The SLUT's running empty
Up in Seattle, they're finding out that when you actually charge people money to ride a streetcar, a lot fewer ride. Ironically, they're drawing a big contrast with Portland, where golly, people still ride even though fares are charged. "How does Portland do it?"
| Posted at 12:33 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (10)
Link not working...Too many Hits?
Posted by KISS | January 23, 2008 12:42 PM
It's working for me.
Posted by Jack Bog | January 23, 2008 12:49 PM
It is now for me too.
Posted by KISS | January 23, 2008 2:05 PM
Very interesting...
Love the bit about the novelty wearing off in PDX... so true.
Let Seattle adjust to it. People are slow to change. Who really knows where it will go...but from the looks of it, probably up.
Half the ppl in the streetcar dont even pay.
And why the heck couldnt we have come up with a nifty name like slut?
Like Portland Loving Street Slug - PLUS... still wouldnt be half as cool as slut.
Posted by CPM | January 23, 2008 2:26 PM
OR Portland's Universal Street Slug... 'PUSS'
Posted by CPM | January 23, 2008 2:28 PM
I was in Seattle last night and saw the SLUT go by. There were 4 people on it. They looked content. I could tell because it was going so slowly through all of the other monstrous traffic I was fighting at rush hour. Seattle's a mess.
And I agree: we need to install turnstiles and make people pay in Portland. I think people will ride, but it will be less scary.
Posted by Alan Bluehole | January 23, 2008 5:35 PM
I gotta admit, she's a pretty SLUT. Much nicer than MAX. I also agree that fee enforcement plus random saturation patrols are the only way to make transit in PDX safer. As long as scary people get to abuse MAX, the public will avoid it when possible.
Posted by Pdx632 | January 23, 2008 7:53 PM
Unless a streetcar happens to go by as we are walking downtown- my sweetie and I just keep walking as it usually is much faster on foot! 13-15 minutes between streetcars can be a very very long time to stand in the cold.
Posted by kathe w. | January 24, 2008 7:06 AM
You mean the Streetcar to nowhere?
Posted by artistdogboy | January 24, 2008 1:26 PM
Maybe if the SLUT tried offering free rides downtown, more people would be willing to hop on. Because drunks and crack fiends love a free ride.
Of course, that could raise the cost of providing security, but Portlanders seem to make do. Except for all those high brow types that don't want to hang out with drunks and crack fiends.
Posted by Mister Tee | January 25, 2008 7:16 AM