LAST FALL, TRIMET announced a budget tweak that seriously irked Mayor Sam Adams: Its YouthPass program would be getting the shaft. The program—offering free rides to all Portland Public high schoolers since 2009—was so important to Adams that, after months of fruitless discussions with the transit agency, he took a strident, if symbolic, step: He put all city payments to TriMet on hold.
“I need time strategically to review our relationship,” he wrote in an October 26 email to the city’s chief administrative officer that included the request.
While the order didn’t affect major projects (the first installation of the city’s $30 million contribution to the Milwaukie light rail line doesn’t start until this fall), it sent a clear message about the depths of Adams’ frustration. Shortly after, TriMet agreed to spend $375,000 to extend the program through the end of the current school year.
Emails obtained by the Mercury reveal a relationship between the city and the transit agency that’s been, at times, more tense than either has previously acknowledged. And now, with TriMet looking to pass another tough budget that cuts the youth passes, an additional standoff could be looming.
In a move first reported by the Mercury [“Applying the Brakes,” News, April 19], Adams announced on April 11 that his office and the Portland Bureau of Transportation have been in quiet negotiations with TriMet about restoring the YouthPass program for the 2012-2013 school year as well as planned cuts to the agency’s “free rail zone” downtown.
Historically, the city has been a major source of funding for TriMet, pitching in to cover everything from streetcar maintenance to transit police salaries. Last year’s contributions added up to $1.5 million. But according to interviews with the mayor’s office about the contents of the emails, Adams began to feel that, as a dedicated partner with the transit agency, he deserved TriMet’s financial support on a project he was clearly passionate about.
The $3.5 million YouthPass program had to scramble last fall after it lost a major source of its annual funding: $2.55 million from a state Business Energy Tax Credit. That money’s still missing, and Adams’ office says it’s still not sure where cash for the student pass program will come from. But the mayor is still hoping that TriMet can dig up a considerable amount.
Following Adams’ payment hold order, Catherine Ciarlo, Adams’ top transportation adviser, asked the city’s chief financial officer, Rich Goward, for a breakdown of the city’s TriMet spending. Ciarlo reviewed invoices but found that the city wasn’t actually scheduled to make any payments. “Everything was so intertwined, it didn’t make sense,” says Ciarlo.
More recent emails show the mayor’s office and the city’s financial staff still trying to investigate the financial feasibility of the YouthPass program. One message in particular discussed inviting additional school districts to help shoulder the financial burden. The emails, as well as interviews with Adams’ staffers, also reveal that the mayor would be willing to trade another of his publicly stated priorities—preserving the free rail zone—to maintain the youth passes.
But fiddling with TriMet’s already tight budget may be tricky. “We know the mayor’s very passionate about this,” says TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch. “But we’re facing a major budget shortfall.”
TriMet, which had to close a $12 million deficit, will approve its 2012-2013 budget on June 27—meaning the mayor’s office has little time to negotiate. But “it’s still on the table,” says Fetsch, who wasn’t aware that the city had briefly suspended its payments.
In September, the city’s first payment to TriMet’s Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project is due. Because more money would be at stake—meaning it wouldn’t just be a quiet warning—that could lower the odds that Adams orders another payment suspension. Ciarlo, looking at Adams’ commitment to the YouthPass program and his past actions, said it’s hard to tell what the next few weeks of discussions will hold.
Says Ciarlo: “It’s our priority to work something out.”
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.
Nonsense; Being a lazy dipshit is the key barrier to getting to school. The first week of H.S. I got kicked off the bus for getting in a fight. After that, I walked, bummed a ride with a friend, or rode my bike. Is a major point of instruction in PPS “learned helplessness?”
And, when you see the cheerleaders of this spout vapid nonsense like “equity” and “marginilized groups”, your Bullshit Meter ought to go off the scale. It isn’t the government’s job to make sure life is fair. It isn’t.
It’s just social justice horseshit that doesn’t have the slightest thing to do with running a city.
It would be more work, but I wonder if doing something like requiring students’ jobs, after school centers, etc. to fill out paperwork to get the pass would be of any use. It would mean a bit more work for the students, but it would be more appealing to these students to get a job or to go to after school activities so that they could get a pass. If the transit system is truly lacking (I’m not familiar with the situation enough to know) and the students can’t get to school, wouldn’t a school bus system be cheaper and more effective in getting kids to school than making them ride Tri Met? On top of that, if they need to get to school, why do they need all zone passes? Again, if students are truly trekking across town for school (I don’t know – to one of the fancy schools or something), perhaps it’s just a matter of getting paperwork filled out to request a pass. Then you have more statistical data. Yay!