Portland Transit | TriMet/Mass Transit News - Page 12

der Reisender · #**221** Posted **Aug 12, 2006, 1:05 AM**

yah, i was reading through the TIP last week for fun (hear that TriMet, hire me!) and it was a nice surprise to see them talk about long term considerations for light rail, esp. down along Barbur. as for OC on the yellow line i think they mostly discussed progressive BRT improvements along the corridor, though i can't imagine it wouldnt transition to MAX at some point

on a different note it was nice to see them discussing transit corridor options for damascus. i have been concerned that they wouldnt consider setting aside corridors before development comes, mostly b/c my grandparents are the type of people at the city visioning meetings. it'd be nice if in 30 years when thousands of people live out there a dedicated ROW existed for rail or bus to Clackamas town center and/or Gresham/MAX

pdxstreetcar · #**222** Posted **Aug 12, 2006, 2:03 AM**

early planning for the line to milwaukie begins this fall... it is possible they may decide to go all the way to OC but they will be looking for input on this milwaukie line very soon regarding a variety of issues

Eagle rock · #**223** Posted **Aug 12, 2006, 2:11 AM**

Tri Met really needs to put some more stops in between the Holladay Park station and the Hollywood station to serve the inner east side. I think 28th avenue would be perfect because there is allready a bridge going over I 84. I dont know how complicated the eingenerring would be though.

bvpcvm · #**224** Posted **Aug 12, 2006, 4:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle rock

Tri Met really needs to put some more stops in between the Holladay Park station and the Hollywood station to serve the inner east side. I think 28th avenue would be perfect because there is allready a bridge going over I 84. I dont know how complicated the eingenerring would be though.

This has been discussed in the past... I believe when the first news of talk about the sale of the Albina Fuel property began and a developer was proposing 10-story residential towers on that site, a MAX station at 28th was proposed as well. It would be pretty nice to have a station there, but the downside is that another stop would slow things down more. And, if the streetcar is eventually extended out Broadway to Hollywood, a MAX stop at 28th wouldn't really be necessary.

OutrageousJ · #**225** Posted **Aug 16, 2006, 2:54 AM**

"Where the car is not king"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programme...ht/4794361.stm

BBC gives very friendly look at the Portland transit system and all the alternative available. There's a long video, too, but for some reason I can't find the link.

Pretty cool!

tworivers · #**226** Posted **Aug 16, 2006, 3:27 AM**

Quote:

"Where the car is not king"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programme...ht/4794361.stm

BBC gives very friendly look at the Portland transit system and all the alternative available.

^^^ Excellent link, thanks. And welcome to the forum.

Dougall5505 · #**227** Posted **Aug 21, 2006, 4:20 PM**

on the south waterfront website it was announced that streetcar service to gibbs will start on october 20th
http://www.thesouthwaterfront.com/Index.aspx

zilfondel · #**228** Posted **Aug 21, 2006, 11:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65MAX

I think the term "commuter rail" is a little off-putting to some people because it implies rush hour only service with 30 minute to 1 hour headways. Well of course, they'll never carry very many passengers with that level of frequency.

But if they bump the frequency up to match the Red line, then it's no longer "commuter rail" and more like 'heavy' light rail.

It would indeed be more like the S-Bahn trains in Germany - heavy rail that run from main station to station, which is shared with intercity trains, freights, etc. But with the frequency of a metro - with all the metro standards (level boarding, long trains, standing & seating areas, etc). Also, since the systems are completely grade separated (at least it was in Berlin), the trains - even tho they only go about 30-40 mph, can quickly travel through the densest of districts, quickly cutting commute times down.

zilfondel · #**229** Posted **Aug 24, 2006, 7:41 AM**

So I don't know whether to post this here or not, but what the heck - better late than never.

A couple months ago, probably back in June, I was down in the CEID biking down the bikeway that goes to sellwood, and I noticed they had recently - within a few months - rebuilt the heavy rail line that connects to the train yard in the area to the (I thought) abandoned rail line that goes south and parallels the bikeway. There were also about 10-12 little rail inspection cars that zipped by with flashing lights carrying official-looking people in suits. They looked like they were from the city, but not sure.

Anybody know what this is all about?

pdxstreetcar · #**230** Posted **Aug 24, 2006, 4:24 PM**

Thats still an active rail line, its run by a shortline called the East Portland Traction Company. Looks like they've been doing some work on the tracks, I think I heard several months ago there was a small derailment on the line and this likely has something to do with it.

Those tracks used to go all the way to downtown Oregon City while another branch went out to Gresham and Boring via what is now the Springwater Corridor. The lines seperated in Sellwood at a place called Golf Junction (just north of the Waverly Golf Club). The line between Portland and Oregon City was the first "interurban" (long distance streetcar) line in the world, it shut down for passengers in 1958 and freight service ended about 10 years later. The springwater branch to Gresham stopped carrying passengers in the 1950s and ended freight service around 1990 when it was converted to the bike path (this route was used to deliever the original MAX cars to Gresham). All that remains of this system is the track between OMSI and an industrial area in the Milwaukie/Sellwood area.

More info:
http://craigsrailroadpages.com/ptc/index.htm
http://www.brian894x4.com/OregonPacificRR.html

tworivers · #**231** Posted **Aug 24, 2006, 9:27 PM**

Streetcar survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=419032463557

Dougall5505 · #**232** Posted **Aug 24, 2006, 11:27 PM**

^my only complaint is those annoying yellow strips

pdxman · #**233** Posted **Aug 25, 2006, 9:09 PM**

hey everyone, first timer here...does anyone else think that trimet should have VISIBLE roaming fare-collectors on the max and streetcar? Not to be intimidating but to help and make sure people pay.

zilfondel · #**234** Posted **Aug 25, 2006, 9:49 PM**

Yes, and they might also help with security issues, too. There definitely have been times when I have wanted some security/police officers around to deal with certain obnoxious people.

edgepdx · #**235** Posted **Aug 25, 2006, 11:40 PM**

Armed fare collectors, I'll bet fare collections would go way up.

Welcome pdxman!

MitchE · #**236** Posted **Aug 26, 2006, 2:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdxman

hey everyone, first timer here...does anyone else think that trimet should have VISIBLE roaming fare-collectors on the max and streetcar? Not to be intimidating but to help and make sure people pay.

I'd support it. Does anybody know if Tri-met has any recent numbers on fare evasion. I've heard MAX is around 10%. I bet the streetcar is a lot higher.

Dougall5505 · #**237** Posted **Aug 26, 2006, 2:38 AM**

i'd say it could be about 20% for max just a guess

pdxman · #**238** Posted **Aug 26, 2006, 4:34 AM**

When i've been on the streetcar, most people don't pay, and those who try end up giving up because the machines never work. If a fare collector were aboard that wouldn't happen. It might cost more in the beginning but i think it'd be worth it in the long run. Collections would go up and those "certain obnoxous people" would pay-up or shut up.

Drmyeyes · #**239** Posted **Aug 26, 2006, 6:17 AM**

Conductors. Isn't that what they used to be called? Nice representatives of the transit service that make a positve public relations presence, increase fare payment rate, manage the conduct issue better than the operator survelliance cameras, and more. Better than the nazi fare police that trimet currently uses, though they'd still probably have to use those people in addition to conductors.

Conductors answers the need for employment opportunities too.

Not related really, but as a possible attraction for increased ridership, maybe Trimet could explore the idea of club cars for people needing to make the longer hauls: Hillsboro to the airport, or to Gresham for example. Nice, comfy chairs, maybe set up more like an airline, maybe even drinks.

MarkDaMan · #**240** Posted **Aug 28, 2006, 3:02 PM**

I used to be on the TriMet Transit Security Citizen's Commission. What a joke! A majority of us kept saying more inspectors, more inspectors, and their attitude was, why not a bomb sniffing dog? For how much that dog cost, and than a second 'provided by the Dept of Homeland Security' maintained by TriMet, they could hire two or three more inspectors.

It's not that they don't have inspectors, it is that they use them as a 'visual' deterent by having them stand on various platforms leaning again a rail. I asked why they couldn't be snagging people off the train and the police rep said because they would just get bogged down and unable to watch the trains. It was a bunch of BS and TriMet doesn't seem overly concerned about catching people who escape paying fares because they'd rather think nobody is not paying. Anyway, I grew bored of the spirit of inaction rather quickly and went on with other things.