Most families, given the choice between $11.60 errands or $160 monthly passes, would make the obvious choice: the car.
Even if the car was uninsured or its tags had expired or was in
imminent danger of breaking down (I know lots of low-income families who
drive uninsured because they just can't scrape together the money --
it's a calculated risk that they're too stressed to really calculate).
This proposal forces families on the road. I think it's bad for
families; in my opinion, it's a call to families to stay off buses
entirely; and ultimately it's bad for Portland, creating more
congestion, forcing many low-income families into devil's bargains (the
uninsured car or the $11.60 we don't have?), and probably decreasing
revenue. I know my choice is pretty easy: we'll take the bike instead of
the bus on short errands. Most families don't have that option and
TriMet, for now, doesn't seem to care.
(See the guest post I wrote for Taking the Lane before the options were revealed here.)
Post is HERE!
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