While TriMet's MAX Blue Line runs deep
into the city's core, bus service hasn't significantly changed since
1997, according to TriMet planners, before the light-rail trains hummed
into downtown Hillsboro.
That is suck BS, they have cut so much service from the west side I can't believe they would make a statement like that. (actually of course I should believe they would make up something so absurd)
"You have to draw a new solar system," Rob Dixon, Hillsboro assistant city manager, said of bus service.
Well that's very cute of course.
But ever since Neil McFarlane joined the agency as general manager in 2010, the hand has been extended.
I know isn't he wonderful? Too bad he hates his retirees and is trying to starve them to death.
"It
was just exciting to have the head of the agency acknowledge that the
paradigm that most of the system was built on is not an accurate
paradigm anymore," Dixon said.
Ya I'm so excited I can hardly sit in my chair!
TriMet
has faced $56 million in budget shortfalls since 2008, and is battling
with the Amalgamated Transit Union 757 on health benefits for employees.
We
all knew this was coming. Instead of making pie in the sky plans why
doesn't the fools that run Trimet get its house in order and stop with
the false promises and disguised anti union propaganda. This is
disgraceful!
TriMet's westside plans include more service to job centers in Hillsboro, as 'solar system' evolves | OregonLive.com
I lived in the north of Beaverton near Merlo Garage from 1996 to 2000 so I rode a lot of buses back in that area. I seem to recall that there was a total redesign of all of the bus routes, since so many routes went into downtown - like the 57, the old 58 (Sunset Highway Express), the 60 Leahy Road, 88 S.W. 198th Avenue, and then the old 94X Walker Road Express.
ReplyDeleteA number of new routes were created like the 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 53, and the Cedar Mill Shuttle. There were even a couple of special, unnumbered express routes that basically existed to drum up support for MAX that lasted maybe a year or two.
I can't say that MAX actually caused a service decrease, I believe service increased in 1998-2001. The biggest "loss" was the articulated buses on the 57, and as a result TriMet was forced to implement "Frequent Service" and increase headways from 20 minutes to 15 minutes to deal with overcrowding - TriMet learned the hard way that MAX didn't take ridership off the 57 as was expected.
Of course, after the 2002 recession a lot of service got axed - the 50 route in its entirety, and some of the other routes saw much reduced frequency or routes altered (or 'streamlined' to make it sound more positive).
What TriMet didn't really do was improve north-south service. Sure, there's the 88, the 52 and 62, but that's it. There's absolutely zero service on Cornelius Pass Road - a street that very much deserves a route. There's no north-south service connecting the Minter Bridge/Rood Bridge areas, north on Cypress and 32nd Avenue, and then north on Brockwood. And Baseline should have a full route from Beaverton to Hillsboro; instead it is only served west of 231st Avenue and not at all east of there.
And Forest Grove and Cornelius...still have basically crap for service - the 57, and nothing else...at least prior to MAX, they had an express bus (the 58).
First of all, the article was discussing service into *downtown Hillsboro*. If you were to compare the area on a current map to one just after Westside MAX opened, I think you'd find it isn't that much different.
ReplyDeleteThere were even a couple of special, unnumbered express routes that basically existed to drum up support for MAX that lasted maybe a year or two.
Where did those go?
Cornelius Pass Road - a street that very much deserves a route.
As has been mentioned in past Transit Investment Plans, an issue is that there is no MAX station at Cornelius Pass to connect to.
north on Brockwood
Again, no MAX station to connect to.
And Forest Grove and Cornelius...still have basically crap for service
I'm not sure I'd agree with that, seeing that Line 58 runs almost 24 hours.
There were even a couple of special, unnumbered express routes that basically existed to drum up support for MAX that lasted maybe a year or two
ReplyDeleteI was driving full time from Merlo by then, and the only "special route" I remember learning was the "ZigZag" - a route that ran opening weekend, and then was relegated to "bus bridge" status. I don't even think they use it for that anymore.
Freddy vs. Jason
ReplyDelete