TriMet received approval from the FTA for preliminary engineering of the Milwaukee extension of light rail.

That’s awesome in my book, it gives me X more options that I can get to comfortably by 2015.  That is, if things go as planned.  There are a few things I have to nitpick though.

1. Why do we put up with these plans & construction taking so long?  It should take about 8-12 months to do all construction and get a line running once the blue prints/engineering plans are signed off.  It shouldn’t take longer than a month or two to get the plans verified and signed off.  I understand what the problem is, and I find it absolutely unacceptable, it’s morbidly sickening how long it takes to do a project like this and adds vast amounts of money to the cost.
2. The line will create 12,300 jobs.  I don’t know why they prospect such nonsense.  There won’t be a 12,300 job increase in the area, they can’t accurately estimate an increase in the area, basically it is a found-less accusation.  I hate it when the Government(Government entities) makes these asinine projections.  Please TriMet, and other entities working on this, try to keep it to the facts and facts only.  If you’re going to market something, at least market it with some truth standards.
3. They don’t mention a key fact.  TriMet has in the news release, “The Portland-Milwaukie project funds are a combination of federal, state and local funds and cannot be used to offset the agency’s $13.5 million general fund shortfall for FY2010. Federal funding is expected to cover 50-60 percent of the light rail project.”  Why don’t they mention the fact that operations along this line for persons carried will drop drastically when the light rail is opened.  Of course they’ll put some money into it, but the Feds will pay most of it enabling TriMet to keep more money by eliminating redundant service along the corridor and working toward arterial feeder lines instead.  They don’t mention that at all, even though it is a MAJOR selling point for light rail.

Oh well, now that I’ve got the partially negative grumpiness out of the way I’ll hit on the good news.

1. This extension connects to one area that will absolutely use light rail extensively.
2. The motivation for individuals along this route to go car less will increase.
3. The travel time will be more sustainable than the current #33 (in theory).
4. The light rail will most likely attract a 5-25% increase in transit usage in the corridor.
5. The opening of this line, in 2015, will possibly push Light Rail MAX usage past bus ridership levels.

…and the most important reason to me.  It will motivate me to actually go explore the areas south of downtown along the corridor every once in a while, just as it will others.  Currently there isn’t much reason for me to jump on the bus or something to go down that way, but the light rail I’d board to go explore.  Same goes for Clackamas Town Center.  When the Green Line opens I’ll definitely head out to that mall every once in a while as I’m sure hundreds of others will also.  The mall could prospectively see an increase of 2-6% in sales.  Just the corridor alone will get a boost.  The I-205 mall area will definitely get some more visits by myself and the GF.  Currently we travel out that way via the #15 maybe once every 2-3 months for bulk commodity (like dish soap) just for fun.  The Green Line will enable us to cut costs by traveling there more frequently to buy bulk items.  However that same event will decrease some of the commodity items we end up getting at local areas in the south east, but not significantly.  Most of it will be 100% new purchases.

That’s it for my rambling on the new line(s) and the prospect of the Milwaukee Line.

MAX Red Line, MAX Blue Line, to #9 and Code, Code, Code

I was coding like a mad man, so I decided to hit my second place.  A second place is one of those places, that isn’t home, that you go to think.  For me, I like to ride around town, generally on transit because then I can think and not be interrupted.  It could be thought of as odd, but it keeps my attention from running off, the irony that it is.

I boarded the MAX Red Line across the river from downtown to the Convention Center Stop, then walked back toward the Rose Quarter Transit Center ever so slowly to kill time.  The Blue Line, which is what I was after, arrived shortly after I arrived at the stop.  I boarded and pulled my second brain out (that’s the computer/laptop).  I immediately dived into some architectural ideas and more code.

Bicycle Fare Officer Inspector Dude

The trip was uneventful until about 3 stops from my destination of Gresham.  Upon leaving the third stop two bicycle officers boarded the train and started checking for fare.  Of course, my response was, “rad, bust some punks”.  Sure enough, this one guy who had been on the train since 42nd or 60th didn’t have fare.  He didn’t even sugar coat it, but he lied like the fool he showed himself to be.  He spouted off with every facial recognition of a liar, “No sir, I don’t have a fare, I was only going two stops.”  I immediately thought, “two stops my foot!”

The officer told him he’d have to get off at the next stop and he’d check his name and write some paperwork.  The officer asked the kid for ID, which he reported he didn’t have any.  This was complete malarkey too, as the guy had his ID out about 5 minutes ago twiddling it in his fingers.

Me being a non-rat, I still couldn’t bare to say anything.  But I was piping to chime in and correct his outright lies.  At this point, I figured whatever, it was entertainment and I’d just let the officers figure it out for themselves.

Gresham, Land of Idiots and Morons

I got off in Gresham and wasn’t surprised one bit to see the buses shut without drivers.  It is a layover point and I’m sure they drivers are told to shut the buses.  The scum that line in Gresham are ripe for finding targets to desecrate, and TriMet has big huge ones in their buses and LRVs.  I only had a mere 5 minutes transfer in Gresham between the MAX and the #9, so I didn’t mind too much.  Eventually the drive arrived, entered through the back door, and let everyone else on.

We headed off into the darkness with a bus full of idiots.  Carrying on in blathering absurdity about things I often forget, on purpose, that people talk about.  Trite and absurd, but it was entertainment none the less, and I was being left alone.  Within 25-30 blocks of getting out of downtown Gresham we rid ourselves of the idiots and the bus grew quite with blue collar workers and simple cordial people boarding here and there.  With the idiots gone, the bus was now less entertaining, but any theoretical threat had also left with them.

The ride went smoothly and eventually I bounded off of the bus and walked my 1/2 block home.

Goofy Stats for the Ride About

• Trip Start:  7:24pm by me walking away from Backspace downtown toward MAX.
• Trip End:  9:XXpm by my walking 1/2 block home.
• Idiots:  6
• Smelly Cigarette Smokers:  1  (out of the dozens of riders)
• Acts of Respect or Cordial Behavior:  3
• Peak Load on #9:  20
• Peak Load on MAX Blue Line:  126-131  (I missed right front high floor section, but could tell there where occupants)
• Peak Load on MAX Red Line:  60-70  (Estimated as I was only on for 3 stops)
• Police Officers for Entire Ride:  2
• Proven non-paying customers:  1
• People on MAX Blue Line when non-paying customer was caught:  12
• Languages Heard:  2  (English & Spanish)
• Total mileage approximately: 30 mile round trip.
• MAX Blue Line Light Rail Trip Time:  35 minutes.
• #9 Bus Trip Time:  42 minutes.

I commonly see this statement that TriMet is disconnected from its ridership.  Of course it is, ridership & customer retention are one of the lower priorities.  One would expect such from a publicly operative entity that is run primarily by Government means.

TriMet Priorities (Public Government Entity)

1. Assure funding from Government/taxes.
2. Assure continued interest from key officials.
3. Maintain operations and incur as large a tax collection/service base as possible.
4. Maintain fare revenue through ridership.
5. Maintain equipment to assure maximum ridership via lowest cost.
6. Encourage and gain ridership.
7. Maintain employee happiness.

Those first two priorities pretty much sum up the largest part of concentration on TriMet's part.  Which really equates to TriMet being more about appeasing the city & Metro than the citizenry and users of the system.  One of the MAJOR problems of disconnecting the system from a profit or Trust (Business entity) based priority.

If TriMet where truly a private entity and where allowed by removal of subsidies to competing systems, we could get some honest priorities.

TriMet Priorities – (Privately Operated)

1. Make money & profits for owners & primary constituents.
2. Server as many people as possible to increase revenue.
3. Assure employees are happy to maintain efficiency and encourage further ridership & revenues.
4. Expand system.

TriMet Priorities – (Privately Operated non-Profit)

1. Make money to maintain system.
2. Server as many people as possible to maintain revenue.
3. Assure employees are happy to maintain efficiency and encourage further ridership & revenues.
4. Expand system.

TriMet Priorities – (Publicly Owned, Privately Operated – i.e. group owndership)

1. Make money to maintain system.
2. Server as many people as possible to maintain revenue.
3. Assure employees are happy to maintain efficiency and encourage further ridership & revenues.
4. Expand system.

One can see easily that the priorities are less, and the functional push forward is much more focused.  When you withdraw these tertiary motivators (the City, Metro, & other urban planning engineering manipulators) you'd have priorities that aren't perfectly matched to the rider, but at least VASTLY more aligned than that of the current public entity.

As it stands, unless there is a national awakening, we have what we have.  It is one of the, if not the best system for this city size.  But we won't do better unless the restraints and unfocused issues are removed, and that is FAR FAR outside of TriMet's control.

TriMet's behavior is a symptom of larger issues, and should not be contested.  What needs to be focused on is the problems associated with the City, Metro, and Political Pull System.  We fix that, we'll get our transit system back.  Until then, there isn’t any point in complaining about TriMet’s politically motivated behavior, because that’s exactly what WE the citizenry have allowed by letting the Government encroach in the business of transportation.

OurPDX Reports Borking

Leave it to Aaron Hockley of www.dogcaught.com and other tech fame in PDX to take a great shot and notify people of the upcoming delays for wiring the new Green Line into the MAX System.  :)  Check it out on OurPDX in “TriMet Warning: Gateway Area to be Borked Starting Tuesday”.

Transit Beer Rocking

Transit beer rocked.  Conversation ranged from transit (shock!) to subsidies for sports teams.  The community of people interested in transit (at least at Transit Beer) tends to be a rather intelligent group.  Thus the topics are wide ranging, with the normal focus on transit.

Other Bits

Amtrak isn’t actually spending any of the money they received from the stimulus on anything that will actually create economically, environmental, or otherwise sustainable work.  Most will be done within 1-8 months and the money will be gone in short order.  Most of it is probably going to be used on things that are ill prepared for purchase.  Also there isn’t a penny so far allocated to new service.  Every penny seems to be going for security or maintenance systems.  Don’t get me wrong, it is cool that they’re getting sustainment funds, but because of the “hurry up and spend it to save the country” clause it isn’t getting spent as intelligently as it should.

Transit Beer Decisions

We decided as a group the most intelligent next steps for TriMet would be to bump up the primary routes to BRT (or at least articulated buses for christ’s sake!).  On the west side the heavy rider lines need to be bounced up to AT LEAST frequent service.  I personally think shit should be done even at the cost of cutting some other low ridership lines.  Anyone else got any ideas on that?

That WES Shot

I published a photo from the WES free ride over at Dog Caught, go check it out.  🙂

So if you’re going to come out and about tongith and want to chat transit for a bit, we’re meeting for grub, and maybe a beer, for the 4th Transit Beer at Pho Thanh Long.  It’s at 635 SW College St in Portland.  The #12 stops right out front and the streetcar stops about 3 blocks away at PSU.  Check out the Google Map.

Click on the map to get a closer up image, and if you’re taking transit make sure to click on it and enable transit.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=pho+thanh+long&sll=45.510005,-122.684183&sspn=0,359.997936&ie=UTF8&ll=45.519579,-122.680035&spn=0.000851,0.002064&t=k&z=14&iwloc=A&cid=15260158253271033245&output=embed
View Larger Map

Buses that stop nearby within 1-3 blocks:  #8, #9, #19, #68, #1, #12, #44, #94, and the #17.  The streetcar stops approximately 3-4 blocks away also, depending on if you’re coming from the north west or south east.

So come join us.  We’ll be there at around 7:30pm, maybe a few minutes after, pending delays.  😉