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Fare Relief
TriMet has a new program for distributing fares to low-income system users via non-profit providers. So for example if you were going to a non-profit medical clinic and were income-qualified, the clinic could provide with you with free tickets for your visit. TriMet is putting about $300K into this program, with up to $25K in…
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Next year’s draft budget, Raisegate, and more
Today, TriMet released a draft budget for Fiscal Year 2014 (which runs from July 1 of this year to June 30, 2014). The agency wants everyone to know that this year’s budget doesn’t contain the unpleasant news that was in last year’s (no service cuts and fare hikes), albeit with the usual asterisk (a favorable…
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What TriMet Needs Now: A Really Good Audit
Full disclosure: I was one of the “stakeholders” who got briefed beforehand on the presentation TriMet GM Neil McFarlane gave to the board last week, predicting dire financial straights if TriMet’s labor agreement, particularly health benefits, is not modified. There is clearly a messaging war going on. ATU has an “open letter” to passengers out…
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Revisting TriMet and Metro
Garlynn Woodsong is a planner and a frequent commenter from Portland Transport’s early days. He has recently returned to Portland after an assignment in California. A recent visit to San Diego opened my eyes to another possibility for the reorganization of transit in the Portland region. Currently, Metro does regional transportation and land use planning,…
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Pensions and budgets, and cuts. (Oh my).
On the heels of all the CRC goings-on down in Salem (and in various council chambers in Vancouver and Oregon City), TriMet yesterday tossed a little gasoline in the fire with some dire predictions for transit levels a decade hence. While its outlook for FY14 is essentially flat–no service restorations, no further cuts, depending on…