It's happening everywhere. I walk with a cane & can go about 400 feet without falling (the falls also occur randomly, but pushing the limits guarantees them unless I can sit down a while.) For the past three years, I've been able to make it just barely to the TriMet stop at the top of my street & take the Bus to the doctor. About 5 months ago with almost no warning, my stop was eliminated & the nearest one is a quarter-mile away, way too far for me. When I called to find out why, they couldn't tell me more than "the old stop was dangerous" (it had been there for over 50 years & no accidents) & that as a certified cripple, I could call the LIFT jitney to get me at home - That's fine deluxe service, but it costs TriMet over $20 per person per trip, & I would pay less than 10% of that. Nice, but in my case, wasteful, since the old stop let me take the regular bus. I'll go back to the car.

I recently drove 6th and saw zero signs indicating cars are prohibited in the right lanes. The only thing present were a few pavement markings; one stated "BUS ONLY" and the other said "BUS T."

Not sure how well one of those citations will hold up in court.

When you consider the $220 million or more that was spent on this unnecessary re-do of the transit mall, "BUS T" is perfect.

I did my morning 5 or 6 block walk from where I get off MAX to where I work. I saw a woman running for a few of those blocks trying to catch her bus that she saw was coming up the mall. The bus beat her to the stop by about half a block. She picked up the pace, more of a sprint now. All of the Tri-met helpers with the day-glow jackets were there watching her make that one last valiant effort to catch her bus, but she just didn't have the late "kick" that she probably had when she was younger. She was too late...the bus pulled off right before she could get the driver to open the door. The Tri-met spectators in the day-glow flack jackets looked at each other not knowing what to say or do. It was pretty exciting to watch.

Rod, maybe I will work downtown more, after all... (rubs hands greedily)

That's fine deluxe service, but it costs TriMet over $20 per person per trip, & I would pay less than 10% of that. Nice, but in my case, wasteful, since the old stop let me take the regular bus. I'll go back to the car.

Interesting. Fares from MAX riders only pay about 20% of what it costs to operate MAX. How about the buses, do they even come close to paying their own way from fares?

That's fine deluxe service, but it costs TriMet over $20 per person per trip, & I would pay less than 10% of that. Nice, but in my case, wasteful, since the old stop let me take the regular bus. I'll go back to the car.Martyr complex represent.

Seriously, consider how much more wasteful it is for buses to stop every two or three blocks. You lost your favorite stop. Take the special bus and stop complaining, certified cripple.

As someone who takes the bus fairly regularly, I think one problem is too many stops on the route. It's what keeps the bus from running on time and with any sense of efficiency.

Rod,

Your experience differs starkly from mine. I'm a long-time MAX rider and currently get on the 54/56 at Big Pink downtown. Our new bus stop is actually on Burnside rather than SW 5th in front of Big Pink - which is where the vast majority of bus lines have their Big Pink stop. Yesterday when I left work I saw one of the yellow-jerseyed Tri-Met folks announcing to folks exiting Big Pink on 5th that there is a stop on Burnside and listing those bus lines.

Our driver waited for two different late arrivals to get on our bus at other stops downtown. Despite that, we got through downtown much more quickly now that we are back on the Mall . . . and I'm sure many drivers were happy not to have to compete with us on 3rd and 4th downtown.

Tri-Met got an A from me yesterday - efficient and helpful.

It would seem to me that less stops is a GOOD THING.

Personally I don't like the design, but its too early to evaluate the whole mess yet.

Bascially the whole thing was just another pork barrel project, completely unnecessary.

It could turn out ok.

Don't forget, the old transit mall was a complete disaster, this design can't be worse than that one was!

(other than the max train running down the middle of it)

"I recently drove 6th and saw zero signs indicating cars are prohibited in the right lanes. "

Signs? You didn't notice the double white lines with rumble strips? Did you need more?

In tri-met's big scheme, every bus is a local, every train, too. More people might take the bus or train, if they could get from a location like Gateway or Beaverton with only one stop until downtown or the Rose Quarter.