The cost of the youth pass program is in my opinion highly overstated. Yeah all those passes would cost that much to buy on the open market, but if they don't have free passes a lot of those kids are not going to buy them/ride the bus. Since all the routes will remain the same the cost is actually only the amount of money kids who receive the passes will actually spend on bus tickets, a much lower number. Trimet should acknowledge this, do some due diligence with the city to come up with a more realistic representation of the lost revenue and bargain from there.

Hm. So, the words tweak, Sam Adams, youth, and shaft all appear in the first sentence. Need I say more?

Kudos to Mayor Adams. Trimet has proven time and time again that it is incapable of managing its budget or making decisions in the public's interest. Our taxpayer funded service has been hijacked by a union more interested in paying out its unrealistic pensions and medical benefits, than in carrying out the services it was chartered to provide.

I don't always agree with Mayor Adams (e.g. support of OccupyPDX, cannibalizing the sewer/water budget), but he has shown himself to be an effective politician. He should retweet this article for sure. @MercuryPDX #ballsofsteel

I'm having a hard time understanding the reasoning that teens need free transportation around town.

Sam Adams lied to get elected and has done nothing of value for Portland. He arrogantly sits on his ass in city hall not earning the paycheck, courtesy of the taxpayer, he cashes every month. Anyone gushing over Adams must be mentally ill.

The youth pass is a good concept but there should definitely be a means test applied. HC passes have a minimal cost, so should the student passes.
And I also have a problem with allowing teenagers to use the transit system as a 'hangout'. The passes should be used to get too and from school, not as social club.

As far as the city withholding money from Trimet, I do believe that TriMet pays 2/3 of the cost of that developers dream ride. (the street car) I think TriMet may have some leverage in this case.

Would you get over it already, "badsteed"? YOU have got to be the LAST person in town who still cares about that.

@5- I keep forgetting, Capt. Spaulding, how do you feel about the Mayor? At least, aside from his homosexuality

There seems to be some interest here in learning more about YouthPass and why it makes sense. Portland Afoot has done a fine job exploring the complexities of the YouthPass program which you can find here: http://portlandafoot.org/w/YouthPass.

In short, YouthPass was created by the Multnomah Youth Commission after hearing very clearly from young people that transportation is a key barrier towards getting to school, work and extra curricular activities like tutoring programs, SUN Community Schools, sports, etc. Additionally, the program has a significant positive environmental (fewer buses & cars) and safety impact especially in high school neighborhoods which is how it became funded via the BETC.

Key 2010 student survey stats that might be helpful:
One-quarter of PPS students use their YouthPass to get to work
80% of students use their YouthPass every week. 43.8% of students used TriMet to get to school prior to YouthPass.
45% of students "often" use TriMet to get to after-school activities
YouthPass contributes to greater equity among marginalized groups
YouthPass saves the State of Oregon approximately $1 million annually while providing 24/7 system-wide service!

I think it is fair to ask hard questions about the program given the financial challenges TriMet faces, but I also hope people will consider that with the rising costs of attending school, the environmental impact and greater equity for young people, that YouthPass will be valued and prioritized in our community.

Todd Diskin

Todd, I don't understand your point about passing out free transit to kids ends up saving money for the State of Oregon, let alone Multnomah County.
I remain critical of this program on many levels, especially in light of Tri-Mets current fiscal woes.
And when I was a kid, I had to travel further to school (and teenage work) by foot and bike than almost all these kids here certainly do. OK, I realize the old cliche' - through 3 foot of snow - blah blah blah - but still....

Todd, you work for Mayor Adams, don't you? .
If what I read is true, then you should be forthright and state outright your own bias in this issue before us.
If I'm mistaken, please say so.

"transportation is a key barrier towards getting to school"
what.the.fuck.??

It means the issue of transportation was a key barrier, that is, lack of it.