So, did Monday's one-day fare amnesty on MAX create a spike in light-rail ridership in the Portland metro area?
TriMet's answer: Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows at this point?
"The goal wasn't to increase ridership," said Mary Fetsch, a TriMet
spokeswoman, adding that the transit agency has no way of immediately
measuring the free rides' effect on the daily commute.
Infrared sensors at MAX train doors count
boardings by detecting body heat and motion. Any tallies from Free MAX
Monday won't be available for at least a few weeks, TriMet said.
TriMet offered the free rides on MAX as a way of saying thank you –
and sorry – to riders for enduring last week's nightmarish delays
caused by rail reconstruction and a train derailment on Friday.
"We have heard that riders are appreciating the small token of thanks," Fetsch said.
Of course, some riders have taken to Twitter to say the gesture is too small.
They may have a point. Here are 5 reasons why, in the end, the TriMet
fare amnesty amounted to little more than a publicity stunt:
Read the Rest of the Story HERE
What I posted to the story:
ReplyDelete"I'm sorry I broke your antique lamp! Aw, geez. What a mess! Here! The least I can do is give you my flashlight! Which isn't very bright anyway. And it needs new batteries. And you've got to jiggle the switch sometimes to get it to stay on. Besides, I was going to get rid of it anyway. And I know you already have a flashlight. But hey! At least I gave you something in return to compensate you for the fact that you don't have a working lamp any more! Oh BTW, can't help you clean up, gotta run!"
Tell me the two gestures aren't on a par with each other . . . when a person attempts to provide another with recompense for a wrong, it's supposed to be some kind of sacrifice -- financial, time, other resources. Tell me what sacrifice TriMet has put forth here.
54% already have passes of some kind. Already that puts those helped by this "gesture" in the minority.
23% of commuters have to connect to a bus. I'm curious where that number comes from. Seems like it would be a lot higher. What about the percentage of people who are not "commuters" (that is, they're using TriMet in a non-get-to-one's-job activity) who have to use both bus and MAX?
"Any tallies from Free MAX Monday won't be available for at least a few weeks, TriMet said." But under point 3, they're already quoting numbers from last Tuesday?
"'We have heard that riders are appreciating the small token of thanks,' Fetsch said." Mule muffins.