I don't know if Metro wants Tri-Met, but I the survey is typically leading towards "acceptable" conclusions. None of the cuts I would favor are on the table.

Become a part of the well-paid Multi-Agency team implementing the Columbia River Crossing project! Tri-Met is trolling for a CRC Transit Manager to the tune of $93,360-$140,138 a year.

It would be interesting to know what the other involved agencies are paying their CRC diddlers and squatters.

I took a look at the survey. Reducing Red Line service is the only rail cut they are considering.

Go by train ... to Milwaukie!

I love the question that lets you choose between the following three answers (and no others):

I own a car but prefer to ride TriMet
I don't own a car
Can't/don't drive

No, I'm not making that up.

Sounds like one of those "elections" under a dictator...

A few months ago, I was offered a $15 gift card if I filled out one of these transportation surveys trying to figure out how best to spend the taxpayer's money. I took the survey and my answers reflected the fact that I rely heavily on my car and want money spent on road and traffic flow improvements. When I was done with the survey and hit the "submit" button, a little message popped up telling me they had received enough feedback from people in my demographic and couldn't use my responses. I wish that also meant they had received enough taxes from people in my demographic and won't be collecting any more.

Friday morning, January 6th, the Portland Business Journal reported that $10 million of a new $200 million OHSU-PSU-OSU Collaborative Life Sciences Building, along the future Orange Line just north of the South Waterfront, is coming from TriMet. Because even though they're in financial difficulties they apparently can't help throwing increasing amounts of money at new and unrelated projects.

Interestingly, none of THESE suggestions are being allowed on the survey:

1. Eliminate WES.
(If WES cannot be eliminated, then all extra amenities shall be discontinued such as Wireless Internet and Transit Tracker signs, fares shall be moved to a distance based fare (i.e. minimum fare of $3.00 for a Beaverton TC-Hall Boulevard ride, and $7.00 for a ride from Beaverton to Wilsonville) with no transfer privileges, and daily parking rates shall be instituted. Also, WES should reduce service to a 40 minute headway, allowing two-train operation and eliminating one train from service.)

2. Eliminate the City of Portland Streetcar subsidy. TriMet has no legal or moral obligation to subsidize a transit operation that is directly in conflict and in competition with itself.
(If the Streetcar funding cannot be eliminated, then TriMet shall move to eliminate duplicative service within the Streetcar area - the 77 line would be truncated at Rose Garden, the 17 line would be merged with the 16 line along Front Avenue, the 15 line would be eliminated, and the 35 and 36 lines would run express through South Waterfront without making local stops.)

3. Eliminate the Capital Projects Division. (We can't afford what we have; we surely can't afford to add more.)

4. Institute fees to park in TriMet Owned & Operated parking lots, between $5 and $8 per day depending on the lot and location.

5. Restructure the fare system:
$2.00 per boarding on the bus. $1.00 for seniors, disabled citizens and youth.
$3.00 per boarding during rush hours and on Express buses (no discount for seniors, disabled or youth)
$5.00 all-day bus pass

Distance-Based Fares on MAX

See above for WES; no discounts on WES for seniors, disabled or youth.

If Streetcar cannot be eliminated, TriMet's subsidy WILL be reduced using a formula of the number of Streetcar riders who do NOT pay the regular fare, multipled by $2.00. (This includes riders who use the "$100 Annual Streetcar and Tram Pass". TriMet will also require that the City of Portland pay for audits of ridership (that must be verifiable) to calculate this. In addition, TriMet shall annually post on its website an audited report showing the costs of services provided to the City of Portland for Streetcar service (labor and maintenance costs), the "subsidy" TriMet pays to the City, ridership, and what amount of the ridership is actually paying a valid TriMet fare.

6. Outsource all ancillary but non-operating TriMet functions, such as H.R. and I.T. Determine if cost-savings can be obtained if these functions are merged or aligned with other government agencies to combine resources.

7. Eliminate all management and administrative staff who are not mission critical. Mission Critical is defined as a person, task, responsibility, department or function that is DIRECTLY involved in either the operation of public transportation or the maintenance of public transportation to the extent that a failure of maintenance could result in a service disruption. This includes any employee involved with bike projects, "sustainability", "equity", "diversity" or similar titles.

8. Eliminate all planning for future MAX and rail lines. This includes Barbur and Vancouver MAX proposals.

9. Eliminate all TriMet motor pool vehicles that are not directly used in the provision of public transportation or maintenance of the system. (If a TriMet staffer can't get to an off-site meeting by TriMet's own public transportation services, they don't need to go.)

10. Eliminate all out-of-town travel. No exceptions.

11. Eliminate all landscaping for TriMet facilities.

12. Eliminate TriMet's involvement in "social media"; eliminate any and all outside "feel good" messaging and advertising - any advertising or publicity MUST be related to actual service delivery or a legally mandated notice.

13. Eliminate any and all involvement in real estate aside from what is required for service delivery. TriMet is not a development agency.

14. Eliminate any and all TriMet "sponsorship" of events.

15. Require that TriMet take all steps necessary to secure paid advertising on TriMet vehicles and facilities. Contract advertising at all MAX stations.

16. Install timers that shut off electric supply to TriMet MAX and WES stations and P&R facilities when not in use.

17. Eliminate Transit Tracker - OR, remove schedule information and plyons from MAX stations. (This was done for bus stops.)

18. Immediate, across the board 25% salary cut for all managers and above.

19. Immediate, across the board benefits reductions for all managers and above - managers must pay 25% of healthcare premiums (for themselves, and the entire cost for spouses and dependents), eliminate pension and convert to a 401(k) (or the public government equivalent of such) with a fixed contribution rather than a fixed benefit, and reductions in other benefits that are paid for by TriMet.

20. TriMet shall immediately institute plans to renew its entire bus fleet, including a purchase of at least 100 high capacity articulated buses and 100 to 200 smaller community buses (to replace the 1600 and 1900 series and to right-size service on routes that must use a larger bus simply out of necessity due to a lack of smaller vehicles), all of which must be brand new, hybrid-electric propulsion buses. TriMet shall without limitation seek any and all funding sources, including city, county, state, Metro and federal funding for these buses. Doing so will reduce ongoing maintenance and fuel expenses compared to current bus operating costs.

21. Once articulated buses are in service, TriMet will reduce mid-day and weekend service on Frequent Service routes (where applicable) from 15 to 20 minute headways; this will result in three buses per hour instead of four, or a 25% decrease in fuel and labor expense on those trips.

22. TriMet shall end the practice of interlining unless it can be proven that such practices improve customer service AND decrease operational expense. Far too often interlined buses are delayed far off of their route causing dissatisfaction and increased overtime expense. In addition too many Operators are fatigued from long trips without breaks, and shorter routes will ensure drivers are properly rested for their trips - eliminating overtime, healthcare expense, absenteeism, the cost of extra board trips, and improving customer service (and ridership).

23. Eliminate the Free Rail Zone.

24. Ensure that LIFT service is only being provided in accordance with federal law. Currently TriMet allows a "door to door" service, meaning a LIFT rider can request a ride from their home in Forest Grove to a destination in Gresham if they so desired. This is clearly outside the intent of the LIFT system which is ONLY to connect riders who cannot access regular transit points to access transit, or cannot get from a transit point to their destination. TriMet shall reduce LIFT service so that it does just that - gets a rider TO a TriMet Transit Center or stop or station, or "door to door" service within three miles only. Also, LIFT service is only supposed to be available when the transit service for the general public is available. If the rider lives in an area where the only bus service is weekday rush hours, then the LIFT service - PER FEDERAL LAW - is only required during those same hours. If there's no Saturday service, there should be no Saturday LIFT service. LIFT service was never intended to be "above and beyond service" for a select group of riders. And TriMet needs to eliminate the use of the larger cutaway buses and use only sedans and minivans (for those who use wheelchairs and scooters) that cost less to operate. I have never seen a "full-sized LIFT bus" with more than two or three riders in it...yet those vehicles are designed to hold 20 passengers (and thus require a CDL to operate.)

Metro and Tri-Met have been working together for years, but Metro won't take over the agency - heck, they can't even run the zoo decently.

Like Snards, those choices gave me a real chuckle.

I then realized, (I'm kind of gullible sometimes) that the time I spent participating in this survey was valuable time I will never get back, and all my responses are are either being disposed of, laughed at, or twisted to the exact opposite of my intentions.

I have taken my last Opt In survey, which gives me more time to kill flies and separate my trash. Oh and I have a bird to give Metro to put someplace and make it art.

Erik H, thank you for your sensible list.

I think if saved dollars were totaled there would be more than enough to pay off TriMet's budget deficit. There would be a surplus.

Then Sam could do his famous co-mingling of money like he did when he took $20 Million in city taxpayer TIF dollars from SoWhat to give to TriMet's Milwaukie Lightrail. Then he should logically ask TriMet to give the surplus savings back to the city to pay for the $15 Million road maintenance deficit. Many problems solved.