Not enough gamblers
The board spending that half-billion every year is a laughable collection of box-checkers with no more relevant expertise than you or me – think the Portland city charter commission, only permanent – and the suits in charge of management don't seem much smarter. These days the people running the Tri are far more interested in real estate development than transit service. Watch a video of one of their board meetings sometimes. You'll be appalled.
Anyway, I embark on this rant because today we learn that they're going to stop running the MAX trains, with which they have been obsessed for the last 40 years plus, late at night. The scene on the train gets even sketchier than normal the later you go after midnight, and so they won't run after something like 2 a.m. Hardly anyone will notice, because you'd have to be out of your mind to be anywhere on Tri-Met at that hour anyway.
The change is reportedly set to take effect this summer, which is about the time that they're going to give up trying to get anyone to ride the bus that runs up 24th and 27th Avenues in northeast Portland. The 17, which used to be the 9 and used to be a workhouse, is set to move to 33rd Avenue, where the commuters apparently are braver.
Wherever they are routing it, it's still a downtown-centric system, by and large. And as we all know, the city's core is as down and out as an overdosed fetty addict, and not responding too well to the Narcan. That situation's not helping Tri-Met, either.
Oh, well. However you get around, you working stiffs keep paying that Tri-Met tax, or else.
saw a recent tri-meth board meeting where they (rightfully) thanked the folks who used an active bus to deliver a rider with a heart attack to the emergency department when no ambulances were available.
ReplyDeleteThat was a great move by the driver and the fire crew. I'm sure it violated standard policy.
DeleteBut the driver probably got to claim ambulance-driver's wages/benefits for the day.
DeleteWhy would they take a pay cut?
DeleteI’m so old I remember Portland before trains and trams and the Twinkie ride up to. “Pill Hill”. The bus company was called Rose City Transit. I used it a lot as I didn’t have a car. The busses were a bit old but they were kept up and the drivers weren’t afraid of getting physically attacked or worse. I think most of them liked the job.
ReplyDeleteThe public transportation system here now is an absolute disgrace!
Lots of pretty new machines. If only they went where people actually wanted to go
DeleteAll we need is another gas tax to replace auto lanes with "Rose Lanes" and soon everyone will be on the bus ... because there is no other choice.
ReplyDeleteI still ride the bus to commute, mostly the 20 Burnside. But I no longer head downtown in the evening like I used to do to catch music. Too dangerous and no real music scene any more for my tastes. I do once in a while get a late evening bus around 28th. Quite the lesson in demographics and the state of the city.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago used to take MAX all the time, but in my very few journeys now, not a good vibe at all. Sadly with all the malfeasance of Homeless Inc, Tri-met is the only solution for too many street folks to keep warm and alive.