Due to the lack of sales tax, I propose funding TriMet through traffic cameras on the Transit Mall and Morrison/Yamhill and on buses. I often eat lunch overlooking the tracks downtown and usually notice at least one car every light cycle driving on the tracks.

For example for a three minute light cycle at one location there would be 20 cars per hour on a track. If they just levied $100 fines for an eight hour period each day this would collect about $5.8 million per year.

MTA is currently using cameras affixed to their buses to enforce bus lanes.
https://www.mobility.siemens.com/us/...-new-york.html

Portland Streetcar takes delivery of first of three LRVs from Brookville.

https://twitter.com/mickjpg/status/1...1MS8a18vQ&s=19

TriMet pilot at Hollywood/NE 42nd Ave looks to improve elevator reliability and curb unwanted behavior

https://news.trimet.org/2023/05/trim...nted-behavior/

...continues at the Oregonian.

^^More ammo for the "build a downtown MAX tunnel" guns. Whatever dispatching/signalling slip-up made the collision possible deserves investigation.

I can at least attest that the shuttle buses worked perfectly fine to bridge the gap that day; I had an appointment near the NE 7th Ave. station, and was encouraged both by the number of people I'd seen riding the MAX, even all the way from/to Beaverton

I too have been heartened by what I've been seeing in terms of ridership. However, I recently took transit to Seattle with my 4 year old, including to and from the Amtrak station via MAX, and that will be the last time I do that with a child. Not only was I concerned with his safety, he was exposed to shouted obscenities and racial slurs I hoped to never expose him to as a child. Same happened in Seattle on the bus. It made me seriously question my parenting. I will of course still use it myself on a weekly basis, but no more trips with kids for me.

If it's any consolation, your kid probably had no idea what he was listening to. I'm sorry you were exposed to it, too. I will say, there was someone drinking on the shuttle bus that replaced the MAX between those stations that day, but he wasn't completely intoxicated, and was actually being very pleasant and funny in a controlled sort of way.

It's worth remembering that not all behaviors that make us uncomfortable are inherently bad, even though some undeniably are. Being a little self-critical about it isn't totally wrong, even if it shouldn't always be necessary.

Links to the January and February Interstate Bridge Replacement Program CAG meetings. The presentations include concepts for the Vancouver Waterfront and Hayden Island MAX stations respectively.