@AJH1993 enjoying wi-fi, comfortable seats, smooth ride, what he dreams of on #trimet pic.twitter.com/5KN1A49ZkB
— Erik Halstead (@sp_redelectric) October 5, 2013
@AJH1993 enjoying wi-fi, comfortable seats, smooth ride, what he dreams of on #trimet pic.twitter.com/5KN1A49ZkB
— Erik Halstead (@sp_redelectric) October 5, 2013
7 comments:
Doesn't WES provide that?
BTW, how is the leg room?
WES is a government subsidized service that cost taxpayers $165 million to build, $17 each time someone gets on it, provides only weekday rush hour service from Beaverton to Wilsonville, and has YET to meet its first year ridership goal, after how many years of operation?
Bolt Bus is a privately operated venture that receives ZERO taxpayer support whatsover, PAYS income, property, and vehicle use taxes (which by Oregon's Constitution must be apportioned by vehicle impact, so heavier vehicles pay more than lighter vehicles), and is a well received business. It's Portland-Seattle service is so popular they are adding trips at a time Oregon is bellyaching to figure out how to make its trains work (that on average, have between 80-100 boardings south of Portland for a train that seats nearly 300, even after 10 plus years of operation.)
But I'm sure you can't be bothered with facts and details like that...because no matter what, I'm wrong and you're right, because you're Jason McHuff, God and King of all things Portland transportation, and how dare I challenge anything you say.
ZERO taxpayer support whatsover
The Highway Trust Fund is insolvent, the Interstate Highway System was created with huge governmental support and users do not pay for most pollution cleanup, wars to protect oil supplies or other things.
Not to mention that I don't think they pay for the loading zone and sidewalk area they use to load and unload passengers.
Plus, the whole thing is owned by a foreign corporation that, at least in the public transit contracting sector, has a history of poor employee treatment and other problems.
And maybe if the government weren't so biased, the Oregon Cascades trains would get more use.
God and King of all things Portland transportation
I don't think I ever claimed I was.
I like the Cascades a lot more than Bolt, but it's always nice to have options.
They're owned by Greyhound, which is owned by...you guessed it...First!
Greyhound/BOLT are owned by first transit? WOW! Pretty soon this multinational will control all the transit of all the world. Damn is that scarry
"The Highway Trust Fund is insolvent, the Interstate Highway System was created with huge governmental support and users do not pay for most pollution cleanup, wars to protect oil supplies or other things."
The Highway Trust Fund is not currently insolvent; and its questionable status has nothing to do with ONE Greyhound bus on the road. It is purely due to the Bush and Obama Administrations (yes, both of them) ramping up highway spending to "create jobs" above and beyond ordinary spending, while simultaeously skimming off a portion of those taxes into the "mass transit account" and funding questionable billion dollar transit projects like MAX and WES using gas tax dollars, with little to no benefit to those paying the gas taxes.
Not to mention that I don't think they pay for the loading zone and sidewalk area they use to load and unload passengers.
Neither do taxes, most sidewalks are owned and maintained by the adjacent property owners. But of could you, being a freeloader, wouldn't understand that concept, unlike I, which successfully returned a tax-exempt property back to property tax paying status and get the "privilege" of maintaining sidewalks on two streets as a result.
Plus, the whole thing is owned by a foreign corporation that, at least in the public transit contracting sector, has a history of poor employee treatment and other problems.
Which is a completely irrelevant point. TriMet, which is a public transit agency, has a history of poor employee treatment and other problems, too. So does Amtrak. So does BART. So does...well...again, you're raising irrelevant and pointless arguments.
And maybe if the government weren't so biased, the Oregon Cascades trains would get more use.
Really? Are you that fucking stupid Jason? Please, humor me. Show me a picture of an intercity transit bus that is used instead of Amtrak Cascades that is owned by ODOT and carries E-plates. Just one. Any one will do. Just one.
Bias my fucking ass. IF we were biased for buses, we'd have hourly bus service from Portland to Eugene with the money we spend each year on Amtrak. But since we have a RAIL bias, we blew $40 million on two brand new trains that will be maintained by Washington state employees, in a facility located in Washington state, and will spend most of their time in Washington state carrying passengers between Washington state points. While most of the Willamette Valley - much less the entire state of Oregon - lacks substantial intercity transit.
Yeah, bias...but then again, what else can I expect from a guy who argues with me for the pure and sole sake of arguing with me, and not for any actual purpose.
The Highway Trust Fund is not currently insolvent
See this
most sidewalks are owned and maintained by the adjacent property owners.
City permits are required for sidewalk cafes and other sidewalk uses. In addition, the city could charge for use of the loading zone. Whether or not charging for use of the area is needed or good, the burden of providing the terminal was shifted onto the neighborhood and society.
being a freeloader
I thought you didn't like attacks. In any case, until recently, I was being charged $725 a month for a small studio in a building with many, many others. While I have no idea what your housing cost is, I doubt that it is that much on a per square foot basis (not to mention there wasn't any private yard or whatever)
Also, I would love to have a good job and be productive, but unfortunately our government has discouraged that though tax policy, trade policy, labor policies, etc.
TriMet, which is a public transit agency, has a history of poor employee treatment and other problems, too.
No, the public agencies aren't perfect, but that's a solvable issue with them being under government control. Moreover, none of the money given to them gets sent to a corporate headquarters on another continent.
Bias my fucking ass
As I think you may know (or should know), we used to have a vast passenger rail system with no direct governmental support. But then the government put extensive monetary, political and other support towards highways.
Imagine if I-5 was tolled, paid property taxes like railroads do and gas taxes were high to pay for the real costs of pollution and other things.
If that were the case, I think those Cascade (or equivalent) trains would be a lot different for the better.
will spend most of their time in Washington state carrying passengers between Washington state points
One of the reasons for Oregon purchasing the trains is so Oregon can have control of them and use them to better benefit Oregonians, instead of being extensions of Washington trains. (BTW, there's going to be an event where it may be discussed)
lacks substantial intercity transit
I made a map a while ago showing that there actually is a lot of transit in the valley. Not technically "intercity" but can do the job.
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