A graphic illustration of RT's management

Tonight's "Management Notes" from Sacramento Regional Transit General Manager Mike Wiley includes these dry statistics (Agenda Item No. 6):

• RT’s farebox recovery ratio in the month of December was 22.2 percent and year-to date it is 22.5 percent. It has decreased by 4.1 percent compared to December 2012 and decreased by 2.3 percent year-to-date. In relation to the District’s established goal for FY 2013, the RT’s farebox recovery ratio is 0.7 percent below the established year-to-date goal. For the month of December, fare revenue was $2.3 million and below budget by $174 thousand.
• Systemwide ridership for the month of December compared to the same period last year increased by 7.4 percent, rail ridership increased 1.9 percent and combined bus ridership increased 13.2 percent. Year-to-date, systemwide ridership compared to the same period last year increased by 0.4 percent, rail ridership decreased 3.6 percent and combined bus ridership increased 4.6 percent. In relation to the District’s established year-to-date ridership goals for FY 2014, systemwide ridership was 0.1 percent below the established goal, rail ridership was 4.2 percent below the goal, and combined bus ridership was 4.2 percent above the goal.
• Year-to-date, RT’s cost per passenger for bus service was under the District’s goal at $5.40, and cost per passenger for rail service was over the District’s goal at $3.97.
• Year-to-date, RT’s other cost factors (cost per hour, cost per mile) are slightly under the District’s budgeted levels for bus and CBS, and over the budgeted level for rail cost per revenue mile.
• Year-to-date, RT’s passengers per revenue hour is below the District’s goal by 5.2 percent for rail, bus is above the goal by 4.0%, and CBS is above the goal by 2.6 percent.

Nothing exciting. Just solid management. The graphic nature of RT's success comes at the end of Wiley's scheduled slideshow when he tosses in sides composed of stats provided by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. The slides speak for themselves:

An average cost of $4.74 per rider across all RT transit may look like a lot in isolation, but compared with the other transit agencies serving the Sacramento urbanized area, it's a success worth acknowledging.