Investigations desk pitch

The empty ferry

Six years, $41 million, and a route that carries almost no one: a data-led investigation.

Metro LedgerFictional newsroom, sample deckOctober 2026

A subsidised ferry carried 11 passengers a day.

What we know

$41M

In public subsidy since 2020, about $11,900 per rider per year.

Source: city budget filings, ridership counts obtained under public records law

Average daily riders, by year

Ridership fell as the subsidy rose.

YearRiders per day
2020184
202196
202252
202331
202511
Fictional data; source: operator reports

Sourcing

Claim, evidence, caveat

  1. The route lost 94 percent of riders after the 2021 schedule change.

  2. Operator logs, two former drivers on the record, city audit draft.

  3. The city disputes the count method and has not yet responded to questions.

  4. Interview the transit director

    Right of reply goes out Monday; we publish after the response window.

Plan

Four weeks to publication

  1. Records

    Finish the public records requests.

  2. Interviews

    Drivers, riders, the director.

  3. Legal read

    Fact-check and counsel review.

  4. Publish

    Story, chart and data download.

Decision

Green-light, hold or kill?

Reporter Metro Ledger Investigationstips@example.com