I just noticed a HUGE jump in TriMet's originating ride average fare collected as reported in the June 2010 Monthly Performance Report. It had been running at about $1.00 to $1.15 for such a very long time that it was easy to overlook. As of the report, it's up to $1.504 ($1.244 in May).

Bottom line is that, through reduced service, riders are now paying 40%+ more towards TriMet's costs even before the nickel increase.

I'm not seeing that number in the June 2010 Performance Report. However I do see that Passenger Revenue/System Cost has increased from 25.09% to 34.25%.

It also shows that the (few) TriMet WES employees had 100% attendance in June 2009 and 2010. And that rides per employee has increased, there's a lot more accidents per bus miles, but less per rail miles. In addition, no MAX trips were canceled and less than 1% of bus trips were.

On another note, WES quiet zone construction has begun.

Jason -

The number is from page 4 of the full report, not the summary excerpt available on line. It does correlate with the 25.09% to 34.25% jump that you found.

A note on Milwaukie light rail... according to this Daily Journal of Commerce article, Metro is committing to bond against about 12 years of future MTIP funds in order to contribute to the local match for the Milwaukie Light Rail project.

(Anyone know what kinds of MTIP-funded projects that Metro is usually involved with which may get put on hold for a decade+? )

The article appears to make a common slip-up which I see in a lot of journalistic pieces about transit, stating that 25,000 "people" are expected to ride the line each day by 2030. I believe they're referring to "boardings"... Which sends me on this tangent: The number of people in our region who ride TriMet at one time or another is a lot higher than daily boardings might lead one to believe... I'll be doing a full post on that topic at some point in the next couple of weeks, now that we've got the data.

Anyone know what kinds of MTIP-funded projects that Metro is usually involved with which may get put on hold for a decade+

This is common MTIP practice, historically for streetcar. In fact that was the genesis of the freight v. bike/ped brouhaha that erupted earlier this summer. Advocates for non-transit modes wanted the same kind of long-term funding commitment that streetcar has enjoyed.

As far as what hasn't been funded as a result, I would put the St. Johns Quiet Zone at the top of that list.

Any thoughts on the OPAL rally? I was there, as well as spoke there. It was one of those days I will put down as one of my favorite days ever. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and I really think we can make a difference.

Here are some links regarding that event:
OPAL DEMONSTRATION
Where's the Public Transit Activism in Portland?
OPAL RALLY VIDEOS

This is a stupid question. I Googled, I looked at their website, I failed. I'm sure everyone except me knows, but what does OPAL stand for?

Figured it out, thanks to Portland Afoot's great wiki.

Why were they protesting at the City Hall of Portland? Tri-Met isn't a city of Portland department, it's a department of the State of Oregon. Why didn't they have the protest in Salem at the Capital or in front of Tri-Met's headquarters?

Well, it was a Portland issue, and we wanted to have it at an obvious Portland Place.

TriMet has published the FULL July monthly performance report at http://trimet.org/about/ridership.htm. Let's hope this will be standard practice.

BTW I believe the lady who does those reports has been there a LONG time. I'm pretty sure I've seen her name in 80's newspaper articles.

http://trimet.org/difference/john.htm

Yay. :)

It was just too good to last.

TriMet replaced the full performance report on its website with the Readers Digest version. So we have to go back to making a special request to see the whole thing.

It's official - Clark Co. funding for CRC light rail will get separate ballot measure
http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/sep/14/fate-of-light-rail-will-go-before-voters/

Hey, site glitch.

I tried posting http://trimetopinionist.blogspot.com/2010/09/introduction-to-my-blog.html in my URL box and all of a sudden my posts need to be approved. Which they never are. For some reason. Why do you think that is? O_o

A new streetcar funding agreement was approved at the TriMet board meeting yesterday, and it includes a 5% cut, to follow what TriMet departments have had to endure.

Yes, the Streetcar Board and City Council have already signed off on that agreement.

Not to change the topic, but:

I think there should be a formal rule that bicyclists that board the MAX during peak hours must stand next to their bike (within reason) and not take another seat someplace else.

I saw one person actually lock their bike up with a bike lock and sit down in a nice comfy seat during morning rush hour.

How much space can bicyclists realistically take up? Square footage wise, it's equivalent of me laying down on the floor. I think it is only fair that I be able to do so.

And another thing, stop with bike joy-rides at Goose Hollow during peak hours. Some bicyclists use the MAX for a "free ride" back up to Washington Park because they don't want to peddle their way back up there.

MAX is not some recreational toy during rush hour.

Myself, as a "bicyclist", would never:

Take my bike on MAX during rush hour -- ever -- and instead opt for using the bus to get to a MAX line.

That is all.

I just noticed that Portland's Google Maps satellite view has been updated to something quite recent. It shows the Burnside/Couch couplet, the new I-5/Columbia Blvd interchange, some of the East Side Streetcar tracks, the completed Green Line, etc.

Oh, and more of that new development near the WES in Wilsonville. Oh, and WES itself is completed on the latest round of images.

Yeah, I believe the imagery date that Google Earth mentions is about August 15th--less than two months ago, which seems like a very short turnaround. I was assuming that they would instead use last year's Metro imagery that Portland Maps shows.

Now if they would only update the street maps, which still show the closed portion of Sandy Blvd, but do show bus stops on Couch.

Looks like Street View has finally been updated downtown. I haven't checked for awhile, but this is the first time I've seen a finished Mall rather than something in early construction.