7. Ticket machines broken in a warm, friendly, modern manner

Brent Barton riding a bike. Thanks for that. Funniest thing I've read all year.

MMMM. Chocolate chip cookies. Hot damn.

Thank God for the Green Line. How else would I get to Clackamas Town Center sans car for the sole purpose of spending my $20 Olive Garden gift card?

Sarah, how long did the ride take?

We all just can't WAIT for the gangster exchange program to start!

You know what would be awesome? Re-opening the 205 bike path to Clackamas. Maybe if the BTA wanted to accomplish something concrete they could get on that.

Blabby - when the line is up and running it's supposed to take 34 minutes from the Rose Quarter to Clackamas. The preview train got pretty behind schedule picking politicians up and making speeches etc. etc. so it took almost an hour from beginning to end.

Rico - the bike path! They opened up a chunk of it yesterday and the rest is supposed to be open in September when the line launches. If that makes you feel any better.

Sarah -

It wasn't just staff in the 2nd car... Congressman Woo was there and a few members of various local city and county governments, and Congressman Blumenauer boarded the 2nd car mid-way through the run. I hope to post video of some brief interviews I did with various folks yesterday and today up at PortlandTransport.com by tomorrow.

Where's a fare inspector when you need one?

I bet nobody paid! They could have written up the whole train.

A load of suits boarded outside my work (at the psu urban plaza stop), and I watched it take off (not that I haven't seen this train going by for the past month). And I wondered, "I wonder if Sarah Mirk is on that?" And she was!

So, when the ped/transit bridge is built, this train will connect to Milwaukie? But it won't be a full loop?

I bet nobody paid! They could have written up the whole train.

Somebody recognized me from the ticket machine video I did (with Matt Davis) awhile back, and jokingly demanded to see my fare. :-)

Sarah - the real question is, did they build the bridge over Foster yet? (i.e. the one for the multi-use path) Tri-Met stated 3 years ago that it would be built as part of the project, and it was dangled like a carrot as payment for closing the path for 2+ years and diverting everyone to 92nd Avenue. Have they built it yet, and will that also open in September? I haven't been out there lately, and assumed that the path was riding over Foster on the light-rail bridge, but if bikeportland.org is correct, that seems to not be the case.

Oregonian article on the reopening of the bike path:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/…

The only winners of this GREEN LINE are the property owners along the line!

Who the hell needs light rail to Clackamas Town Center?

A new website identifies 'consumer-friendly' businesses near every station. Called PortlandLightRail.net, it has 360 degree videos of every station and maps to help riders live, work & play by train.

ROM - the Milwaukie link is different and the two don't connect. That could be a smart idea, though.

Matt - that trail (from Foster to CTC) is going to open in September. Mary Fetsch says that portion COULD open now, but they got stimulus funds to put in lighting, so they're keeping it closed while they put in lights over the summer. "Not sure about opening the portion south of gladstone," write Fetsch.