In Februrary, a US News & World Report article named Portland the nation’s “best city for public transportation", sending TriMet to the printing press to dish out $8,000 on 168 bus and train advertisements boasting this label. While TriMet staff skewed the wording a bit, calling themselves the "#1 Transit", the bright ad was generally honest and uplifting. Recognize 'em?

Turns out, it's completely false. But TriMet isn't to blame. TriMet recently found the updated version of the US News article online, in which they made a jarring correction. Looks like the reporter had misread the data from the National Transit Database when labeling Portland the top dog. In reality, Portland ranks 5th, after giving up the throne to Denver-Aurora, Colorado. Bunk!

So the ads are coming down, reluctantly. I guess pasting a "#5" over the original doesn't do the trick.

TriMet seems to remains upbeat, despite the financial loss in tandem with their fare price boost. “We thought it was an important message to get out — that we were ranked so high,” TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch says, according to the Oregonian. “And number five isn’t bad.”