It makes absolutely NO SENSE that the people have no voice regarding a service that everyone can use everyday. Go to Portland City Hall... Randy Leonard says "it's not my jurisdiction," go to any of the counties, they won't listen either. Better yet, go to Metro (which has the authority to assume TriMet's operations), IMO they're too patsy to do it! They won't even discuss it.
I watched the video of Jon Hunt being cut off at the board meeting. IMO, that was the most totally inappropriate thing for a public official to do. I don't care that he's an unpaid gubernatorial appointee... he needs to go. TriMet wants riders to "respect the ride," but it is very clear that TriMet doesn't respect riders or the very people that are actually providing public transit revenue service.
Someone ought to start an initiative petition. Most of the rest of Oregon hates TriMet so much for taking up state money to overbuild rail in the Portland area, and if the November ballot measure was any indication there's not much support from locals, either.
Don't get me wrong... up in Spokane I get to ride brand-new, clean, comfortable buses (the oldest buses are about the same age as the TriMet 2000s and are MUCH better) that show up reliably and logically meet at the downtown transit center where riders can reasonably make connections. There are 60' buses for the crush load routes with free wifi. The operators are respected by virtually everyone and those who don't get to enjoy walking down streets that are comparable to Portland's NE/SE 82nd Ave.
I realize someone will probably try to tell me that Spokane Transit can do that because they serve as many people in a year as TriMet does in a month and has a much lower transit mode share... hogwash. TriMet SHOULD be a system we're all proud of. TriMet SHOULD have the best public transit revenue service (but they don't). TriMet SHOULD treat the general public with the same regard as other cities. TriMet management SHOULD NOT be declaring war against those who actually provide service. TriMet SHOULD have an elected board and a Citizen Advisory Committee that actually represent the people, not wealthy corporate types who want transit to suck.
I've ranted enough (and this isn't even my blog). Thanks for reading.
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