TRIMET's light rail obsession always destabilizes bus riders in its path

It's gone,  you gotta use light rail now

This is an old story, I saw it myself when working on the west side. Light rail goes in and bus service gets whacked. That leaves hundreds of lives destabilized forcing many people to move, which is exactly what the social engineers want, hopefully to some of the 'transit oriented development' that goes along with these light rail projects. The mainstream media offers no coverage of the lives that have been thrown into chaos by these light rail projects.

By Cheree Heppe

I commute by bus daily to federal employment in Portland. My commute is timely and convenient. I live in Milwaukie. I am totally blind. Proposed cuts and elimination of bus service from Milwaukie northbound into Portland will severely impact my commute time, leisure and errand running ability and require my household to move from Milwaukie.

I have traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe on public transport, accompanied by various educated dog guides. I have served on transportation advisory committees. I am a member of the American Council of the Blind, an advocacy and legislative grass roots organization working to improve the welfare of the blind. I am with the hope of a solution-based outcome, which may include following established practice-based compliance by TriMet for service to thriving communities.
Oregon Public Broadcasting aired a story on Feb. 25 about the shortage of highway funds.  The last big TriMet bus shake-up, which changed Portland’s service from exemplary to ordinary, happened around the same time that highway funds needed $29 million. Is TriMet’s bus cut scenario a way to channel money meant for bus and train operation into road projects?
The new Max train terminus is many blocks distant from the Milwaukie Bus Mall. During the snow event recently, the Max broke down, but the buses kept operating.  Even if the Max runs correctly, how are seniors and disabled people in the specially built apartments on Main Street or the condo residents next door who depend on buses going to get to the Max?  Shuttle buses to the Max terminal would have to operate every five minutes to make commute times even possible.  How are businesses on Main Street going to draw walk-in trade with all Portland bus service severely curtailed or eliminated?
Starting at about 6:30, A.M., TriMet buses between Milwaukie and Portland have standing room-only ridership. During non-rush hours, there are lots of people riding both directions into the late evening. Flexi workers use buses during other times than the old 9-to-5 time slots.  Parents raising families, seniors and students, job seekers and entertainment and shopping goers use these buses on a daily basis.
Winter buses are badly overheated.  With fuel and maintenance costs cited for service cutbacks, what kind of costs might be saved by properly regulating temperatures on TriMet buses?
My household moved here because of the plentiful, regular, frequent bus service.  Without this community-wide resource, we will have to take our earning power and household elsewhere.
It seems as though TriMet has lost its community supportive effectiveness and internal rudder. Cutting northbound buses between Milwaukie and Portland to favor the newly built Max represents a destructive, eggs-in-one-basket policy unsuited to community building and public welfare.

Cheree Heppe lives in Milwaukie.
TriMet should preserve bus service to Milwaukie: Guest opinion | OregonLive.com