OPAL's Jonathan Ostar response to Trimet board snub

OPAL director Jon Ostar just sent The Oregonian this response to the board's decision: "We are disappointed by the board's unwillingness to follow through on restoring fare equity for cash/ticket riders this morning, and its inability to separate the issue from efforts to ensure federal Civil Rights compliance. Since July 2013, we have consistently communicated our concern to the board and staff that weekend bus riders were hit with loss in transfer time. They dismissed our concerns and declined to resolve the matter informally, forcing us to filing an administrative complaint to protect the rights of those bus riders. All we are asking for is an analysis of the impacts of that decision, much like the analysis they have already done to support the decision to provide a 2.5 hour transfer. If the agency were serious about proving its commitment to Civil Rights, it would show conviction in standing behind the merits of its analysis and vote on the ordinance to extend transfers and restore some of that lost time. They could even rightly call it mitigation. Instead, the agency appears to punish us for doing our job under the pretext of "uncertainty" and "surprise" around the issue, which only further oppresses its low-income riders. Hopefully the board will realize this in the coming months and follow through on its commitment to transit equity." TriMet tables fare-transfer increase, citing rider group's civil-rights complaint (poll) | OregonLive.com