by electricron
NRGeep wrote:Tax payer subsidized airports, highways, many bus services etc, etc are not required to make a profit. Why Amtrak?Because Amtrak isn't subsidized by dedicated taxes like others modes of transportation are......
Let's review the 2017 USDOT budget in a broad overview....
https://www.transportation.gov/sites/do ... 111717.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Net Revenues $66,077,164,000
A. Non-Exchange revenues $56,871,484
(a)Highway Trust Fund collected $42,559,742,000 in dedicated taxes
(b)FAA collected $15,362,658,000 in dedicated taxes
B. Appropriations $9,582,624,000
C. Transfers-in/(out) Without Reimbursement $141,863,000
D. Donations/Forfeitures of Cash/Cash Equivalents $775,000
E. Other Adjustments (-$867,000)
Net Costs $79,599,100,000
A. Surface Transportation costs $63,066,926,000
(a)Federal-Aid Highway Program $44,478,162,000
(b)Mass Transit Program $12,491,741,000
(c)Other Surface Transportation Programs $6,097,023,000
B. Air Transportation costs $16,148,627,000
C. Maritime Transportation $450,828,000
D. Cross-Cutting Costs $434,515,000
Air and highways basically paid for themselves, coming just a little bit short.
Mass Transit, which is mostly funded by the HTF, doesn't. FYI, Neither does Maritime and Railroad programs, which also contribute to the HTF. While private enterprise pay fuel and excise taxes into the HTF, public transit agencies don't.
I'll admit I'd limited the finances to Federal outlays and budgets; and that local governments and agencies raise local money to fund their share of their transportation programs in various ways. But this thread is specifically about Amtrak in particular, which is apart of a Federal agency.