Has light rail been a mistake? (Portland, Hillsboro: home, tax, live)

[actinic]

Is your light rail system in as bad of shape at this article suggests?

TriMet Should Own Up to Its Failures | OregonLive.com

There's initiatives all over the country to build light rail including rumblings of one in my home town.

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by actinic

Is your light rail system in as bad of shape at this article suggests?

TriMet Should Own Up to Its Failures | OregonLive.com

There's initiatives all over the country to build light rail including rumblings of one in my home town.

This isn't an article. It's an opinion piece by a local right-wing radio talk show host who probably wants to drum up listenership by being inflammatory.

Instead of this, read balanced reporting by real journalists to assess the state of TriMet.

[khyron]

Originally Posted by jjpop

This isn't an article. It's an opinion piece by a local right-wing radio talk show host who probably wants to drum up listenership by being inflammatory.

Instead of this, read balanced reporting by real journalists to assess the state of TriMet.

LOL, that "article" reads as "I really hate it when I have to stop my Lincoln Navigator to wait for these things to cross the street, damn hippies."

[PNW-type-gal]

Tri-Met's made some mistakes (Westside light rail) but the main light rail lines have good ridership (not as high as they predicted) but in peak hours the trains are standing-room-only.

The biggest problem light rail has as commuter rail (IMO) is that there should be a downtown express (or subway) that doesn't stop every other block downtown. If you are going through town it's slow.

[juggler]

I don't ride it very frequently because it's not that convenient for places I go, but a lot of people DO ride our light rail, and as far as mass transit systems go, it functions pretty well.

WES (the commuter train) was a colossal mistake, but the MAX light rail seems to be working fine. It is useful for suburbanites like myself to go downtown and avoid hunting for a parking space.

[abigailprettycat]

No way is it a mistake. Lots of riders. Goes where I need it to go. Use it all the time.

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by actinic

Is your light rail system in as bad of shape at this article suggests?....

No.
Emphatic NO.

My point: this AM radio talk show host did not explain the reason why the light rail was built, why suburbs like Hillsboro (way out at the end of the line) see and feel a much less impact than downtown in the city of Portland, why the fare structure of the entire TriMet system is (was?) not intended as a pay-for-itself revenue stream, fares must be raised to to keep pace with operational costs. yada, yada, yada.

If your community doesn't have a specific overall Mass Transit plan, have a healthy bus system (with high ridership during rush hours) and the proposed Light Rail system is included in an integrated plan to reduce car usage by commuters, then Light Rail is just a waste of money and land use.

Do you remember $4.00 a gallon gas? Can you envision $5.00 / gallon gas in your future? It takes years to build an infrastructure that can get the masses to their jobs without using private cars. People a lot smarter than I am need to debate how each community is going to deal with the next oil shock.

Also note: the weather in Portland and Seattle is mostly mild, and although it can get wet and bone chill cold, it isn't near the freezing cold or sticky hot of Chicago, NYC, Boston, etc. Waiting for a bus or light rail may be a discomfort in Portland, but it ain't bad enough to write home about. Your community may have really hot and humid summers, would you want to stand in the afternoon heat for 20 minutes or so waiting for a light rail so everyone can then jam in nose to arm-pit?

[cdelena]

Light rail is a financial loser in every installation in the world but one... Hong Kong. Even cities in right-to-work states that have less union impact cannot control staff/benefit costs and are regularly looking for more tax money to stay afloat.

Another example of the inadequate performance when trusting politicians and bureaucrats to run a large enterprise that has access to tax money... until it runs out.

Light rail is not an efficient proposition unless there is very high population density and limited transportation alternatives. It will continue to be a loser in most location regardless of the emotional promotion by many planners and politicians.

[Nell Plotts]

cdelena, the same could be said for freeways that route through cities. Let's put a toll on them (which is what a bus/lightrail fare is) for their costs. What we pay in gas tax doesn't cover the expense, by the way.

Light rail makes high density possible. I remember Rose City Transit and Portland's streetcars (they were profit making ventures). Chrysler bought them out, put in stinky buses. From that time forward people purchased a second car and suburbia developed.

Our transit system makes it possible for many families to own just one (or even none) car like we had until the late 1940s.

[green_mariner]

LIght rail, heavy rail, and other types of public transportation are not mistakes. They are essential to a major city. If it is kept up properly, it will work.