Bombers Release Financial Report Ahead Of Fan Open House

[Rich]

2 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Okay, so Transit fare is $2.70.  $5.40 both ways.  Charge $5.40.

The extra 40 cents still won't cover it and cause more problems and time delays giving people change as they board the bus. 

These are school buses not transit buses. No PayGo cards. 

[The Unknown Poster]

Just now, Atomic said:

This is just silly.... a regular bus also ships people to places that aren't the Bomber game and continues to operate normally before, during and after a game, with drivers who are already getting paid their normal salary.  Very different from a bus (w/ driver) specifically hired to make two trips to and from a single location.

Yes but my point is, if the Bombers didnt pay, what happens?  The city runs regular service?  I think the city and transit would get as many complaints as the Bombers would. 

I like being shuttled around but I'd pay for the service if Im using it.  Fans should pay more for it.

[Atomic]

Just now, The Unknown Poster said:

Yes but my point is, if the Bombers didnt pay, what happens?  The city runs regular service?  I think the city and transit would get as many complaints as the Bombers would. 

I like being shuttled around but I'd pay for the service if Im using it.  Fans should pay more for it.

If the Bombers didn't pay, Park and Ride doesn't exist and everyone is forced to take regular buses.  Which is a problem all around for city, transit, and the Bombers.

[The Unknown Poster]

Just now, Rich said:

The extra 40 cents still won't cover it and cause more problems and time delays giving people change as they board the bus. 

These are school buses not transit buses. No PayGo cards. 

Maybe Im confused.  Park & Ride is operated by the Bombers, no?  And they charge $5 round trip.  So is the loss the Bombers' experience directly related to the Park & Ride costs?  Or is it the subsidy the Bombers are paying Transit to run extra transit service around the games?

[JCon]

Just now, The Unknown Poster said:

Im sort of playing devil's advocate a but Im not sure how its the Bombers' responsibility to help pay the costs of transit.  If there was no increased transit service for the games, people would complain.  That's a Transit (and City) issue, not a Bombers issue.  Does True North pay to have extra buses available after Jets and concerts?  I know its not as many, but Im curious as to whether its the norm for the business running the event to pay for increased transit costs.

And I thought MPIC came on as a "sponsor" to pay this subsidy which is in essence another taxpayer payment anyway since MPIC shouldnt be sponsoring these things.

They want people in seats. If they make it more complicated to get people there, people will just stop going. They're doing what they can, with the resources they have, to help people get to the stadium.

Why would the city want to rearrange their entire schedule just accommodate a bunch of Bomber fans? How much would that cost the city?

 

I don't see what MPI has to do with this argument.

[Rich]

Just now, The Unknown Poster said:

Maybe Im confused.  Park & Ride is operated by the Bombers, no?  And they charge $5 round trip.  So is the loss the Bombers' experience directly related to the Park & Ride costs?  Or is it the subsidy the Bombers are paying Transit to run extra transit service around the games?

For sure the park n ride expense.  Not sure on the transit subsidy.  

I could be way off here as I park, but I think it was transit the first season but the subsidy was way too much and they moved to school buses. 

[Noeller]

If anyone's going to the Open House, I'd be really curious to know some "potential options" Wade et al might have for alleviating the costs, just as hypotheticals....

[The Unknown Poster]

Just now, Rich said:

For sure the park n ride expense.  Not sure on the transit subsidy.  

I could be way off here as I park, but I think it was transit the first season but the subsidy was way too much and they moved to school buses. 

Okay, so the transit aspect is not the issue?

If Park & Ride experiences a shortfall then the answer is to increase the charge for it.  $5 is a nice number but ya gotta pay.  Hell, coming out of a game sometimes, I'd pay $5 just to get a ride to my car at Pembina, let alone to the Park & Ride location.  I dont think $10 is outrageous.  Perhaps they can find other ways to minimize the cost to fans (sponsors).

3 minutes ago, JCon said:

They want people in seats. If they make it more complicated to get people there, people will just stop going. They're doing what they can, with the resources they have, to help people get to the stadium.

Why would the city want to rearrange their entire schedule just accommodate a bunch of Bomber fans? How much would that cost the city?

 

I don't see what MPI has to do with this argument.

The MPI aspect is, Im sure I recall when the transportation plan was announced that they also announced MPI had come on board as a sponsor specific to helping cover the costs of the plan.  Which, ofcourse, they shouldn't be doing anyway, but that's another debate.

[The Unknown Poster]

3 minutes ago, Rich said:

For sure the park n ride expense.  Not sure on the transit subsidy.  

I could be way off here as I park, but I think it was transit the first season but the subsidy was way too much and they moved to school buses. 

I've also noticed less people parking along Pembina so more are using the buses.  What's the average cost for parking, itsnt it $10 or so?  If people are paying that, they would likely pay $10 for Park & Ride which is, in many ways, more convenient.

[Rich]

2 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

I've also noticed less people parking along Pembina so more are using the buses.  What's the average cost for parking, itsnt it $10 or so?  If people are paying that, they would likely pay $10 for Park & Ride which is, in many ways, more convenient.

Parking costs us something like $200 for the season.  10 home games split 3 ways. 

[JCon]

4 minutes ago, Rich said:

For sure the park n ride expense.  Not sure on the transit subsidy.  

I could be way off here as I park, but I think it was transit the first season but the subsidy was way too much and they moved to school buses. 

This seems correct. However, I think they hire Transit to provide logistics and on the ground support. There are some transit buses used as charters.

 

2 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Okay, so the transit aspect is not the issue?

If Park & Ride experiences a shortfall then the answer is to increase the charge for it.  $5 is a nice number but ya gotta pay.  Hell, coming out of a game sometimes, I'd pay $5 just to get a ride to my car at Pembina, let alone to the Park & Ride location.  I dont think $10 is outrageous.  Perhaps they can find other ways to minimize the cost to fans (sponsors).

The MPI aspect is, Im sure I recall when the transportation plan was announced that they also announced MPI had come on board as a sponsor specific to helping cover the costs of the plan.  Which, ofcourse, they shouldn't be doing anyway, but that's another debate.

I'm not sure what I would pay. $10 doesn't seem crazy but it's getting to my limit. My son rides for free.

I have parking at the University if I choose; however, each time I've used it, it has taken me much longer to get home than the Park & Ride.

 

MPI - Gotcha. Yes, it's another debate. But any sponsorship funds you add, likely pulls dollars from someplace else.

[Atomic]

For some context and additional info about transportation services provided:

http://www.bluebombers.com/2016/06/06/2016-transportation-plan-announced/

I'm interested to know the actual $ cost of transit to the Bombers.  Is there a breakdown of operating costs posted somewhere?  In 2013 it was $1.1 million but I imagine that's come way down since it was the first year at IGF.

[Rich]

The larger issue is there is already a narrative out there that the stadium location sucks and the traffic in and out of games is horrendous because of how poorly it was planned in season 1. 

Getting in and out has improved by leaps and bounds but it isn't as easy as saying double the park n ride cost because there are already a contingent of fans looking for excuses to stay at home and not go to games.  That is reality of that location right now  

Start putting a consistent winning product on the field again, and they can probably start to raise prices for the bus. 

[The Unknown Poster]

The media did the Bombers no favours that first year as they hunted down the negative stories to blow up.  Traffic is a lot better now.  Significantly better in fact.  I live in the area and it was a no-go zone that first year.  Now, its barely an issue to drive the area before/after a game.

The rapid transit station will help too.  But that doesnt change the original issue of who's paying to put buses there.

[Fatty Liver]

21 minutes ago, Rich said:

The $5 is for the school bus park and rides. 

First I don't think even transit fares cover the full cost of transit. 

Second they have a bunch of school buses shuttle in a bunch of people.  Sit around for 3 - 4 hours (not generating any fare revenue but you still pay salaries and time of use for the buses).  Then they shuttle people home. 

Lastly it isn't more than transit. It's $5 there and back.  Two bus rides. 

Do they have a contract with a school division for school bus rental or are they provided through a private school bus service such as King Transport?

[JCon]

2 minutes ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

Do they have a contract with a school division for school bus rental or are they provided through a private school bus service such as King Transport?

Do school divisions have bus fleets or is that tendered out? I thought everything was being tendered out but maybe my assumption was incorrect?

[JCon]

7 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

The rapid transit station will help too.  But that doesnt change the original issue of who's paying to put buses there.

Rapid transit will help a lot, provided access is granted to the buses used by Bombers. They'll have a clear corridor to move quickly from north to south and back. That will help those that park at the university, by removing loads of buses all trying to share the roads.

[bigg jay]

40 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Its still not overly truthful.  I get it but... I dont celebrate my windfall every paycheque without considering my mortgage payment. 

So $5 for Park and Ride per person doesnt cover the cost of transit??  Thats more than actual transit, isnt it?

What are the Bombers subsidizing?  What expenses are there above what the $5 covers? 

If they are covering costs for increased "regular" transit services, I dont think they should.  Fans should pay.  If I go to a concert at the arena and I bus, I pay.  Transit routinely alerts their services for spikes in riders, do they not?  They should provide the level of service required and charge for it. 

Is this more to your liking?

http://www.bluebombers.com/2017/04/05/breaking-2016-annual-report/

Quote

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers posted a $2.8 million operating profit in 2016, but had to dip into its excess cash fund to cover its annual stadium cash payment.

 

[Rich]

1 minute ago, JCon said:

Rapid transit will help a lot, provided access is granted to the buses used by Bombers. They'll have a clear corridor to move quickly from north to south and back. That will help those that park at the university, by removing loads of buses all trying to share the roads.

Access will be granted to the buses this year. 

[Noeller]

more Bombers non-field info:

@DarrinBauming

Football capacity at Investors Group Field drops by 403 due to concourse renovations — new capacity: 32,831. #Bombers

 

I hope this is widening the concourse.....it gets really congested in there at times...

[The Unknown Poster]

1 minute ago, Noeller said:

more Bombers non-field info:

@DarrinBauming

Football capacity at Investors Group Field drops by 403 due to concourse renovations — new capacity: 32,831. #Bombers

 

I hope this is widening the concourse.....it gets really congested in there at times...

Thats interesting.  Would be nice if they explained in more detail.  Moving the loge seating forward?

[mbrg]

17 minutes ago, Rich said:

The larger issue is there is already a narrative out there that the stadium location sucks and the traffic in and out of games is horrendous because of how poorly it was planned in season 1. 

Getting in and out has improved by leaps and bounds but it isn't as easy as saying double the park n ride cost because there are already a contingent of fans looking for excuses to stay at home and not go to games.  That is reality of that location right now  

Start putting a consistent winning product on the field again, and they can probably start to raise prices for the bus. 

When I drive directly from work to the stadium traffic speeds up the closer I get to the stadium.

Traffic into the stadium is significantly faster than rush hour traffic.

[Noeller]

Just now, The Unknown Poster said:

Thats interesting.  Would be nice if they explained in more detail.  Moving the loge seating forward?

Further to that:

@friesensunmedia

Tidbit from #Bombers: stadium capacity down 400 or so, due to removal of seats for more concourse standing room.

 

 

Looks like it is making more room -- fantastic! That was my only even-slightly-negative thing about IGF.....otherwise, that place is a palace!

[JCon]

1 minute ago, mbrg said:

When I drive directly from work to the stadium traffic speeds up the closer I get to the stadium.

Traffic into the stadium is significantly faster than rush hour traffic.

I have no troubles getting to the stadium for games, even going through the south entrance (where I need to enter to use my pass).

Getting out, whole other story.

[nate007]

35 minutes ago, JCon said:

 

MPI - Gotcha. Yes, it's another debate. But any sponsorship funds you add, likely pulls dollars from someplace else

The argument for the MPI-transit sponsorship was that it would help prevent people from drinking and driving after games. They provided funding for that specific initiative (show your ticket, ride for free) at the old stadium too.