I heard a bus driver say the other day that Trimet has stopped printing paper schedules, when a passenger requested one.

I've always felt that with a few exceptions, Tri-Met offers TOO MUCH service:

1. Too many stops downtown and in Portland. They could save significant money by stretching the number of stops from every 2 blocks to every three. This country can afford to walk an extra block.
2. Too many buses. I ride the 12 from 5-10 times a week, rush hour, (and not) and it's rarely packed to the brim. Why not push the number of times it stops to 20 minutes. I think 3x an hour 24 hours a day is reasonable for mass transit. This would save hundreds of thousands for all frequent bus lines.
3. Eliminate handicap access. Yep you read me right. Eliminate Handicap access as it delays everyone else's schedules, by up to 10 minutes! I fail to see why Handicap people interrupting hundreds of others is tolerated. Give them a service where they can call for custom pickup, or have special government passes to pay private shuttle companies for pick-up. Everyone wins.
4. Enforce riders exiting the bus from the back. This drives me crazy. People exiting the bus from the front delay the bus precious seconds, for no good reason. Eliminate this inefficient handling of riders.

That little bit about the tax on the end would cost most homeowners about a grand a year. That's $1000 per home in taxes.

An ad hom! I win!

"For some reason I'm guessing you are lying."
You happen to be an investigative writer for the Mercury?

Why not look at a map of Tri Met and pick a popular route?

It now takes me longer to get through downtown than before the bus mall redesign on 2 of the 4 lines I ride.

"Toll the Interstate Bridge and increase top 10% tax rate."
And watch the top 10% income earners leave the city? (witness the brain and monetary drain of New York City and State.) Brilliant! How are you going to fill those empty "condos" in the South Waterfront again? You know, the ones where the empty streetcars ding ding ever so often at a loss each trip?

"Oh and they won't be eliminating that anytime soon, it's called the Federal Disability Act."
Easily offset by federal subsidy in alternative transportation methods. Both trains and handicapped people would get where they want, faster. Or is it more cost effective keeping 35 people waiting for one wheelchair, not to mention all the potentially hundreds of people down the line that will have their schedules impacted?