Sanity prevails.

WOW,

I'm impressed!

"TriMet will, however, do a “comprehensive review of fareless” over the next 18 months,"

They need to do a comprehensive review of the bogus zone/fare/transfer/pass structure.

This system needs a major overhaul in how its handling passenger revenues, and who paying so that fareless can continue to be free!

Ummmm.... OK.

Here's hoping they eliminate the whole thing, not just at night.

Oregonian article about MAX safety/crime, system-wide:

Mixed news from MAX crime stats Numbers through Nov. 2007 show assaults, car thefts up on Westside; car break-ins down significantly

Excerpts:

Thanks to a sharp decline in car break-ins through the first 11 months of 2007, crime numbers on the MAX light rail appear headed for a steep decline from 2006.

Earlier this week, the Portland transit agency released crime statistics through Nov. 30. They showed that 567 total crimes were reported systemwide in the first 11 months of 2007.

By comparison, 789 crimes were reported in 2005 and 732 were reported in 2006. If December's crime rate was consistent with the prior 11 months', it would mark a 15 percent drop in crime on MAX from 2006 to 2007.

Did anybody besides me appreciate the irony of Hansen saying the original purpose of FS was carbon monoxide reduction that's no longer an issue so the reason for it is gone, then DEQ issues a carbon monoxide alert two nights later?

You can't make this stuff up.

All the people who pay nothing to ride and expect taxpayers to financially carry and support them showed up at there hearings. One guy said he lives downtown, uses the transit system all the time and admitted he has no transportation costs. In other words he sponges his means of transport off of the taxpayers.

From my prospective Fareless Square ought to be totally eliminated.

If it remains free, then maybe the people who live in Fareless Square and those who live within five blocks of Fareless Square should have an additional $4.50 added to their city utility bills to help pay for it. Businesses within the same parameters could be charged a fee on their utility bills based on the average number of Fareless Square trips the business generates, And then of course to make all things equal, parking downtown including in the city owned garages, would be free because free is a very good word, and everybody who drives likes free parking TriMet could just be charged a 24 cents a gallon diesel tax to pay for any garage building costs. If TriMet has to raise fares or cut service to pay the fuel tax, so be it. After all, that is the same arrogant attitude taken by Adams and company when the concept is to raise taxes that pinch budgets for households and motorists to give back door freebee perks to bicyclists. If what makes Portland “Portland” is free transit downtown, then free parking downtown and elsewhere where meters and city owned garages exist will only make the central city an equitably better Portland free for all.

freebee perks to bicyclists

You just couldn't contain yourself, could you? Please try to A) keep on topic and B) stop repeating the exact same complaint in every topic thread.

The irony is, this is a case of a minority pushing/voting/demanding something at the cost of everyone else again. It happens so often until it just becomes too much of a burden.

As for the mooch that lives downtown and has no transit cost. That is sick. I buy a month pass every month. I buy one even if I use the transit just 2-3 times for the whole month. Why? For two reasons. Between my excessive tax burden and the month pass I know I've paid my way. In addition to that it is just much easier in case I do want to leave downtown for some odd reason (like to go to the airport).

Generally I even walk more than I take transit because downtown, it is more efficient. This however is the story of my life, I pay far in excess of what I use, so that mooches and leaches on the system can demand a faux right and ride for free.

When does it end? So far I've paid for myself and another to overutilize the transportation system and infrastructure in this country. I've covered costs for myself to be educated and for two others. All I do is pay, pay, pay, and what do I get?

Beggers demanding more, more, and more. The homeless stinking up the transit system that people like I paid for. Bums spitting up on my shirt during lunch because they have no the respect or mental ability to show any respect. Cops that are incapable of removing these people for civil society because of misperceived rights! ? When does the encroachment on one group of people get so excessive that people finally begin standing up for themselves? Does the country have to fall into ruin before that happens?

Fareless zone. A measly 50 cents all day, a simple measly anybody can get it 50 cents would eiliminate the vast majority of these problems. But it seems the minority of screamers gets their way again.

Probably because us folk paying for the system had to go to work... hmm, that usually seems to be the case.

Oh well, RIP self sufficient people, make way for the mooches.

"As for the mooch that lives downtown and has no transit cost. That is sick."

It is. I can't imagine confining my entire life to 1.35 sq miles, and I'm not that exciting in the first place. He must be really dull.

A common complaint seems to be that people who live downtown use transit entirely free inside Fareless Sqare. But can anyone provide numbers of how many fareless riders live downtown and how many are visitors from outside?

Tri-Met, and taxpayers, should not have to subsidize the business interests and close in residents who benefit from free transport. Let the Portland Business Alliance, who pays for enhanced downtown policing, pony up for free bus/light rail service downtown.

Did anybody besides me appreciate the irony of Hansen saying the original purpose of FS was carbon monoxide reduction that's no longer an issue so the reason for it is gone, then DEQ issues a carbon monoxide alert two nights later?

Not only can't you make this stuff up, but TriMet is one of the very FEW transit agencies that doesn't have a "free ride" program on clean air advisory days. I seem to recall C-Tran did, or at least used to (before their budgetary problems kicked in).

So instead of helping the region breathe clean air by providing a good way to get around, TriMet is only interested in providing clean air in one part of Portland. Too bad if you live in Gresham, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Tualatin, or Oregon City, you get stuck with dirty air.

(And it doesn't help that TriMet uses dirty busses, too, unlike many transit agencies that are quickly moving to hybrid busses.)

All along, this was the RIGHT solution (eliminating fareless square) for the WRONG problem (perceived security risk; most of the recent security issues have occurred well outside of fareless square and had nothing to do with fare evaders.)

TriMet is one of the very FEW transit agencies that doesn't have a "free ride" program on clean air advisory days. I seem to recall C-Tran did, or at least used to (before their budgetary problems kicked in).
C-TRAN still does, I don't think there were any clean air advisory days last year. They did have a free service day on Nov. 19th, but that was for the opening of the new transit center, and not for air pollution advisory reasons.

TriMet used to have them, I remember in the mid-90s when there was a Clean Air Advisory Day, there would be a story on the TV news that you could pick up free passes at Safeway (this was well before I used TriMet; I was a kid in high school at the time).

All along, this was the RIGHT solution (eliminating fareless square) for the WRONG problem (perceived security risk; most of the recent security issues have occurred well outside of fareless square and had nothing to do with fare evaders.)
I don't know how many times I've seen bus operators feel compelled to let someone who didn't pay continue beyond Fareless Square for whatever reason. Why this is fair to everyone else that has a valid fare, I don't know.

TriMet used to have them, I remember in the mid-90s when there was a Clean Air Advisory Day, there would be a story on the TV news that you could pick up free passes at Safeway

I remember when C-Tran would actually display "RIDE FREE TODAY" on the headsign for clean air advisory days.

No need to **DRIVE** to a Safeway to pick up a free TriMet pass, just get on the bus at your friendly neighborhood bus stop (yes, they exist!), smile and wave at your friendly TriMet bus operating professional (can't do that on MAX or Streetcar!), and take a seat.

can't do that on MAX or Streetcar!

You can wave at them. If they acknowledge or care remains to be seen, but you can in fact wave.

Fare Minded
TriMet Decides to Leave Fareless Square Intact For Now

BY AMY J. RUIZ

Last December, TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen used his hour in front of the City Club's weekly luncheon to make a big announcement: He had Fareless Square, an iconic symbol of Portland's green and transit-friendly ways, in his crosshairs.

As part of a several-step plan to "deal with issues of fare evasion, loud and intimidating behavior, and criminal activity on the system," Hansen said, he would propose cutting back Fareless Square's hours to 7 am to 7 pm in early 2008, and follow up with a more comprehensive look at whether Fareless Square should be retained at all. Currently, Fareless Square operates without time constrictions.

But after two public hearings last week—where Fareless Square fans were out in force to protest the proposal—Hansen dropped his idea.

"After evaluating more than 700 emails, letters, and comments from two public hearings held earlier this week, one thing is clear: There is a lot of passion and strongly held views about Fareless Square," Hansen said in a statement on January 18. "Taking quick action on changing Fareless Square is obviously easier said than done. Over the next several months, as I announced in early December, we will establish a public process on how best to evaluate the future of Fareless Square, and address security issues in Fareless. It will be an open, thorough process that involves and engages the public."

If Hansen wants to re-evaluate Fareless Square, however, there are two big lessons to be learned from the short, failed process to curtail the fareless zone. For starters, attendees at two public hearings on January 16 were irate that no one from TriMet was at the front of the room, listening to public testimony. And the majority of those who testified were skeptical that Fareless Square had anything to do with safety and security on TriMet—especially since the recent high-profile incidents that prompted TriMet's new focus on security occurred in Gresham and Hillsboro.

At both a morning meeting in the Lloyd District, and an evening meeting in the Portland Building downtown, a stenographer took notes while a contracted facilitator called names of those who wanted to testify. One TriMet official welcomed the crowd at both meetings, but took a seat in the back during the testimony. Hansen and the TriMet board of directors—who will ultimately make the decision on what to do about Fareless Square—were absent.

"I'm embarrassed that there are no members of TriMet's governing body here listening to citizens," says city council candidate and transit activist

*****Chris Smith*****

at the evening session. Another man added: "Do [TriMet officials] plan on listening to audio tapes, or are we just here to talk to each other?"

Others who testified questioned Hansen's assertion that Fareless Square's hours had an impact on safety and security, and demanded that TriMet produce data showing the correlation.

"I would like to know, where are the preponderance of the incidents that are such a problem? Where are the crimes occurring? When are they happening?" asked Liam Zuk, testifying at the morning session. "And how would changing Fareless Square actually improve that? So far, TriMet hasn't offered any information on that."

But TriMet doesn't have any evidence beyond what they've heard.

"You're right, we don't have statistics on that," TriMet spokesperson Mary Fetsch says. "This is what we have heard complaints about from our riders. And the police have made comments, that the undesirable behavior hap