If transit was free, more people would ride it, especially for short trips. This has all sorts of advantages for our community, from less space dedicated to parking lots to less congestion on our streets to air pollution. The value of those benefits can be quantified, and they should be, and published. Then the public can find out that free public transit will reduce the hours spent in congestion X% and reduce asthma related illnesses and deaths Y% and lower our sewer bills $Z, (from dealing with the runoff from parking lots,) and prevent W tons of CO2. And the value of all those things can be added up and people can see that we'd have to raise taxes $A/person/year to have free public transit, and we'll get something like $20*A/person/year in benefits from it...

If our politicians had spines they'd just raise taxes and do it already, but unfortunately, it will probably have to go to the voters.

Hey, I'm Homeless, if transit were FREE I could live on it, sleep in the back of it, buy or steal my meals between bus stops then eat them on the bus throwing my trash on the floor or leaving it in the seat, hassle the transit workers cuz since it, the bus, is now my home, they can't touch me or I'll sue! And the best part, you workers/commuters will pay my way.... He, he, he, Portland Rocks!

If you're homeless how can you afford a computer?

I like this.

An intermediary step would be if you have to stand up (by which I mean if TriMet has not scheduled sufficient buses for a particular time / line) then you ride for free. This would be solid motivation for TriMet managers to shift buses to where the need is greatest.

I bought a car after years of riding the Fessenden bus and standing up 80% of the time.

It's a great idea!

It has NO, NONE, ZILCH, chance of happening!

Maybe these people can get incorporated somehow in the existing structure.

"If you're homeless how can you afford a computer?"

Dude, I found this Laptop on a bus and use Hot Spots... But, before this windfall I used to use the Libraries Public Computer.

BTW, Before I forget, thanks commuters for your Free Money and discards, I gotta go now & pan handle Lunch!

God, I love Portland

You could buy a lot of crack if you sold that computer.

Sir:

Perhaps we can organize a mob to tar and feather Mr. Hanson?

Just a suggestion.

I remain your humble servant,

Jacomus

My apologies.

Mr. Fred Hanson is the general manager of TriMet. His obsession is building a light rail system.

He careth not for the safety or convenience of you, the taxpayer nor you, the TriMet customer.

Again, please forgive my oversight in not explaining who should be tarred, feathered and run out of town on a (light) rail.

Jacomus

The first comment is spot on. Why do people seem to think that the government has any money of their own?

Give 'em a Fareless Square, they take a mile.

The fares aren't the main problem with Tri-Met, although more of a discount for monthly pass users might be good.

The biggest problem with the buses is poor scheduling - how many times do you have to wait and wait, and then two or three of the same bus show up at once?

The basic premise behind the Transit Riders Union is that people are better equipped to tailor a system to their needs than a bureaucracy. We pay for TriMet, yet we have little to no control over its operations. This lack of community power manifests itself in spiraling fares, poorly scheduled buses, excessive capital improvement schedules (that don’t reflect the needs of the system), and an army of expensive and ineffective security guards. To pay for a fareless system, we would like to see the replacement of those security guards with community run mediation teams. They would be trained in de-escalation and non-violent communication. Each security guard costs the city appx. $124,000 a year (based on non-profit estimates for yearly security). Removing that burden from the budget would free up untold cash to be used to cut fares and improve service (and who knows, maybe we could give the drivers a raise.) Money would also be recouped through the removal of the fare collecting machines and the fare inspectors. If the system were run on the basis of rider-driver communication through community assemblies, it would remove the necessity of paying outrageous wages to an executive body. We base our programs on the need for empowerment, and putting a system of transportation back in the hands of the community.
Love,

The Portland Coalition Against Poverty

PDXCAP@gmail.com

make the light rail fareless