Here's a quote from the LIRR: "the Greenport Branch carried the fewest customers in 2009, a total of 69,986, generating $726,304 in revenue, while it cost the LIRR $6 million to operate. While the average fare is $10.38, the actual LIRR cost of providing a ride is $85.91 per customer, for a subsidy per ride of about $75.53. By comparison, the Babylon Branch is the LIRR's busiest and generated more revenue in 2009 - $134 million - than any other line. Last year, it carried 19,682,188 passengers at an average ticket price of $6.81, but the actual cost of each ride on Babylon was $13.25. The subsidy per ride was about $6.44. Fare box revenue still only covered 51% of the actual cost of running trains between Penn Station and Babylon."

The question thus becomes, what benefits the most amount of people ?, taking that 6 million and putting it elsewhere to keep the rest of the system running reasonably well ?, or providing huge subsidies to very few riders ?. Seems like a no brainer to put it where it does the most good.

SB