Back in 2010 my California county wanted to spend $145 million in development and $4.3 million per year in operations to let a projected 3,500 passengers per wo

Back in 2010 my California county wanted to spend $145 million in development and $4.3 million per year in operations to let a projected 3,500 passengers per workday commute between two local cities about 10 miles apart, via light rail on an unused Union Pacific track. (It wasn't mentioned how the commuters would actually get to work after disembarking the train.) Fares were projected to pay less than a quarter of operating costs, and most commuters would travel only five days per week, so after five years of operation taxpayers would have spent about $160 million to subsidize about four million rides, or about $40 per ride. If a commuter only made $10 per hour at their job (not unusual in 2010), each $80 round trip cost paid by taxpayers would equal what the commuter would be making at work each day.