Trimess

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Propaganda! 

King County Metro Transit offers safe space for youth

http://www.issaquahpress.com/2011/08/31/king-county-metro-transit-offers-safe-space-for-youth/

BridgeView-exciting nail biting videos about MLR!

http://www.trimet.org/pm/construction/bridgeview.htm

Hours of Service

I received your letter dated August 23, 2011, along with the August 16, 2011 letter from John Johnson, Rail Safety, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to Harry Saporta, TriMet Safety and Secrity Director.
After careful review, it is my finding that the negotiated Hours of Service Policy between TriMet and the Union is in compliance with Oregon Law and Oregon Administrative Rulses. We are not aware of any changes in the law or administrative rules since the policy was originally negotiated, submitted to and approved by ODOT.
Quite frankly, it appears that the deficiencies noted in the August 16, 2011 ODOT letter are more directed toward TriMet’s reporting performance, rather than policy non-compliance issues with applicable Oregon Law and Oregon Administrative Rules.
Full post here! 

A little reminder from the nice folks at TRIMET

TriMet: Fare Changes Effective September 1

We love light rail!

20 injured in Mexico City's light rail accident - People's Daily Online

Buses, Trains and the Media

http://stevehirano.typepad.com/

LANE county transit more efficient than TRIMET?

EDITORIAL: Who is mass transit for? | LTD’s new chief thinks it’s for everyone

OK TRIMET exec's, here is your challenge

RTA executives hitch ride on bus with riders

Go by MAX

trimet - YouTube

Old Portland & Seattle city Employee new BART CEO

Bart Press Release

VIDEO LOG-AUGUST 30


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Seen at Beaverton TC


Out of order validator at Sunset TC


Help defeat the Republicans

Please help that freakout happen by chipping in $6 to the Daily Kos Michigan Recall Fund.

Buses to the rescue in New York

 The bus was the way — the only way, for many — to go this morning for people trying to get to work in the first weekday commute in Irene's aftermath.
Bus stops were crowded and lines longer than usual as commuters re-engineered their morning routines.
At 6 a.m., some people at the New Rochelle train station either hadn't heard train service was suspended or came to the station hoping that it would resume.
"They said maybe - maybe - they'll start," Roberto Valencia, 41, of New Rochelle said of the trains. "So far there's no trains."

Morning commute: Bus the only choice for some | The Journal News | LoHud.com | LoHud.com

Transit bus disasters

Lynx bus in crash with tractor-trailer downtown. | busnewssite.com

Man tells New London police he robbed store for bus money

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110830/APC0904/110830069/Man-tells-New-London-police-he-robbed-store-bus-money

Buses to the rescue in Boston

With Amtrak service halted and hundreds of flights canceled in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, stranded travelers flocked to buses yesterday to get out of Boston.

Thousands of travelers stranded as flights and trains canceled - The Boston Globe

Guy holds bus hostage with knife

Knife-wielding assailant subdued as police end China bus hostage emergency - The Washington Post

Transit bus disasters

CTV Ottawa- Toronto transit bus crash kills 1, injures at least 11 - CTV News

Smart Growth America

“Transit Corridors for Sustainable Communities: Planning Transit to Connect the Dots” webinar materials and answers to your questions now available | Smart Growth America

Photos of a Blown Tire at Merlo














Dwight Botel

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

Another assault on MAX

http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=131463229567845300

Bitch on the Bus

http://www.portlandmercury.com/IAnonymousBlog/archives/2011/08/29/bitch-on-the-bus

TRIMET DEPLOY SMOKING BUS 8-25-11 GOVERNMENT GANG STALKING PROGRAM.

Crazy world of Stealth Wave Raptor

$175 fare-evasion citations issued by the transit agency has jumped five-fold

Between July 20 and August 15, TriMet gave 760 verbal warnings, down from 1,566 in 2010. Meanwhile, the agency handed out 1,972 citations to people caught trying to ride for free, a dramatic surge from the 372 issued during the same period last year.

TriMet raises fares, adds service and cracks down on fare cheaters in Portland area | OregonLive.com

"GOD" did it!

Michele Bachmann Says Hurricane Irene Should Be Viewed as Message from God

Salem CNG buses in action

Can someone (Jason?) tell me why TriMet does not utilize compressed natural gas equipment? With diesel fuel at over 3 dollars/gallon and the natural gas equivalent at 1.75,it would make sense to convert. Am I missing something?


Jobs not cuts


Monday, August 29, 2011

Transit/tour buses collide

Tour Bus, MTA Bus Collide | NBC Los Angeles

TRIMET PROVIDES IMPORTANT LIFT SERVICES IN BORING

Boring to Trimet: We don't want you | Transportation | Damascus News

VIDEO LOG-AUGUST 29-the class

It was ok, a little weird having them tell me how to drive a bus, the trainers were both good, that always helps me get through these things.

Safety First at TriMet

Unless you're the poor City of Tigard Meter Reader who has to read this water meter at the Tigard Transit Center.  Who, in their right mind, would put a water meter (and I'm not even sure what the meter is for!) on an active rail line.......................

And before I get the smart ass remark from Jason - Tigard does not use AMR meters.  So someone has to walk onto the rail right-of-way once a month, pull the cover and read the meter.

The bus saves the day!

TriMet contributed this fine soldier, fleet 1780, to bail out the Streetcar.

Streetcar shut down...






Streetcar shut down this morning, two cars at the Urban Center with a third on Harrison blocking traffic.

Safety class being held in 1400 bus!

Evan Whipple Retirement Ceremony at Center Street






Muni may open all doors on buses for boarding

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/28/BATS1KSFLA.DTL

TriMet fare hike arrives this week

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2011/08/trimet_fare_hike_arriving_this.html

WE LOVE LIGHT RAIL

Due to mechanical issues with a westbound train at Old Town/Chinatown, all westbound MAX trains are experiencing delays up to 30 minutes.

Masons advertising on TRIMET?


Sunday, August 28, 2011

New Ads on Portland Buses Will Encourage Critical Thinking About Israel

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/august282011/anti-israel-ads-tk.php

Chile in 2-day national strike as labor unions join student protests

http://channel6newsonline.com/2011/08/chile-in-2-day-national-strike-as-labor-unions-join-student-protests/

Zimbabwe bus crash kills at least 20

http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL5E7JQ07R20110826

Bus driver dies

Bus driver dies from injuries suffered in New Jersey Turnpike crash on Wednesday - The Washington Post

Opting out of TriMet

http://portlandafoot.org/w/Opting_out_of_TriMet

25 killed in north Iraq bus crash

Click here for story

Portland On The Cheap: Birthday Perks

http://portlandonthecheap.com/birthday_perks.html

Light Rail City loves its rail celebrations

TriMet: Celebrating 25 Years of MAX Blue Line to Gresham

WEEKLY READERSHIP REPORT


Foreign aid


Dubai fountain

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=jD69C0y6_J0

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.


2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security..

Test

The following was developed as a mental age assessment by the
School of Psychiatry at Harvard University .

Success

At age 4 success is . . . . Not piddling in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . Having friends.
At age 17 success is . . Having a driver's license.
At age 35 success is .. . ... ..having money.
At age 50 success is . . . Having money....
At age 70 success is . .. . Having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . ... . Having friends.
At age 80 success is . . .. Not piddling in your pants.

DC METRO RUNNING FINE AFTER STORM

DC Metro bus service running as scheduled, although buses may encounter detours - The Washington Post

17 dead in China bus crash

Bus carrying migrant workers collides with truck in northern China, killing 17, injuring 17 - The Washington Post

More Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal on the Dusty Wright Show - YouTube

THE HURRICANE THAT ALMOST ENDED THE WORLD (sic)

A few people not cowering in their bathtubs.Elizabeth Brus



AUTO/BUS TRANSPORT THE BIG WINNER IN EAST COAST STORM

In New York City, many residents appeared to be moving about via taxicabs. Michael Woloz, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade, said 30 taxi garages operated by his trade group remained open. The city has mandated a zoned fare system for cab rides, which also allows for passengers to share trips.
Bus service in Manhattan and the Bronx was slowly starting to be restored on Sunday afternoon, and fares will not be charged for the rest of the day, transit officials said. Buses are leaving depots in those boroughs as drivers arrive, although that is no easy task, given the lack of subway service. 

New York Expects Lengthy Recovery of Transit System - NYTimes.com

BEER GIVEAWAY AT UNION PICNIC NO JOKE IT TURNS OUT


Hysteria recedes

Life in New York is returning to normal as flood waters brought by Tropical Storm Irene recede. The feared devastation failed to materialise.

BBC News - New York recovers as Irene passes

New Tri-Met Logo

From Portlandism...


Saturday, August 27, 2011

NY JOINS THE GOVERNMENT HYSTERICS CLUB

Is this an alien attack or something? There have been plenty of hurricanes over the years, they have never closed all forms of transit down, EVER!

New Yorkers brace for a big hit from Irene: No public transit - latimes.com

Boring ready to pull the plug

http://sandypost.com/news/story_2nd.php?story_id=131441849630848900

Keep that $$$ rolling in!

ORDINANCE No. Tri-County Metropolitan District of Oregon ( TriMet ...

TRIMET MANAGEMENT WANTS TO KNOW IF WE CAN DRIVE BUSES

This is a picture from one of the classes, as I stated previously, it's a little bit late to decide if your bus drivers know how to drive a bus for crying out loud!



Investigation against Merlo mechanics executive board member?

 (This has NOT been verified)

So ron Heintzman anjon hunt went to Merlo to defend jeff hunt over fraud the mechanics at Merlo are pist no more hunts!

Evan Whipple Retirement Party at Center St.














Video Log-August 26


CAN TRIMET OPERATORS HAVE A DRINK WHILE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT?

 An operator was written up for taking a drink of water while the bus was at a red light. They were instructed to be off the bus before taking a drink of water. 
Is this accurate?

Friday, August 26, 2011

ATU Members Resource

For ATU members that have problems finding some information online I am working on some resources that can help make finding some documents easier. Here are three links that I have put together as a start. I hope this helps keeps members current on events with in our union.

http://www.atu757.info/Audits
http://www.atu757.info/LM2s
http://www.atu757.info/Minutes

These are simple links that give you access to some documents to help you stay current if you are not able to make it to a meeting.

Posted at ruby!

LTD in Eugene now hiring Bus Drivers


Official post

Beaverton Bike and Ride report

NYC Subway shuts down in anticipation of Irene

The subway system cannot operate under conditions that involve sustained winds of more than 39 mph, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the mayor said that Irene is expected to strike the city as a Category 1 hurricane. A storm of that magnitude has winds of at least 74 mph.

Bloomberg said that service may not be restored in time for rush hour on Monday and urged employees to contact their employers about what proper steps they should take for the start of the business week.


http://www.thestreet.com/story/11232170/1/nyc-subways-shutting-at-noon-saturday.html

HERE IT IS FOLKS...TRANSIT CZAR MACFARLANES PLAN

Delivering MORE and BETTER Service TriMet’s Five Year Action Plan

We will build and operate the Total Transit System by delivering MORE SERVICE and BETTER SERVICE to our customers. 

MUNI reacting to transit bus killing

Muni looks at clearing all bus driver route picks

Cold case team launches bus advertising campaign

Cold case team launches bus advertising campaign | OregonLive.com

Somebody needs to do a better job proof reading


Portland Plans for Transit All Powered by Electricity

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/automobiles/portland-plans-for-transit-all-powered-by-electricity.html?_r=1

BART's Cell-Service Cuts

One member of the public asked the board, "Can you imagine what the police forces of our country would do with the power to shut down cell phone service at will?"
"That for me is the great concern," says Harold Feld, Legal Director for Public Knowledge, a DC based public interest group focused on digital technology. "It does not seem to have occurred to them that they were messing with the phone system."

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/08/barts-cell-service-cuts-not-egypt-but-not-quite-america-either/244161/

TRIMET DRIVER BUSTED FOR TAKING DRINK OF WATER AT A STOP

The insanity continues at our lovely company.
One of our best drivers Jerry W***** was photo'd as he took a drink of water while the bus was stopped.
The person who submitted the photo to our (mis)management stated:
This operator was putting my family in danger.

Disgraceful how much this workplace has become violently hostile to its drivers.

New York City Faces Evacuation Orders as Transit Shutdown Looms

NYC Orders Evacuations, Transit to Shut - Bloomberg

WANT INFO ON OUR UNIONS FINANCES?

ATU757 LM2's

THE "CLASS"

I will be finally seeing for myself the truth about the CERTIFICATION class come next Monday! I can't wait to go to be honest. And I will bring back as much about it as I can. Obviously they won't let me video anything, this company has lapsed into total paranoia with the advent of the Macrfarlane administration. But I will be getting the LO-DOWN on this story and you know I will not hold anything back! So far the strangest thing I have heard about the class is the DRIVING TEST! It's actually funny, they want us to pass a DRIVING TEST! Jeez Trimet, don't ya think its a little late to be testing our driving skills, some of us (actually a lot of us) have been driving 10 years and up already! Then there is some controversy over the paper work we are 'forced' to sign. I'll see what that is all about for myself.

88% of Americans say congress doing lousy job

First Read - Congress: Just 12% approve

2 Portlanders among those arrested at BART protests

SFPD releases BART protesters' names, cities

The land of the "free" is becoming the land of despair

On the Golden Gate Bridge, a Year of Rising Suicides - NYTimes.com

U.S. rail boosters are missing the bus

Now across my laptop comes news of another area in which private sector actors have overtaken government. Again an older technology has been improved and adapted to fill a need, while government dithers. The old technology in this case is buses.
While the Obama administration has been desperately seeking to spend $53 billion on so-called high-speed rail lines, private businessmen have developed Chinatown and Megabus lines that provide intercity service that has attracted legions of price-conscious travelers.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view/2011_0826us_rail_boosters_are_missing_the_bus/ 

DAVID SALE TALKS TO THE GOVERNOR

http://www.kgw.com/news/Father-of-Tri-Met-accident-victim-meets-with-Governor-128427613.html

VIDEO LOG-AUGUST 25


WHERE IS OUR UNION HEADED?


Research by Chris Day

Thursday, August 25, 2011

MAYBE TRIMET SHOULD UPGRADE TO THESE BUSES

http://twitpic.com/6b7862

Dan Christensen

Hot news. Just saw Dan Christensen and he will be bringing back Trimet Confidential come the new year!

Hokey Smoke Bullwinkle!

Hokey Smoke Bullwinkle!

A TriMet Customer Service employee was spotted this afternoon at 5th and Hall and boarding the #94 bus to announce new schedules and handed out the new schedules to riders who wanted one.

AND...new signs have been posted at the stop!

Could this be...could this be...TriMet...actually...starting to take its role seriously as a multi-modal transit agency?  Stay tuned...

BTC bike&ride report


SEATTLE METRO STABBING

Suspect in Metro bus stabbing charged | KING5.com Seattle

WEST SIDE TRIMET DRIVERS UNDER DURESS


horror crash in Knysna

58 kids crammed into ill-fated bus - Crime & Courts | IOL News | IOL.co.za

$30 MILLION WANTED FROM TRIMET (or blood suckers prowl for $$$)

Fatal San Francisco Muni Bus Accident Highlights Dangerous Left Turns

BART NEWS

Hacker group posts explicit photos it says are of BART spokesman

Man who threw paint at former BART GM among 35 arrested Monday

Tea Bagger Hypocrite-Minnesota Congressman gets Union Disabilty Benefits


58 RIDER (BLUE MAN) GIVES THE CITY COUNCIL A 30 DAY NOTICE TO VACATE


POLICE EXECUTE A DOG AT BUS STOP-VIDEO


Video Log August 24 Part 2

Processing expedited for Steve

VIDEO LOG-AUGUST 24 (part 1)


Holdup at the Max Zoo stop?

A rider reported that the MAX trains were halted because there was an attempted armed robbery at the zoo MAX station.

Coalition recommends cutting funding for new bridge

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/aug/24/coalition-recommends-cutting-crc-funding/

Police shoot, kill aggressive dog at TriMet bus stop

http://www.koinlocal6.com/news/local/story/Police-shoot-kill-aggressive-dog-at-TriMet-bus/JooYecf3Q0W9LlWyfne_xA.cspx

Transit officer shoots and kills Pit Bull

Transit police shoot aggressive dog near North Portland bus stop

Twitter is good for something...

The train pulled away. I maybe yelled something along the lines of "THANKS A LOT, %#**@," and it maybe was a little less pleasant than that. Like every spurned passenger, I had only one recourse - Twitter.

http://drjeff.livejournal.com/2170524.html

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

videoBTC bike&ride report


Wow - police shoot man's pitbull @ Interstate & Lombard as he tried to get
on a TriMet bus.

WARNING! UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS EXIST FOR MANY TRIMET DRIVERS TODAY

CURRENT CONDITIONS

PONDERING THE MIND OF NEIL MACFARLANE

Neil has come out with another "memo". It's an amazing document. He talks about fiscal "uncertainty" in one sentence and in another sentence he adds a bunch of new bureaucrats. He's on track to beat FRED HANSEN in creating bureaucratic bloat to this agency.

HERE'S NEIL~~~>Put bluntly, we face some challenging budget times but I’m optimistic this proactive approach will make a significant impact.

And here is the next part~~~> The two biggest changes include the formation of a new Public Affairs division that will house Government Affairs, a new Policy and Planning Development department, will consolidate our internal and external communications, and will also house Marketing, and Customer Service. The second big change is the formation of a new division called Labor Relations and Human Resources. Recruitment for a new Executive Director for this division is underway.

How many goddamn directors do we need around here?

ATU PICNIC

ATU757 annual picnic at Blue lake park this Sunday, August 28th at 9am.
20500 NE Marine Dr. Fairview.
Here is a link to Blue Lake park showing other activities there and directions.
http://www.facebook.com/l/LAQCEiBfKAQAhMp-7jhh7KmbfCvEaVfG38mCpo7W7sQ3bHg/oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=149
Hope to see you there. Wear your Vote for Bruce if you have them, if not contact Bruce. Shirts available for $5.00(100% of the money goes toward Bruce's campaign)

TransitTracker by Text still having technical issues


TransitTracker by Text users, our service provider is still having technical issues. We will notify you when the service is available again.

TAX MONEY AVAILABLE---PLACE YOUR BID

TriMet: Bidding Opportunities

WORST GOVERNOR EVER

http://www.worstgovernorever.com/

MLR

Re: Milwaukie light rail commitment based on 'quicksand of lies,' (Aug. 17 issue), Milwaukie can be accused of bag attention from "blight rail" to plastic bags.
The plastic bag issue is an obvious diversion from critical issues, e.g., TriMet's MAX Orange Line, a superfluous light rail incursion wherein an "unmistakable majority believe should be halted in its tracks completely – or, at least terminated at the Clackamas County line."
For sure, the egregiously costly $200 million-per-mile construction project to Park Avenue is NOT in Milwaukie's best interests, even though Mayor Jeremy Ferguson, also a TriMet employee, "twitches" that issue be inconspicuously bagged and/or flushed down into some twilight zone where voters don't know squat. Ha!
Folks, show the governmentium politicos the d'oh and encourage common-sense thinkers like Ed Zumwalt to lead in restoring common sense in Clackamas (vs. Calamitous) County, and free good folks like DaVinci's, et al, from the transit agency's cancerous metastasizing, please!
"wnd"

TRANSIT WORKER BEAT TO A PULP

TTC employee viciously beaten | Posted Toronto | National Post

LIGHT RAIL DISEASE INFECTS CANADA NOW

Forget AIDS or SARS, there’s a new billion-dollar contagion popping up across the country. Symptoms include visions of grandeur, severe loss of reality and a propensity to enact massive tax hikes. It’s called LRTS: Light-rail transit syndrome.
City planners infected by LRTS, however, come to believe tracks have the magical power to transform drivers into eager transit users, regardless of local evidence, density or geography.

http://opinion.financialpost.com/2011/08/23/light-rail-disease/ 

HOW FAR DOES TRIMET PROPAGANDA REACH?

All the way around the country, this headline is from a national news service:

Oregon 
Light rail ridership up last month -- especially Green Line and WES, TriMet says
TriMet's light rail scored another success in July, with ridership up across the board and in some cases by double digits, but the number of passenger trips on buses slipped slightly.
 

What I find incredible is how the media just spits it all back to the public. Actually folks, its fascism in the flesh, government and business extolling the virtues of each other.

TRANSIT ADVOCATES IN SF CREATING PROBLEMS FOR POLICE

August 22 demonstration against BART - the second Anonymous #opBART protest
San Francisco BART arrest Anonymous protesters
Anonymous - Operation BART Protest
Anonymous - Operation BART Protest(2)
pt.5 San Francisco BART protest Monday, August 15, 2011
SFBG August 22 BART protest
pt.3 San Francisco BART protest Monday, August 15, 2011
SFBG August 22 BART protest
BART Protest August 22nd 2011 San Francisco COMPLETE


Bus drivers to go on strike in Arizona

http://www.chron.com/news/article/Passengers-told-to-be-ready-for-bus-strike-2139164.php

Congress heads for another showdown over transportation funding

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/congress-heads-for-another-showdown-over-transportation-funding/2011/08/23/gIQAUoYEaJ_story.html

Mayor vows to keep public transit safe

LA Times

San Francisco Transit Board Developing Cell Phone Policy

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/24/san-francisco-transit-board-developing-cell-phone-policy/

VIDEO LOG-AUGUST 23 (part 2)


Campaigning Reality Check

I am getting word back from people saying how crazy I am to think that it would cost $20k - $30k to run a successful campaign. 

CHRIS DAY HERE

MAX ATTACK



STORY HERE!

Somebody on the 58 line screwing with bus drivers

I was accused of "driving impaired" (although it was the wrong 58 it turns out) and yesterday another 58 driver was accused of "driving impaired".


Too strange to be just a coincidence.


Somebody has it in for 58 bus drivers!

VIDEO LOG-AUGUST 23 (part 1)


Mental Health Association of Portland

Portland Cop Tasered A Disabled Man on TriMet

Oregonian spits back the propaganda

Light rail ridership up last month -- especially Green Line and WES, TriMet says | OregonLive.com

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

videoBeaverton bike&ride report


First Ever iPad-powered Mass Transit Kiosks

Come on Trimet, you can't let them beat you on this stuff!
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-ever-ipad-powered-mass-transit-kiosks-catch-a-ride-on-charleston-trolleys-128239883.html


WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO TRIMET IF THIS HAPPENED HERE?

Tri-state area transportation delayed, suspended in wake of earthquake | NJ.com

2 BART stations open, close as protesters roam

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/23/MN8N1KQJSB.DTL

KEEP ON PUMPING OUT THE PROPAGANDA

There were 8.5 million trips taken on TriMet buses, MAX and WES Commuter Rail in July, with overall weekly ridership up 2 percent compared to July 2010. Weekday trips on the MAX Green Line increased 15.5 percent and increased 16.5 percent on WES. Rush hour trips were up 2.5 percent on all modes; bus ridership was flat. All figures below are compared with July 2010.

~~~>Listen to a day of bus dispatch calls  and it is amazing anybody is riding our crappy bus service.
Service is infrequent, buses are late or not showing up at all, loads of non-air conditioned equipment. I wouldn't rely on this bus service if I had a choice. 
Congratulations Trimet, you've done a very good job extolling your virtuous and wonderful light rail service, at least with your deceitful statistics.

The real deal:


The buses haul most of Trimet riders at 1,103,500 or 55%.
The green line hauled 51,500 trips or a measly 3% of all Trimet riders.
The WES hauled 8,100 trips or less than 1% of Trimet riders.


The WES and the GREEN LINE are headliners in the Trimet ministry of Propaganda news release. Will any media challenge it? NOPE!

COMMENT:
I'll take it a step further for you.

WES ridership (weekly avg):
May 2010 - 6300
June 2010 - 6600 (+300 over May)
July 2010 - 6950 (+350 over June)

Rate of change from May to July 2010 = +650. Not too shabby.

May 2011 - 8200
June 2011 - 8100 (-300 from May)
July 2011 - 8100 (no change from June)

Rate of change from May to July 2011 = -100.


Doesn't look as great when you lay out the numbers that way, does it? I think WES ridership has flatlined at its peak...

Bus stop sign/Burnside & St Claire


FACEBOOKS

STREETCAR CITY

Types of Transportation | Streetcar City | Oregon Experience | OPB

TRIMET MANAGEMENT-SEND SOMEBODY TO METRO TO SEE HOW ITS DONE

Bruning eyes Milwaukie for Rivers-style project

http://www.clackamasreview.com/news/story.php?story_id=131362032350445700

DC METRO DRIVERS WIN BIG AGAINST THEIR MANAGEMENT!

Metro union workers to get pay raise soon

Metro’s union president said workers will likely receive pay raises by the end of September after a long fought battle.

Muni dispatch violated rules before fatality

The Muni driver who struck and killed a 23-year-old woman in a Castro district crosswalk Friday was driving his bus to a new assignment along a route he picked on his own after dispatchers at central control allegedly failed to give him specific directions - an apparent violation of Muni policy, the transit agency's spokesman told City Insider on Monday.

VIDEO LOG-AUGUST 22 (part 2)


I SUBMIT MY 5TH REQUEST FOR SAFETY ASSESSMENT-SICK TIME POLICY

So far I have one win and three losses:

protest against BART becomes violent

http://rt.com/usa/news/protest-bart-violent-police-715-993/

Parsons Brinckerhoff gets some TRIMET boodoggle money!

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/TriMet-contracts-Parsons-Brinckerhoff-to-design-lightrail-maintenance-facility--27716

ONE OF MY REGULARS GETS HASSLED BY A FARE INSPECTOR

I'm filing this complaint against employee Nancy XXXXX ID XXX,  for the way I was treated.  Mrs XXXXXX asked me if I could read, and when she looked at Honored Citizen she said she understood. I was giving a Notice of Exclusion for smoking,which I was and take full responsiblity for actions. The way Mrs. XXXXX treated me was very rude and inappropriate. I don't know what Trimet's laws are, but I feel a warning would have been more then sufficient.

I agree that handing out fines for first time offenders is just government out of control. Everybody deserves one warning no matter what the violation given the fact that TRIMET had a 'anything goes' policy for over 40 years.
 

Ten years of Portland streetcars (actually, more like 63)

Some were skeptical of the streetcar from the start.  Factoring in platform stops and minor delays associated with mixed traffic operations, the average speed from one end of to the other is between seven and 12 miles per hour. The average speed of a person walking is three miles per hour. So if you pick up the walking pace just a bit, chances are you can be faster than the streetcar. What's more, streetcars usually go where buses already went, and bus lines are much cheaper than streetcars. What's more, although Portland has branded itself America's streetcar capitol, it's not as if people have given up their automobiles in droves. The streetcar seems to symbolize for some how Portland's central city is a kind of urban boutique while its outer neighborhoods and suburbs are more or less as automobile dominated as Anywheresville, USA.

http://chatterbox.typepad.com/portlandarchitecture/2011/08/ten-years-of-portland-streetcars-actually-more-like-63.html

Bicycles - anarchy in motion

http://oldtownperspective.blogspot.com/2011/08/bicycles-anarchy-in-motion.html

Motor Vehicle Socialism & Subsidies, They Keep Adding Up…

Transit Sleuth by Adron Hall

Video log-August 22 (part 1)


Monday, August 22, 2011

BEAVERTON BIKE AND RIDE REPORT


GREAT SUBWAY CRASH SCENE FROM THE MOVIE "KNOWING"


LANE COUNTY TRANSIT

GUEST VIEWPOINT: EmX line key in city’s growth | The plan for the west Eugene extension maximizes benefits to businesses, customers and residents

The BEST Twitters


mahaloluinoa: @trimet Will you EVER enforce the maximum limits on the number of bikes per train? ·
RT @sarahesterman: Sometimes I wonder if I text trimet transit tracker more than I do my friends... #trimet
@Dan_Christensen: Overheard on my #Trimet bus: "I can't decide if Portland was laid out by a wild psychopath or expertly laid out by a blind man."
Zakyrie: I have the best morning #Trimet driver! :-D
Yuu_you_U: @Ya_rail_mylife そうだ、シアトルでモノレール乗ったぞ TRIMETと言い何といい、こっちの都市交通は進んでる、何処まで行っても人が密集してる日本と違って設計しやすそうな気が

CLASSIC

nootelluh: RT @Dan_Christensen: Overheard on my #Trimet Bus "I'm short a nickel is it ok if I ride..." Me: "Yes but you will have to get off a block early"

TRIMET-THE EARLY YEARS-MORE STORIES FROM EMPLOYEES



TRIMET HATE BLOG

http://amplicate.com/hate/trimet

OBAMA LIAR IN CHIEF

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIybk7vzV0s

America's war against social media

http://youtu.be/SZluJtEGS2o

WES BOONDOGGLE NEWS

WES is having signal problems. Riders should expect 10-15 minute delays.

BART CONTROVERSY RAGES ON AND ON

BART officials keep highlighting that their job is to provide safe passage for its passengers. That's true. But they are also part of a government agency with a police force. That power comes with the duty to use law enforcement authority responsibly, and with restraint.
Unfortunately, BART doesn't seem to recognize that. Police have fatally shot two men on station platforms in the past 2 ½ years.

L.A. transit activists rally for a federal probe

(This sounds very familiar!)
The union and several other activist groups at what was billed as a "transit justice town hall," accused the county transportation agency of hurting poor riders by aggressively pursuing new rail projects while slashing bus service. The groups say the cuts unfairly hurt low-income, nonwhite residents and insist that bus service needs to be expanded.
Redman described a recent experience, waiting for a transfer bus on a sun-baked curb for 45 minutes. She was dressed in a black business suit, Redman said, and she spent the time feeling miserable and praying for her bus to arrive and shuttle her toward Santa Monica.
"I wanted to cry. I was hot and sweaty," Redman said. "I was late for the interview."

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/21/local/la-me-stranded-20110821

SHE LOVES THE BUS

Reading & Riding « I Love the Bus

The Cold Harsh Truth of Reality

Adron Hall, aka the Transit Sleuth!

Gallery of Portland Streetcars

http://www.opb.org/programs/oregonexperience/programs/33-Streetcar-City/slideshows/25

Jack Burton watches over this stop

http://trimetdiaries.com/2011/08/trimet-diaries-links-of-interest-22-august-2011/

COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT


Sunday, August 21, 2011

THOUGHTS DOT COM

http://www.thoughts.com/HR202/trimet22543-channel

VIDEO OF THE DAY

I stumble through the 'Leverage' set

THE NEW CONTRACT...WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

TriMet Purposed Change:

c. All employees who retire on or after February 1, 1992 and before April 1, 2012, shall receive the same health and welfare benefits available to active employees, not including orthodonture or dental coverage for dependents other than the employee’s spouse or Domestic Partner.

TriMet Purposed Change:

e. For those employees who retire on or after April 1, 2012, The District shall make available at District expense the same medical, vision, prescription drug insurance program for the retiree and the retiree’s spouse or domestic partner for a maximum of three years or until Medicare eligibility, whichever occurs first. Once a retiree becomes Medicare eligible, the retiree, spouse. Or surviving spouse of a retiree shall receive a monthly payment of ???? or eligible person, to pay for medical, dental, vision and prescription drugs, and all Medicare premiums without any reimbursement from the District, including reimbursement for Medicare ? and D.

f. For all new employees hired after april 1, 2011, and who become vested, the District’s fixed contribution (as outlined directly above in Par. 1 (e) )for an eligible retiree and the spouse or surviving spouse of the retiree shall be 4% of the fixed contribution upon the employee’s retirement multiplied by the employee’s years of service.
By way of example:

Years of Service Percentage of Fixed Contribution by District
25 100%
20 80%
10 40%



Par. 3. A Mini-run Operator must have a minimum of 2 years of service as a full-time regular operator before he or she becomes eligible for full time retirement benefits.

Funding the future: We need a transportation bill for the 21st century

Funding the future: We need a transportation bill for the 21st century | OregonLive.com

23 perish in Mbooni bus accident

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2011/08/21/23-perish-in-mbooni-bus-accident/

CURIOUS ISN'T IT?

A handful of people listen to the dispatch calls, I'm one of them obviously.
What I find curious is that with all the overheated broken down buses that occur when it gets about 85, why are the bus on time statistics NOT horrible, I mean dastardly?

Trimet statistics present bus service as being on time 80% of the time?

I can't possibly believe it, there are far too many missed and late trips to make that figure even remotely believable.

As MAX RED LINE WOULD SAY:

JACK BOJDANSKI REPORTS

Wish this guy well
Another nuke genie is out of the bottle
Breaking news: Sam Adams is bad people
From Japan, more disturbing images
Another blown story
Jeff Cogen doesn't read this blog

Massive Bus Rapid Transit System Proposed for Chicago

http://www.infrastructurist.com/2011/08/18/massive-bus-rapid-transit-system-proposed-for-chicago/

Portland gets "worst" rating

Travel taxes: The worst US cities for travel taxes | The Economist

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR JOB AT TRIMET STARTS KILLING YOU


Extreme heat introduction

This summer has brought a heat wave with unusually high temperatures that have lasted for weeks. High temperatures can be potentially dangerous to one's health.
People suffer heat-related illness when the body's temperature control system is overloaded. The body normally cools itself by sweating. Under some conditions, sweating is not enough to cool down the body. In such cases, a person's body temperature rises rapidly. Very high body temperatures may damage the brain or other vital organs.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO TRIMET BUS DRIVERS DRIVING DINOSAURS?

A healthy body temperature is maintained by the nervous system camera. As the body temperature increases, the body tries to maintain its normal temperature by transferring heat. Sweating and blood flow to the skin camera (thermoregulation) help us keep our bodies cool. A heat-related illness occurs when our bodies can no longer transfer enough heat to keep us cool.

No safety at TRIMET, at least not for drivers

This has been a pretty good summer, all things considered. But yesterday was 93 in Portland and hotter in other places.

My safety request for driver fans in the old buses was tabled, "for further review", translation, don't call us we will call you, aka: forget it!

In the year 2011, when we are witnessing this agency spend money on all sort of frills, when the leader of this agency preaches safety everywhere he goes, we now see  the truth of where we work.

This company, and its leaders think so little of us, they cant afford a A $12 DOLLAR FAN to enhance our safety as drivers.

It's pathetic how little regard the management has for us.



Our 1st 90 degree day this summer!


Thankfully,both my buses were low floors with air conditioning yesterday.
Pity the drivers and passengers in Washington County that had to travel in the "Easy
Bake Oven" dinosaurs.