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  • Cape Flyer

  • Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.
Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.

Moderators: sery2831, CRail

 #1533263  by Falmouth Secondary to Otis
 
MickD wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:07 pm I use it during the summer and I can appreciate the expanded service
they have now on holiday weekends, but, Thursdays and Mondays
are not likely to be heavy travel days in either direction
here on The Cape ,as most weekly rentals here are Saturday to Saturday
and Boston weekend patronage is Friday from the 5:50 south to the
northbound at 6:40 0n Sunday evenings..One train a day on a weekday wouldn't do it in peak season
as both P&B & Peter Pan over more optional service...
The money would be better spent on service to Columbus Day now that's it
That much better established than the first season..The retiree touring the region and
college market from Boston is still fairly strong through Columbus Day..
Nothing much is ever going to be done down here to ease traffic congestion all that much,
no matter what the mode..Certainly not 2 new bridges..The time to address that was in the 80's when Route 25
was being expanded and The Cape Cod & Hyannisport was running to Braintree
First of all it has already been announced by the Corps of Engineers / MassDOT that both bridges are to be replaced after the long awaited studies were released last fall. When ? Maybe within the next 10 years if funding is secured at the federal level, which is already being addressed. Extending CapeFlyer service to Columbus day would still be a money loser because right after Labor day, traffic & visitors drop off dramatically coming to the Cape as I know well seeing that I am a resident in the Upper Cape region. Of course it could be tried again to retest the market for it, but I don't see Cahir going for that. Definitely at least starting earlier on Thursday would work as in the last three years traffic backup's now start on Thursday afternoon, as people are now starting there weekends earlier coming to the Cape and it clearly shows in the amount of people around and the cars/ trucks on all the highways.
 #1533264  by Falmouth Secondary to Otis
 
Backshophoss wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2020 12:35 am With IP bankrupt,is the Mass Central/Cape Cod Central been effected and Cape Flyer been caught up in this bankruptcy?
CapeFlyer is MBTA / MassDOT / CCRTA with nothing to do with IP. Last I heard Mass Coastal was going to try to buy itself out of IP but haven't seen or read any definite news about that.
 #1533272  by MickD
 
I was told last September by some one at The CCRTA
in Hyannis,directly involved with the operation,that they are,
in fact, looking Very seriously at extended service to Columbus Day
as early as next season.
I've used The CCRTA very often through the years and have known
several of their people quite awhile,and I have no reason
to think it's idle speculation..
 #1533275  by Falmouth Secondary to Otis
 
MickD wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2020 10:14 am I was told last September by some one at The CCRTA
in Hyannis,directly involved with the operation,that they are,
in fact, looking Very seriously at extended service to Columbus Day
as early as next season.
I've used The CCRTA very often through the years and have known
several of their people quite awhile,and I have no reason
to think it's idle speculation..
Best to retest the market for it, but if it is still unprofitable after Labor day that will be the end of it. A ridership increase of only 497 for the entire summer 2019 season is not much, considering how long the Capeflyer has been in operation.
 #1533289  by Arlington
 
Transit services grow quickly in their first years, and not so much once matured.
Particularly against a backdrop of gasoline prices that are falling in real terms (about flat in nominal terms)
In years where Gas was in the $3.90/gal it was easy to promote transit (and electric cars). With gas in the mid twos, not so much.
MA-Gas-Prices.png
MA-Gas-Prices.png (48.94 KiB) Viewed 2384 times
 #1533373  by CRail
 
The service is not “profitable” at its peak. Transit authorities justify and offset their expense, they do not profit.
 #1533484  by Trinnau
 
Falmouth Secondary to Otis wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 9:26 am Official ridership for Capeflyer FY2019 was 14,497 vs. 14,000 FY2018 listed on MassDOT's 2019 Tracker for the Rail and Transit division page 12. A 497 passenger increase for the entire season ?
To put this in perspective, it's a 3.55% increase. The Commuter Rail as a whole had a 21.2% increase from 2012 to 2018 which is an average of 3.53% per year for 6 years according to the CTPS counts. Driving still dominates that market too.

I think to keep pace in terms of growth with the regular commuter rail market for a very specific, targeted service that only runs a few days on the weekend speaks for itself and what it could do with more trips - if they could be accommodated.
 #1533538  by Falmouth Secondary to Otis
 
Trinnau wrote: Tue Feb 11, 2020 7:32 pm
Falmouth Secondary to Otis wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 9:26 am Official ridership for Capeflyer FY2019 was 14,497 vs. 14,000 FY2018 listed on MassDOT's 2019 Tracker for the Rail and Transit division page 12. A 497 passenger increase for the entire season ?
To put this in perspective, it's a 3.55% increase. The Commuter Rail as a whole had a 21.2% increase from 2012 to 2018 which is an average of 3.53% per year for 6 years according to the CTPS counts. Driving still dominates that market too.

I think to keep pace in terms of growth with the regular commuter rail market for a very specific, targeted service that only runs a few days on the weekend speaks for itself and what it could do with more trips - if they could be accommodated.
Looks like Cahir was a little off on his counts last September, as he claimed a 6.2% increase in the article.

https://www.capecod.com/newscenter/the- ... ul-season/
 #1533540  by Falmouth Secondary to Otis
 
CRail wrote: Tue Feb 11, 2020 12:07 am The service is not “profitable” at its peak. Transit authorities justify and offset their expense, they do not profit.
In general that is true, but the Capeflyer has been promoted by Cahir over the years as it being self supporting and not needing a subsidy to operate, turning a profit on it's operation. The exception being the year that they extended the service to Columbus day, in which it ran at a loss after Labor day.
 #1533551  by MickD
 
Good point...
but that first year The Flyer was an unknown entity..
It was a pilot,that hadn't been proven there was a market for..
Fast forward to 2019 and consider the ridership on the
Friday 5:50 out of SS in peak season,the busiest train.It's in good part. people of college age
and weekenders from the Boston Metro area..
September,these days is still tourist season here ..
not to the degree summer is, but still attracts a considerable number
of people from Boston & NY Metro areas,plus the kids are back
in college in Boston.and autumn in the city itself draws A Lot of tourists.
So to retest it for season or two through September might make sense..
 #1533553  by MickD
 
June is a down month for ridership and will always be,
because a lot of the college kids are leaving Boston
for the summer, and the first 2 weeks of the month
just don't draw the kind of crowds here the Memorial Day weekend
or September do..I live in Dennis Port and they are still
plenty of weekenders here through the end of September
Columbus Day might be a stretch,but through Sept.30th isn't.
 #1533555  by Falmouth Secondary to Otis
 
I guess we'll have to wait for that answer to extending service past Labor day when the 2020 schedule is posted, unless they decide to post a early news release about it. Time will tell, as it will be Memorial Day weekend before you know it !
 #1533571  by Rockingham Racer
 
Maybe if the NSRL were in place there would be better crowds. It's not attractive to get on a Northside train, get across town, then wait for the train to leave for the Cape. Just sayin'.
 #1533744  by wicked
 
Falmouth Secondary to Otis wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2020 10:29 am
MickD wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2020 10:14 am I was told last September by some one at The CCRTA
in Hyannis,directly involved with the operation,that they are,
in fact, looking Very seriously at extended service to Columbus Day
as early as next season.
I've used The CCRTA very often through the years and have known
several of their people quite awhile,and I have no reason
to think it's idle speculation..
Best to retest the market for it, but if it is still unprofitable after Labor day that will be the end of it. A ridership increase of only 497 for the entire summer 2019 season is not much, considering how long the Capeflyer has been in operation.
Were there more trains in 2019? Fewer? Depending on how the Fourth falls, there can be a couple extra days of train service. There’s a difference between 48 RTs for the season vs. 45
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