cturitzin]

You're right. The correct term is "farebox recovery ratio". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farebox_recovery_ratio

[FlailFast]

I knew the government subsidized public transit, but I had no idea it was to that degree. Wow. I wonder if buses will prove more competitive if/when they're self-driving. Do you happen to know how much of that bus ride cost is for drivers? For vehicle maintenance? Would love to see a breakdown.