Bostonian's put up a good resistance effort, but we all know all the public meetings, hearings and all the online surveys are nothing but window dressing, the decisions are made behind closed doors without benefit of public input and then implemented after the "public show" has been completed. (public must be tricked into thinking that they actually matter)
However Boston, 10 times as large as Trimet, with a deficit 10 times larger than Trimet, has implemented a number of changes which TRIMET refuses to look at.
For example, charging riders on commuter rail substantially more, charging for parking at the various park and rides and several other items
Those of us that follow TriMet know that anything that threatens rail ridership is not going to be considered.
Trimet (Portland) has been selected by policy makers as its retail sales outlet, the place where people go and buy their rail boondoggles, or as I like to call it, SARDINE CAN TRANSIT, pack in as many as possible. (and of course it's a big help to developers because it takes a mostly low income strata of citizens and sends them to the place that is selected to be on the line, be it factories or boxes that they can live in. Millions can be made in this process.)
The only people that pay for financial 'problems' (term used loosely as management problems only apply to employees and riders) are the bus riders via service cuts and all riders via fare increases.
The fare increases hurt the bus riders the most, for obvious reasons.
The interesting thing about Boston vs Trimet is how much cheaper it still is too ride the MBTA than Trimet, and that is after the fare increases. (very weird)
Both agencies used almost identical techniques in their attempts to manipulate the minds of the citizens. Obviously some form of collaboration exists between transit district executives.
South of Boston, riders cope with cuts in public transportation and higher fares - The Boston Globe
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