• SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social
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    8 days ago

    That $75 million figure made my bullshit detector start to squawk, so I did the math. The web site says it has a capacity of 4,400 visitors per hour, and assuming $3.75 per ride (if nobody gets the daily pass for $5), it only has to operate at maximum capacity all hours of the day and night, 24/7, for 6 months to bring in that amount of revenue.

    So if the profit margin is 50%, the Vegas Loop can make $75 million in a year of continuous operation at 100% capacity. Seems legit. /s

    • rational_lib@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      I tried to find the source of this and all I can find is “webpronews” which says:

      With $75 million in annual revenue, 28,000 daily passengers, and 150 Teslas in operation, this underground transportation network is redefining how cities think about mobility.

      So if it’s 28000 x 365, that’s $7.50 per trip. Of 1.7 miles. That’s suspiciously double the $3.75 listed on the Vegas loop site, which also offers a day pass for $5.00.

      Still, even $37.5 to $50 million is some pretty significant revenue (not to be confused with profit). Does it carry 28,000 riders per day though? As best as I can tell, this is what a publication from the Board of Directors of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority claims is the record ridership, set during a Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association convention. Even ignoring the suspiciously round number, the publication notes that rides were free on that day, and obviously it’s blatantly wrong to apply a record total to a daily average.

      So essentially, the tweet is a dishonest interpretation based on another dishonest interpretation of dubious statistics. Lesson is, everything on Twitter is bullshit - emphasis on every. Even subparts of bullshit on Twitter are still bullshit, often layered on other bullshit. Twitter is the last asshole of the human centipede of bullshit.

        • rational_lib@lemmy.world
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          7 days ago

          From page 22:

          This quarter also saw the three highest ridership days ever on the Las Vegas Loop during SEMA, carrying a record 28,000 passengers in one day. “Our goal for the free Loop service around the LVCC campus is to improve customer service, reduce attendees’ travel times, and provide a Vegas Only experience,” Reisman says. Our transportation and customer experience departments are already working directly with the building’s shows to educate attendees about the unique benefits of zipping from one side of our campus to the other in a free Loop car—shaving up to 45 minutes from their travel time.

          • JackbyDev@programming.dev
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            7 days ago

            I think I misread your post originally as saying “this report says what the record ridership is” rather than saying the 28k figure was from the report lol. My bad. I was like why not just say the number?