The End of And Era For Tri Met (Portland, Hillsboro: buy, live)

[Minervah]

I suppose it was inevitable but it's finally come no more free rides:


TriMet: Fare Changes Effective September 1, 2012

[Leisesturm]

We know that higher fares will be a hardship for many of you, and some people may even stop riding as a result. During nearly eight months of public outreach, where we proposed a variety of cost-saving ideas with riders, many of you told us that you could tolerate a fare increase if it meant fewer cuts to service.

I certainly will... and have. As of at least 3 months ago service to Forest Grove from Hillsboro deteriorated to the point where it was simpler to bicycle there. Only trips to Portland make me get the wallet out anymore.

H

[Minervah]

They have really cut back on the number 15 Belmont service and have proposed to make more cutbacks. This is a real concern because so many people in wheelchairs and others who can't get around any other way ride that bus to the Legacy Medical complex in NW Portland all the way from SE as well as to downtown. Those buses are always packed.

There is no MAX that can take their place. And lately, I have had two number 14 Hawthorne buses just sail by and not pick up the passengers waiting at a bus stop within a two week period. I wonder if the TriMet drivers are trying to make a protest or something.

[turquoise1]

oh no, that is terrible!

The 15 bus is so convenient. They need to run it more.

[UrbanAdventurer]

I use Tri-Met quite a bit. My first impression is good riddance to all this stuff. The fare zones are needlessly confusing and I've never understood or paid particular attention to them. The free rail zone is an obvious loophole to do away with and will probably boost revenue while at the same time easing conjestion and cutting down on the riff-raff. The $.10 fare increase is meaningless to me. At least it's an even $2.50 or $5 which makes it easy to remember and denominate. (Now when they raise it to $2.55 next year I'll be annoyed.)

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Urban Adventurer

I use Trimet quite a bit. My first impression is good riddance to all this stuff. The fare zones are needlessly confusing and I've never understood or paid particular attention to them. The free rail zone is an obvious loophole to do away with and will probably boost revenue while at the same time easing congestion and cutting down on the riff-raff. The $.10 fare increase is meaningless to me. At least it's an even $2.50 or $5 which makes it easy to remember and denominate. (Now when they raise it to $2.55 next year I'll be annoyed.)

Riff-raff? Who would they be? The students, elderly, poor or handicapped who need to use public transportation the most? Because they will be the ones who will feel the pinch the most.

I don't use Trimet quite a bit. I use it exclusively and very often. I have no car or bike. I am not able to walk very far. I say farewell to all "this stuff" but certainly not good riddance. I also say thank heaven I now qualify for an honored citizen bus pass or I would not be able to afford to ride Trimet very often.

The zones that were in place for many years used to really be a good idea. The short hopper and zones one through three and beyond made sense. I never heard anyone complain about being confused by them.

One more thing that is making Portland look like every other city like when they took away the little signs downtown at the bus stops with the snowflakes, raindrops, beaver, rose, deer, leaf and fish which was so uniquely Portland, replacing them with boring typical alphabet signs. Changes happening and not necessarily for everyone's benefit.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by turquoise1

oh no, that is terrible!

The 15 bus is so convenient. They need to run it more.

I would be happy if they returned it to their old route.

All the buses used to run up to Montgomery Park. On weekends it was every other bus with the alternate buses going up to 18th and Washington. In the opposite direction it was up to Gateway and the alternate was just past 82nd.

I haven't ridden it East for a long time but now during the day it goes West every other bus during non rush hour up to Thurman or Lovejoy. It's a half hour in between. One problem arises is that while the main Legacy complex is at Lovejoy, there are some medical offices beyond and that is many of the bus riders' destinations. For example I have all my doctor's offices there except for one which is off Pettygrove. So I get off at Overton and walk a block. No big deal but if I miss the one bus that stops at Overton, I have to get off at Lovejoy and that is a farther walk which wouldn't be bad except I have a problem walking. So do a lot of people who take that bus.

It's difficult to time it because since the buses that come every other one wind up coming every half hour instead because they kind of leap frog each other instead of one bus coming every 15 minutes when it was one bus going all the way. So a bus that will go to Thurman will arrive at my stop at 27th and Belmont let's say at 2:00pm. The next bus will only go to Lovejoy will arrive at the stop at 2:15 pm. The next bus that will arrive at my stop will go to Lovejoy again at 2:45 and to Thurman at 2:30 pm. So it's a half hour betweem Lovejoy and Lovejoy and Thurman and Thurman buses. They are always late and the one especially that goes on to Thurman that passes Pettygrove is jammed packed. It is further delayed by passengers having to board in wheelchairs. I doubt if Tri Met gave that a second thought when they decided to change the route from one bus going all day making all the stops to Thurman.

I am on their email list and I have brought that problem up to them. As if they really want to hear complaints from the average public transportation rider although they do ask.

Ah well, such is progress I suppose.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Originally Posted by UrbanAdventurer

I use Tri-Met quite a bit. My first impression is good riddance to all this stuff. The fare zones are needlessly confusing and I've never understood or paid particular attention to them. The free rail zone is an obvious loophole to do away with and will probably boost revenue while at the same time easing conjestion and cutting down on the riff-raff. The $.10 fare increase is meaningless to me. At least it's an even $2.50 or $5 which makes it easy to remember and denominate. (Now when they raise it to $2.55 next year I'll be annoyed.)

I agree about the zones and all that. It was confusing and unnecessary. As to losing fareless square, I'm opposed to that. When I worked downtown for a few years recently it was difficult at times the people who aggressively hit you up for money and the homeless people who essentially lived on the train, but it was never violent.

[turquoise1]

I will miss fareless square. I also think it's good for tourism.

[PNW-type-gal]

From the former Portlander point of view, I'm sorry to see Fareless Square go - from the POV of someone who now comes back to Portland as a tourist, I usually buy a 7 day all zone pass at the airport coming in anyway. For a single person the pass is great - if I had more family members with me, I find it quite the pocketbook hit.