That might be true, but it saves jobs by giving contractors, bureacrats, and politicians something to do.

On a related and local note, funneling lots of bus lines to terminate at the Rose Quarter/Lloyd Center instead of going downtown in order to force people onto MAX (and thereby fudge your numbers) is not an effective transportation solution.

On a related and local note, funneling lots of bus lines to terminate at the Rose Quarter/Lloyd Center instead of going downtown in order to force people onto MAX (and thereby fudge your numbers) is not an effective transportation solution.

Of course, that's just what they did. I used to ride Tri-Met once in a while, just for the heck of it. But at $2.50 a ride, crappy routes, and crappy schedules, no thanks.

I was a dedicated "choice" bus rider until they dumped me into the Rose Quarter, raised fares, and reduced frequency.

I think they are intentionally trying to bankrupt it so they can renegotiate the labor contracts. Either that or they are just overpaid incompetent idiots.

TriMet: Doing their damnedest to get you back into your car.

I'm certainly no fan of having light rail in Portland for various reasons, but, as far as I know, the only bus route that now ends at the Rose Quarter is the 85. The former 73 used to end at the Rose Quarter, but was combined with the 70-12th Ave. Thus, only 2 bus lines require a transfer to MAX to go downtown.

What happened to the the NE 33rd Avenue bus? It used to be the 10, and it used to go downtown.

Then there's the Fremont bus, which now only goes as far west as Emanuel Hospital. That one used to go downtown, too. But rather than dump you out at Rose Quarter MAX, it dumps you out nowhere you want to go.

The 10 - 33rd Ave. was truncated to the Rose quarter a few years ago when the new MAX line opened on the bus mall. Its number was changed to 73. Last Sept., the 73 was combined with the 70 - 12th Ave., and now goes all the way to Milwaukie.

".. cities considering a light rail system should strongly consider whether improving the local bus system would be cheaper and just as effective."

Most planner types think of Europe, and trains, subways and bicycles come to mind. But what I remember from my limited travels are the wonderful bus systems that take you anywhere you want to go in the city - without long waits and with clean, efficient busses. Alas, in America, especially Portland, our bus system is being driven downhill, not up. Where is the genius in that? Go ahead and love everything European, but understand that intercity rail systems may be nice, but they are limited to the biggest cities, while the bus systems are everywhere, and they are good.

Speaking of fudging numbers, did anyone else see the tiny blurb in today's OREGONIAN regarding the RandyLoo in Victoria, British Columbia?

Apparently it "won" some kind of award for most popular public toilet.

Then some suspicious emails were discovered, suggesting that people be encouraged to vote for the Loo because it would look good for Portland.

I already recycled the paper and can't find any evidence of the article on OregonLive but I know I read it in this morning's Saturday edition. A photo of the Loo in BC was included.

I did find the CBC article about the Loo being declared "Best In Canada".

No doubt it had some tough competition from those wooden shacks set up on the ice near the good fishing spots in the great white north.

Who knows why this is just now making the pages of the Oregonian? Or why at least someone at the Oregonian is following the "paper trail."

Sorry, my html skills failed me. Here is the actual URL to the Canadian story:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2012/11/06/bc-victoria-best-toilet.html