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...