TriMet Ratcheting Up Fares

[BLAZER PROPHET]

http://www.kgw.com/news/TriMet-fare-zones-to-vanish-prices-increase-167859505.html

First, all tax paying people in Oregon have to pay directly for TriMet- from East Oregon to the coast. That's fair . Next, elimination of Fareless Square. Something I thought served a good purpose and was great PR for TriMet. Now, all zones phased out (can't really blame that one) and fares to increase- again.

I am a firm believer in mass transit. But it seems to me either Trimet is grossly mismanaged, or state/local governing TriMet is grossly incompetent (or both) or just what I do not know, but the violence at stops and nutty drivers and now all this other stuff makes me wonder if they don;t need to blow it up and start all over again.

Or, simply charge $10 for a one way ride and call it good.

In other TriMet news, it seems they hit the union in the chops and got away with it.

http://www.kgw.com/home/TriMet-wins-arbitration-with-union-162411406.html

 

[Eastoff]

http://www.kgw.com/news/TriMet-fare-zones-to-vanish-prices-increase-167859505.html

First, all tax paying people in Oregon have to pay directly for TriMet- from East Oregon to the coast. That's fair . Next, elimination of Fareless Square. Something I thought served a good purpose and was great PR for TriMet. Now, all zones phased out (can't really blame that one) and fares to increase- again.

I am a firm believer in mass transit. But it seems to me either Trimet is grossly mismanaged, or state/local governing TriMet is grossly incompetent (or both) or just what I do not know, but the violence at stops and nutty drivers and now all this other stuff makes me wonder if they don;t need to blow it up and start all over again.

Or, simply charge $10 for a one way ride and call it good.

In other TriMet news, it seems they hit the union in the chops and got away with it.

http://www.kgw.com/home/TriMet-wins-arbitration-with-union-162411406.html

I don't mind paying to subsidize the school systems in eastern oregon.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I don't mind paying to subsidize the school systems in eastern oregon.

I see the logic of your answer, but I will disagree with it. Unless of unusual circumstances, I think TriMet needs to pay it's way within the fares of the riders or others that directly benefit (as in businesses along their routes...).

 

[Eastoff]

I see the logic of your answer, but I will disagree with it. Unless of unusual circumstances, I think TriMet needs to pay it's way within the fares of the riders or others that directly benefit (as in businesses along their routes...).

That seems like a tax on the job creators, literally.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

That seems like a tax on the job creators, literally.

It has nothing to do with creating jobs or otherwise. I just find it unacceptable in this case that people that live across the state and have no stake in Trimet footing a portion of the bill for its failings.

 

[Eastoff]

It has nothing to do with creating jobs or otherwise. I just find it unacceptable in this case that people that live across the state and have no stake in Trimet footing a portion of the bill for its failings.

The city of Portland and the metro area (both of which have tri-met) has declined in unemployment. The rest of the state has not declined in unemployment. The entire state pays into unemployment checks. I don't see anyone going up in arms about that until now.

 

[tlongII]

I got my annual pass today.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Trimet is run by idiots.

http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-19584-slow_ride.html

http://bojack.org/2012/08/trimet_still_borrowing_money_f.html

 

[HailBlazers]

I got my annual pass today.

How much? My wife commutes everyday to and from work on the (no longer) free rail zone.

 

[MARIS61]

Taxes should not pay for what is basically a government-subsidized private enterprise that fills the pockets of the 1%.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I got my annual pass today.

Yeah, with what I spend to support this train wreck I oughta get a free pass every month.

 

[tlongII]

How much? My wife commutes everyday to and from work on the (no longer) free rail zone.

$30

 

[Haakzilla]

...I wonder if this is in direct correlation with their upcoming lawsuit vs. the grandma's leg that they ran over?!

 

[Eastoff]

$30

really? 30$ is the one time fee for an annual pass?!

 

[BlazerCaravan]

really? 30$ is the one time fee for an annual pass?!

If you work at Nike.

Unsubsidized passes are a bit more. I pay $100 a month for passes, but my boss worked out a deal where I'm effectively paying for it with pre-tax dollars. So that's nice.

 

[Eastoff]

http://portlandafoot.org/2012/09/trimet-to-riders-ok-maybe-we-didnt-need-that-fare-hike-after-all/

 

[maxiep]

Tri-Met should be supported only by the taxpayers in the Metro Area.

 

[Eastoff]

Tri-Met should be supported only by the taxpayers in the Metro Area.

Alabama and Mississippi should not receive federal tax dollars from New York and California.

 

[maxiep]

Alabama and Mississippi should not receive federal tax dollars from New York and California.

Other than providing for the common defense, I agree.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Tri-Met should be supported only by the taxpayers in the Metro Area.

Hahahahahahaha! You're about $2 billion in needless projects too late.

 

[maxiep]

Hahahahahahaha! You're about $2 billion in needless projects too late.

Don't blame me. I'm the guy in favor of limited government, remember?

Actually, I had a proposal in front of Tri-Met to master lease a chunk of their excess land on their properties and build retail. It would have given Tri-Met $25-30MM over a decade, and they turned it down flat.

 

[Eastoff]

Don't blame me. I'm the guy in favor of limited government, remember?

Actually, I had a proposal in front of Tri-Met to master lease a chunk of their excess land on their properties and build retail. It would have given Tri-Met $25-30MM over a decade, and they turned it down flat.

Well that's shitty. Where was the land?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Portland's new eastside streetcar is "an amusement park ride, and the antithesis of efficiency and mobility for the poor slobs in Portland who actually need the trains to run on time."

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oreg...f/2012/09/steve_duin_closing_the_loop_on.html

 

[maxiep]

Well that's shitty. Where was the land?

We wanted to develop retail along their transit stations. Coffee places, dry cleaners, etc. It would have been a win/win. They would have leased us the land, we would have developed and leased the properties. We would have paid them rent for the land, a percentage of rent from the leases and they would have owned the properties after the lease had expired (we would have been responsible for the R&M).

 

[Eastoff]

We wanted to develop retail along their transit stations. Coffee places, dry cleaners, etc. It would have been a win/win. They would have leased us the land, we would have developed and leased the properties. We would have paid them rent for the land, a percentage of rent from the leases and they would have owned the properties after the lease had expired (we would have been responsible for the R&M).

That sounds like an obviously awesome plan. But where specifically was the land, or was it just vague "anywhere you don't develop we'd take please?"

 

[maxiep]

That sounds like an obviously awesome plan. But where specifically was the land, or was it just vague "anywhere you don't develop we'd take please?"

No offense, but I'm not going to describe in detail our plan. I assure you, however, we weren't vague. With these kinds of master lease agreements, you need to be specific to the square foot.

 

[Eastoff]

No offense, but I'm not going to describe in detail our plan. I assure you, however, we weren't vague. With these kinds of master lease agreements, you need to be specific to the square foot.

I'm just wondering was it east side, west side, beaverton, gresham? that kind of thing. But I understand and will drop it.