It's just hilarious how the rest of the world keeps holding up TRIMET as its model. So much discontent here at home, yet the rest of the world thinks Portland a transit nirvana? Why the disconnect?
Having grown up in Boston I always saw Portland as a nice little city with a nice little transit system. (compared to the MBTA Trimet is puny) Living in NW Portland is also a great place to live if you need to use transit. But a "transit nirvana" WTF? There is absolutely nothing special about Portland.It's far from world class, buses are old and bus service is crumbling. So we have a streetcar and a tram. Most people NEVER use either of them. (me included) We have nice light rail moving people around but come on, SO WHAT? If you can't get to the light rail or to where you're going on light rail of what use is it?
An initiative to prevent Trimet from building any more light rail has passed in Clackamas County, obviously the people of Clackamas county find it no model. Only 12% of commuters use TRIMET.
How can an organization that attracts only 12% ridership even be under consideration as a 'model?
There is only one explanation. It's the model for the career bureaucrats! It's certainly no model for the people who use it.
(ya i know its better than a lot of other places, big deal.)
TransLink could learn from Portland's efficient transit system
Rural Clackamas passed the measure. It would have been very different of it was only the 99E corridor.
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