TRIMET SPIN DOCTORS AND ITS COMPLICIT MAINSTREAM MEDIA

Very Lively and mostly intelligent debate over at the Oregonian on Joe Rose's story on the last ELRB decision.
But this story is the quintessential example of SUPERB (hey I've said if there is one thing that Trimet does right its propaganda, they are the best in the business) propaganda techniques and how its used to influence public opinion.

Trimet and mainstream media are saying  
State board upholds TriMet contract requiring union members to pay more of their health care costs

Is that what the ruling of the ELRB actually said? Nope they never issued any such ruling, here is what the headlines should be saying instead of the fictional headlines:

TRIMET ORDERED TO CEASE AND DESIST VIOLATING ORS 243.672(1)(c)

If there were 'real' news sources they would have  quoted the ruling for the headline

TRIMET LAUNCHES ANOTHER 'WITCH HUNT'-ATU 757

Before you dismiss the words of ATU 757 president Bruce Hansen I can tell you from first hand experience that this is no made up fantasy.
I was the subject of one such 'witch hunt' immediately after the yellow line crash appeared on Joe Rose's blog and in the newspaper.
I was put on administrative leave, dragged into the office with one of the hatchet men, and told that if I did not give up the source of that video I would suffer the consequences 'such as a drug addict caught with drugs if he didn't give up his drug dealer.' A year later I was gone from the employ of Trimet having endured a series of 'phony' secret rider reports and other management abuses.

TriMet Launches A Witch Hunt and Threatens Retaliation for Recent Stories in the Press
TriMet transit workers are being threatened with job loss, so says Amalgamated Transit Union President Bruce Hansen. The reason, “the workers became concerned that TriMet money is being spent on unnecessary things while public safety issues are going unaddressed. Last Friday, following the open door problem on Max, employees were afraid that the public would think it was a one-time lapse in safety. So they came forward with a whole host of concerns. They then passed those concerns on to the public through a press release.”
The press followed up, asking hard questions. TriMet’s response to learning of unsafe conditions at Rail? “Sadly, it was to launch a witch hunt. They are currently spending a lot of time trying to track down the source of the information. Safety is supposed to be a joint concern,” Hansen says. “Management is missing the point. This was not new information. The workers have been raising these issues and were hoping somebody was ready to listen
The parties’ collective bargaining agreement says: (Mcfarlane has disposed of collective bargaining)
Article 1, Section 15 –
Par. 1. The health and welfare of employees is a primary concern of both the District and Association. Both parties recognize the importance of achieving and maintaining a high level of safety in all operations of the District. Both parties also recognize the importance of reducing on-the-job injuries and controlling property damage and production losses. Both parties recognize the value of safety rules and practices, as well as preventive and corrective safety measures. Therefore, the District and Association, in recognition of their common commitment to promotion of safety and reduction of losses, will jointly support efforts to implement policies, practices, procedures, and protections during the duration of this Agreement to bring this about.

Mcfarlane's massive con game on the employees and public

Recently Mr Mcfarlane, Trimet so called 'general manager' handed out raises and promotions to most of his managerial staff.

This is immediately after he had announced to his board of puppets and the public that there would be 70% cuts to services if union employees/retirees did not submit to his demands to cut their health insurance coverage.

If you listen to the TRIMET SCANNER it becomes evident why Americans dont use transit

knife pulled on max: radio.rosecitytransit.org/01-21-13/01-21…

— TriMet Scanner (@trimetscanner) January 21, 2013

'THEY' ARE NOT INTERLINING THE ORANGE LINE

How freaking stupid is that?
 Portland Transport: "Orange Line" Name for Portland-Milwaukie MAX: A Triumph of Marketing Over Rider Benefit

BRUCE PEEK ELABORATES ON THE OVERTIME SCANDAL

Dear Al you may want to mention that Bruce hansen has filed several
freedom of informatoion act requests with trimet to find out just how
many drivers at specific cost levels are receiving benefit coverage
and trimets true cost as per the confirmation of benefit statements.
How many get health care benefits at $22,000 per year. Darn few I'll
bet.

IS TRIMET IN THE DEATH SPIRAL NOW?

MAX RIDERSHIP DOWN 14%
To:   General Manager 

Board of Directors     
From:   Michael Dohn       
  Timothy Kea
Subject:   December 2012 Monthly Performance Report

Rebirth of the 95X

Line 12-Barbur/Sandy Blvd

To help buses run closer to schedule and to improve efficiency, Line 12 would be changed so that it would run only between Tigard Transit Center and Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center. In Southwest, Line 94 would provide local service between Sherwood and Tigard in the off-peak hours, and during peak hours, would continue both local service to Tigard as well as express trips into Downtown Portland from Tigard.

Sounds like TriMet is just doing an about-face from 10 years ago, shutting down the 94 and bringing back the 95.  And didn't TriMet claim all these years that riders preferred the 94 over the 95?

At least TriMet is admitting (if so quietly) that cutting the 94 was an incredible mistake on its part, and that Tigard needs MORE - not less - service.

TriMet finds on eBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-RTS-4-PAGE-BUS-SALES-BROCHURE-FEATURING-PORTLAND-OR-TRI-MET-/220889020095?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item336e02f6bf

Why buy new buses...we can make the old ones look like new!

Excellence in Bus Stop Planning

As I got off my bus this morning at 6th and Market, the rear door of the bus was lined up with this little patch of mud.  As the bus was standing room only, a few riders had to step off of the bus to let others off, so our only choice was to walk through the mud.

Next to the mud patch was a little sign that says to help protect the landscaping and not to walk on it.

What were we supposed to do?  All file out through the front door?  This is a brand new bus stop on the Transit Mall!  Shouldn't the size of a bus and the placement of the doors have been a consideration towards the design of the bus stop?  Would a MAX stop be built with this where the door would be located?

CLUSTERF*#K AT S.W. 4th and Harrison

Being that I work in the vicinity of S.W. 4th Avenue and Harrison in downtown Portland I am amazed that the amount of traffic that passes through this and the nearby intersections.

Today, I saw a rather disturbing incident:  An inbound 17 bus was making the left turn from 4th onto Harrison to get to the Mall.  A pedestrian in a wheelchair was trying to cross the street...however with the construction cones he had to slow down and navigate around them.  Meanwhile, a 43 bus was eastbound on Harrison on its outbound trip to Washington Square.

The 17 bus did not stop for the pedestrian and went through, as the pedestrian's signal had just changed from walk to flashing don't walk.  The 43 operator beeped her horn, fortunately alerting the pedestrian so he could stop.  But being he was in a wheelchair he couldn't easily get back onto the sidewalk.

Further, the 17 bus was then bogged down in a backup of traffic on Harrison, because a left-turning car onto 5th couldn't turn because of excessive pedestrian traffic.  So now the 17 was blocking the eastbound lane (and the 43 bus).  And as I looked back, the Operator of the 43 was shaking her head in disbelief.

This is not a one-time occurance; there's just too much traffic going on here, and too often there are turns that are next to impossible to make.  The right turn from Harrison onto 6th is a "no turn on red", but it's impossible due to the amount of pedestrian traffic to make a legal turn on green.  I've seen buses turn on red - because they have no choice not to.  Buses can't see around the corner if there's a stopped bus on Harrison and 4th, causing the issue of buses turning but then realizing when it's too late that they can't complete the turn.  And they can't back up, either.

What's truly, truly amazing...is that this is almost 100% avoidable.  And TriMet was supposed to have done its "turn by turn, stop by stop" analysis of each and every TriMet route and stop.  Clearly, that was A LIE.  Buses didn't used to use Harrison, and it's avoidable.  But they do now.  And they shouldn't.  Nor should the inbound 12/44 use Mill which has some of the same problems (they used to use Harrison, until it was realized that it's a bit illegal to make two lane changes in 200 feet.)

The solution should be that all buses coming from the south should travel on Barbur north to Caruthers, make the protected left turn there (where a left turn is prohibited if a pedestrian activates the crosswalk; further there is much less pedestrian traffic south of I-405), continue west on Broadway to 6th, and then have a straight-shot onto the Mall.  Buses coming off the Ross Island Bridge would simply follow Corbett, Kelly, Arthur, and Caruthers.

The problem:  TriMet created a design flaw with the transit mall.  Where the current MAX stop is between Harrison and Montgomery used to be a bus stop.  One where many bus routes stopped.  And the brilliance of TriMet eliminated that bus stop that worked very well, and moved buses all over the place.  TriMet also decided to re-route buses off of Clay and Market...I'm not quite sure why they did that either.

So, thanks to TriMet's insistence of light rail above all...TriMet in their predictable manner decided to short-change the bus system, create bus routes and bus stops that are blatantly dangerous...and then claimed it has reviewed it all.  Then explain why TriMet was almost on the front page of the news tomorrow, with the 17 bus nearly hitting a wheelchair at 11:50 AM today.  Yes, it would have been the Operator's fault...but TriMet could have helped eliminate the problem.  Instead, TriMet "plans" for light rail...and bus service is a haphazard after-thought.

Why buy new buses, when you can paint the old ones like new?

Fact-Checking McFarlane

The Portland to Milwaukie Light Rail will carry riders for:

·       $1.50 each

·       compared to nearly double what it costs on the bus system ($2.90)

So...if what McFarlane is saying is true, let's see the proof in the pudding.

How much does it cost for a Green Line rider between Gateway and Clackamas TC?

Now...now much does it cost for a 72 line rider between I-84 (the 82nd Avenue MAX station) and Clackamas TC?

McFarlane is citing the cost of one line, against the AVERAGE of all bus lines.  Which means, he's trying to compare ONE MAX line to the 84 Kelso/Boring line (because that one bus line that costs a Godawful amount of money throws the bus system average).  Clearly, that the AVERAGE is only $2.90 shows that there are many buses that aren't anywhere near as costly.

And, TriMet's CFO even confirmed to me that many bus lines are just as cost effective - or in some cases, MORE cost effective - than MAX.  Like the 72 bus.  MORE cost effective than MAX.  MORE cost effective than the Green Line.

Apples to apples, not apples to the whole freakin' damn orange tree orchard.

Did Neil McFarlane really say THIS?????

Those who know our business know that the MAX system has been the best thing that ever happened to the bus system…

TriMet's April Fools Joke

 

Quick:  What does the yellow highlighted (and red circled) text mean?

Chained up #94 bus on I-5 this evening

Now...WHY would you drive a chained up bus on I-5 knowing that you are going 25 MPH, and all those big trucks are doing 55?

Great Bus Stops of Portland

The sad part is that this isn't even in the automobile-centric suburbs of Beaverton and Lake Oswego - this is right smack in the middle of downtown Portland and the Portland State University campus.  Where are you supposed to board the bus?  If you're in a wheelchair or other mobility device, what are you supposed to do?  Wait in the right lane of 4th Avenue?

TriMet should not be tolerating this.  If this were a MAX stop, there'd be cops and tow trucks here PRONTO.  What is the difference between MAX and a bus?  There should be cops and tow trucks here PRONTO...and the idiot that actually authorized the placement of two parking spaces in front of the shelter should be fired.  This is Portland, for pete's sake!

Why people think TriMet's fares are convoluted

How to find the correct fare, the TriMet way:

Look at this map.  Figure out where you are.  Figure out where you are going.  Read the instructions below.  (Don't mind the Validator that's in the way.  Bend your neck as needed.)

How to find the correct fare, the Erik way:

"All Adult Passengers boarding WES at this stop MUST purchase an All-Zone Fare.

Youth ages 7-17, high school and GED students may use a Youth fare.

Honored Citizens, ages 65 and up, people on Medicare and disabled citizens, may use an Honored Citizen fare.

Children ages 6 and under ride free with a paying rider."

(And, the TVM should not allow any other option...and the sign should be on the front of the machine, or at least on an open side that is clearly visible.)