Trimess

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Shelly Lomax on the Trimet Lloyd Center MAX debacle

Shelly looking rather haggard

TriMet Operations Command Center

How do you keep track of 600+ transit buses, 52 train sets, and 330,000 rides per day spread over 534 square miles? PIVOT is helping TriMet answer that question!

Working closely with an extended owner team, PIVOT helped develop designs for an Operations Command Center (OCC) as part of the complete renovations to the Center Street Operations Center. The OCC features a command room with a 31 foot long video wall displaying the full rail system with real time train locations and track controls. The floor is stepped to allow 2 rows of Rail Control Operators to see the overview display. Operating 24 x 7, consoles adapt to the changing ergonomics of 3 shifts per day with power operated height adjustment of work surfaces and monitor racks.

Room acoustics and lighting were carefully designed to support workers need for concentration and clear communications. An advanced touch screen radio system allows communication with all or selected groups of operators, security staff, and City police and fire. There are over 1,100 CCTV cameras in the system which can be viewed on shared displays visible to every one in the center or at individual consoles.

The new facility includes a training center, Emergency Operations Center, data center, and supporting activities. PIVOT Architecture - Work in Progress -TriMet Operations Command Center

Is Trimet really the only transit agency that uses sports events to entrap riders for fares?

So is the allegation which comes from people that have knowledge about these things. It's true I have never heard of this sort of fare action in other cities. There was an interesting comment about that:

I do find it interesting. I don't think it's the cash cow it once was when the big push for code was made 3 years ago. Besides, we can make a MUCH BETTER impression on the visiting team's fans by show casing our great system, not welcoming them to Portland by corralling them thru gates like cattle and citing them $175 because they don't understand our system of fares. IMO, we are missing out on a great PR opportunity. Funny thing is, the people that complain about the gates the most are the ones who HAVE their fares! Need to rethink our approach with some of that transparency and employee involvement that the state was promised.

Classic Trimet facebook comments


Ran into one of my favorite Trimet characters today-PHAM


I wonder what this is all about

This guy on Twitter has been raging against Trimet counsel Shelly Devine. I attempted to get more info from him but all that came back was some sort of gibberish

Saturday, August 30, 2014

If only Trimet had an executive like Market Baskets Artie T


Bus vs Skateboard

A pedestrian was struck by a TriMet bus Saturday morning at the Clackamas Town Center Transit Center Max Station.
John Alan Wilson, 39, was reportedly riding his skateboard down a ramp at the station when he turned and collided with a bus on its way to the TriMet garage entrance at the end of the Green Line at approximately 8:10 a.m.
Wilson was taken to a nearby hospital by the American Medical Response ambulance. His condition is currently unknown. The Clackamas County Sherrif's Office first responded to the incident.
The Clackamas County Collision Reconstruction and Forensic Team is investigating.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
-- Eder Campuzano | Twitter: @edercampuzano  Gresham man struck by TriMet Bus at Clackamas Town Center Station | OregonLive.com

Tualatin Special Election September 16th Light Rail Measure 34-220


Friday, August 29, 2014

Bizzare Trimet incident

The driver of bus 4/02 was asked to check out the condition of a bus along highway 30 at 1:30am. It turned out the bus was badly damaged and apparently abandoned. What happened to the operator of the damaged bus? The rumor is she was found wandering down highway 30 incoherent

Trimet chicanery

The good old boys that run the Trimet system are bringing back even more of the service they cut just two years ago. 
So what happened to create all this new service? 
There has been no victory over the union so they can't say any money came from that. 
Sure the tax revenues have been up but they were never that down to begin with (click here for proof).
And when we look at a chart of Trimet tax revenues we see this huge spike in 2012. That spike in tax revenues has never been explained but something stinks about it.

So what happened? I'll tell you my theory.

Today's rail fail

More reasons to drive

I found no information anywhere as to why this transit center is being destroyed and remodeled.

The best of the Trimet tweets

Unconnected citizens share their love/hate of Portland's transit system via social media

Light rail-the gift that keeps on giving

Mcfarlanes wet dream comes true

While McFarlane has undoubtedly been the worst general manager in the history of Trimet one does have to give him some credit for the creation  of city/state of light rail in Portlandia. Is all this rail an improvement over the once famous bus service that could take you almost anywhere you wanted to go? That's a matter of opinion.
 
Included on the map is also the closed loop of the Portland Streetcar Central Loop. Both routes are shown as “future service” and while the CL line future service is not in doubt, the new map answers no questions about future Orange & Yellow line service. Where will the Orange Line end on the north end of the route? Will the Yellow Line extend further south as some of the new platforms indicate?
The new maps provide no answers to these questions and frankly, I wonder why Trimet even went to the trouble of producing new maps that will be obsolete a year from now.
portlandtransport.com/archives/2014/08/new-trimet-rail-map.html

Trimet is like the Koch Brothers

Both use their money to spew endless propaganda to sway public opinion towards their point of view.
Look at this Trimet Crap, news about NOTHING:
Navigational and aesthetic lighting being added to Tilikum Crossing
Read the nonsense HERE

Thursday, August 28, 2014

We love Portland's rail obsession

Van Collides with Streetcar in Downtown Portland - One Injury, Streetcar Derailed

I think Joseph Rose made an error

I could be interpreting things wrong, and if not I'm going to assume good faith and that it was a result of him being human, but I believe the Oregonian communing/transportation columnist based a section of a column on a mistake.

Trimet is indeed a BULLY


Washington state representatives, keeping faith with the people, cut off Columbia River Crossing funding in June 2013. The June 29 Columbian headline read: "The Columbia River Crossing is dead." That should have been the end of voter-rejected light rail.
A few months later, Vancouver-led C-Tran betrayed the citizens by throwing a "hail Mary" pass to keep their light rail dreams alive. They conspired with C-Tran CEO Jeff Hamm and attorney Tom Wolfendale, crafting a disastrous contract enslaving C-Tran and Clark County citizens to the absolute control of Portland's insolvent TriMet. To make the "secret" contract impossible to terminate, they made it absolute and irrevocable, adding a $5 million penalty for failing to follow every dictate. They executed the contract before citizens or C-Tran board members saw it. They forfeited eminent domain property rights to unelected Oregon TriMet bureaucrats, giving them possible authority to condemn our private property. C-Tran will be required to dismiss citizen appeals, as breach of contract with TriMet would trigger the $5 million ransom.
Oregon later abandoned its "go it alone" version of the CRC. Yet TriMet insists that they intend to use that irrevocable contract for a future light rail project into Clark County.
Clark County citizens are left exposed. We must terminate that TriMet contract to defuse the threat.
Letter: Held hostage by contract terms | The Columbian

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Trimet workers not afraid to speak up

 Shirley Block
She has fought as hard as any of us in this war against the Trimet Oligarchs. She has no problem speaking truth to power

Transit executive corruption

Massive positive publicity about the Utah Transit agency by all the usual transit publications touting all their 'accomplishments'. Turns out its a cesspool of crony corruption. 
Audit blasts UTA, says it gave millions in sweetheart deals | The Salt Lake Tribune

Makes one wonder about the billions of dollars going through Trimet. Nobody really has the slightest idea how all that money gets spent. I would love to see a forensic audit of all the money that has gone through Trimet and where it exactly ended up, in who's pockets. Portland is  one party rule  and that party has all the levels of government as well as the mainstream media in its pocket so we never get a look into how any of the money actually gets spent and who gets it.

People like Mcfarlane take a look at the robbery being committed at the UTA and thinks he's underpaid. TRANSIT TALENT has performed its own transit salary  market survey. Transit Talent is an independent unaligned to any individual transit authority.Trimet executives want to do their own of course because Transit Talent shows that Trimet executives are already above the average. (not including the thieves like UTA's Allegra)

Watch where you walk on Trimet


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

TRIMET looking for a propagandist


No shortage of resentment at Trimet these days

Not a good day for WES


Problems on the rails (again)


Metro/Tri-Met Scheme On

Apparently not content with their existing light-rail line between downtown Portland and Gresham, agency planners are mapping out strategery for another line:

Monday, August 25, 2014

Punkrawker designs Portland Express bus routes


Security's a joke at Trimet

Trimet to start its employee hotline next month


Dan Christensen claims victory in debate with Harry Sapporta

Restoring Faith in Humanity at the MAX Station

Just before 6pm, I was heading to the Hollywood MAX station to go back to my home in Vancouver with bike in tow. I assumed, like every MAX station I've been to, there'd be a ticket machine on the platform. Getting past the busy fare inspectors, in hopes to find one, all hope was lost. Being the honest person I am, instead of staying at the end of the platform, I circled back to continue my search up the stairs. "Can I see your ID?", the fare inspector demanded
"I'm going to go buy a ticket, can you tell me - "
"I need to see your ID"
After meeting the coldest person in the world who slapped me with a $175 fine, and left me to my own devices to find the ticket machine after asking thrice, I headed back upstairs to finish completing my intentions. Just after selecting a ticket from the options given, you, looking no older than 23 with gauged ears, snuck up behind me to hand me a ticket you just bought and never used yourself. I thanked you once and not enough. I really hope this gets to you somehow, someway.
Restoring Faith in Humanity at the MAX Station

Of course they are making a big deal out of this

 Drum up the phony publicity

TriMet tests clearances for MAX Orange Line, pulls train over Tilikum Crossing (video) | OregonLive.com

Construction manager Gary Hopkins said it will be the first time a MAX train will cross Portland's newest bridge.
The train was pulled by a diesel truck that is equipped to travel at a walking pace.
"It all looks good on paper," Hopkins said, "but the clearances are all pretty tight."
The clearance test is expected to last all day.

Trimet bus held up "stagecoach" style



Sunday, August 24, 2014

Every single Trimet manager got a 'merit' raise


Trimet misinformation campaign against its work force

Readers of this blog are aware of the total manipulative BS propaganda that is fed to the masses in order to influence them to support agenda's they would not ordinarily support.

Such is the case with Trimet's attempt to strip employee benefits from superior to below average. Never ending propaganda repeated over and over and over by the company and their co-conspirators in the mainstream media successfully turns public opinion against the employees  which is turn weakens the employees resolve will lead to victory for the oligarchs in charge. While they shower themselves with raises to their already obscene six figure salaries they strip away the employees salaries by stripping away the benefits. More for them less for the workforce.

Another day another Max fail


Friday, August 22, 2014

Nice little essay on riding Trimet bus 96


bus.JPGView full size 
It's 6:34 p.m. on the No. 96, southbound on the I-5. The TriMet bus is maybe two thirds full. Of the midweek commuters, many of whom I recognize from the ride into downtown Portland the same morning, more than three in five are looking down, reading email, surfing the web or otherwise all thumbs on a hand-held device that connects them to ... where?

Trimet gets more money

These guys get money from everywhere to do all sorts of things that aren't really necessary.  But when did gubmint actually fund anything that anybody needs anyway?

TriMet has been awarded a $1.5 million state grant to enhance bicycle parking and make other improvements at two stations heavily used by bikers.
The ConnectOregon V will be spent at MAX stations at two ends of the Robertson Tunnel that connects light rail service between Portland and Washington County. Robertson Tunnel is the westside MAX connection named after the late civic leader William Robertson. 

CLASS ACTION UPDATE

Depositions are scheduled this October in the case of Margulies V Trimet (I am no longer  the lead plaintiff in this case fyi) So we are getting closer to the 'trial'!

TRIMET LIES WITH IMPUNITY

They said delays through 8:15 and as u can see at 8:17 things were still F*D up!

Trimet scanner twitter report



Kids being kids on public transit



I love the Trimet boats!

Watch as the media twists and turns reality on its head

GlobeSherpa is awarded $2.6 million tax payer dollars to reinvent the wheel and its 'good for Portland'. Ya right. But say it over and over and people will believe it, just like the fake 'Bridge of the People'. Sorry we are not all stupid.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Not sure why Trimet is so resistant to alerting customers about delays

If we're hearing it then they are hearing it so whats the holdup? Why can't they provide fast information to their 14000 followers?

Funeral leave-know your rights

Recently a pal of mine has found himself stuck in an argument with Trimet managers over the death of a family member and what that means for him as a  Trimet worker.

Yes you get 3 days paid funeral benefits but you are also eligible for paid leave, up to two weeks!

 Trimet is trying to tell him that he is eligible for two weeks of leave under OFLA but that has to be taken in consecutive days.

 An examination of the laws provides no hint that the leave must be consecutive but must be taken  within a 60 day period .

Know your rights, Trimet managers do not know the law!


Seattle the clear leader in bus technology


Mcfarlane stays in hiding

Trimet has been a disaster lately and anybody seen the Trimet fearless leader Neil Mcfarlane?
Of course not he stays hidden  in the plush Harrison Street offices removed completely from
Trimet operations. 

Everyone knows that Neil only cares about capital projects anyway.
Sorry Neil, If you were a real leader we would hear from you.

There are some really nice riders on the Trimet system

WHY PEOPLE DON'T RIDE TRIMET

Former Trimet exec makes good

This is Michael Ford, I remember him while he was Director of Transportation. Nice enough guy tried to help me once but was not all that bright as far as I was concerned. They are gonna pay him $200k. 
(so no wonder Mcfarlane is unhappy with his salary, although Mcfarlane should really be fired not given a raise)

I wonder how 'competitive' the whole process was?

Former Trimet executive Carolyn Young is part of the GlobeSherpa team now

Trimet bus blows through traffic light that is out

"The Western Arterial---Makes Sense!"


Traffic Columbia River Crossing alternative: Western arterial
by Ron Swaren
Gridlock on the Interstate 5 (and I-205) highway through Portland continues at epidemic levels. I was out there on three afternoons last week and noticed it seemed to start earlier now, too. As early as 1 pm for the afternoon rush. A huge portion of the traffic is freight trucks—-and a sure indicator of economic recovery is the movement of freight.
But one overriding economic factor is Washington County growth. With recent announcements by big employers the growth–and the traffic–will continue. This does translate into more tax revenue for the state of Oregon, but with no equivalent of the I-205 highway on the west side of Portland, commuters from SW Washington will continue to be stalled. And freight shipments will also be stalled and wasting time and money.

Death by Max Train

TriMet train deaths: Gresham candlelight vigil planned for Bertha and John Paul Kelly; history of MAX's 38 deaths | OregonLive.com