I email to comments@trimet.org rather regularly regarding overcrowding on MAX and have never received a response. Never! I called once and spoke with someone who actually took my comments. I asked about the email address and why I never receive a response and it was that canned answer..."we get so much email, we're overwhelmed." That wasn't really an answer to my question, but it was one of those times when I realized it was a mute discussion.

Trimet doesn't care. That's the point of this whole effort.

I find it strange that during an impending recession when people are in fear of shopping that Tri-Met would limit something that makes shopping downtown so easy. Where's the business community on this? The MAX isn't exactly shipping in panhandlers to downtown, they seem to live down there already, so it can't be that. I think that they're just trying to cash in without making much needed improvements to their already shrinking service.

It seems to me that Tri-met has some major internal issues going on right now and what is happening is that this is filtering down to their public affairs/relations side.

What I don't think they understand is ultimately how disruptive and damming bad public outreach and involvement can be for them in both the short and long term.

I've seen it before - reminds me of the Burnside Bridgehead fiasco at PDC a few years ago when the agency stated they were putting a big box retailer on the eastside of the bridge and that they had already done outreach (when they hadn't). Couple people got demoted and fired over that one.

I give Fred Hanson 3 months tops if he doesn't pull it together.

In addition, here's a little tip. If you want to be heard by tri-met directly by the people who matter there. 1) Show up to their board meetings 2) write each board member individually 3) Call up Fred Hanson and ask to have a meeting with him. Seriously. If enough people do this then it's hard to ignore. Also, get organized. It helps to be associated with a group such as a neighborhood association or form a "concerned citizens for fairless square" or something. It's all about showing tri-met you are serious, ticked off, and organized.

It seems to me that Tri-met has some major internal issues going on right now and what is happening is that this is filtering down to their public affairs/relations side.

What I don't think they understand is ultimately how disruptive and damming bad public outreach and involvement can be for them in both the short and long term.

I've seen it before - reminds me of the Burnside Bridgehead fiasco at PDC a few years ago when the agency stated they were putting a big box retailer on the eastside of the bridge and that they had already done outreach (when they hadn't). Couple people got demoted and fired over that one.

I give Fred Hanson 3 months tops if he doesn't pull it together.

In addition, here's a little tip. If you want to be heard by tri-met directly by the people who matter there. 1) Show up to their board meetings 2) write each board member individually 3) Call up Fred Hanson and ask to have a meeting with him. Seriously. If enough people do this then it's hard to ignore. Also, get organized. It helps to be associated with a group such as a neighborhood association or form a "concerned citizens for fairless square" or something. It's all about showing tri-met you are serious, ticked off, and organized.

I think Trimet is facing pressure to get rid of Fareless Square and doesn't want to, so this process was designed to raise as much public outcry as possible.

SCG - you could be onto something. However, I like to believe they are just clueless when it comes to public involvement.

SCG-
Who is pressuring Trimet to get rid of fareless square?

rico, I don't know who Trimet's financial partners are, or how Fareless Square is structured financially.

Maybe they just want to limit FS hours so that they can justify reallocating "low performing lines," which are determined, in part, by popularity during certain hours of the day.

At any rate, I don't get it. Just about ANY justification for getting rid of FS would be better than the safety argument.(like maybe a cost benefit analysis?)

As an aside, Hansen characterizes the origins of FS simply as a way to help air quality. But if you go back and look at the policies, that was only one reason, first and foremost was promoting transit ridership and allowing easy travel between governmental centers, retail, and hotels.

Did anyone else notice this in the Oregonian's article about the public hearings held by Trimet...?

"Several speakers objected to the hearings' format: The TriMet board did not attend. Speakers stood at a lectern facing a hearings officer and a court reporter TriMet hired to conduct the hearings and transcribe comments for the board."

...the decision makers didn't even show up to hear what people had to say.

Haha. That'll teach me to comment before reading the rest of loads of blog entries you already posted about Trimet not showing up. Thanks for the coverage of the meeting, by the way...it's good to have a play by play when you can't attend in person (had to take the dog to the vet).

I think TriMet's motivations are probably simpler, but if they really are putitng on a bad show to get negative reviews and cancel the performance, it could possibly be a way to say, "See? We tried to do something about safety and security, but the public doesn't want it." But again, I think presuming such strategery on TriMet's part may be thinking more creatively than they have.

Say hello to HUMAN ERROR. Do you really think the "maito" was done on purpose? I'm a Portland lover, lover to the Mercury as well, and am frankly sick and tired of the continual beating on agencies such as TriMet that ULTIMATELY are trying to do good for our community. The people that work at TriMet are like you: they work hard, ARE creative, have sweet, loving families to attend to, AND are subject to making mistakes. I work hard. I AM creative. I have a sweet and loving family that I take care of. I am also the person who, unknowingly and by mistake, WROTE the code for TriMet's Fareless Square website. For the love of God, puh-lease forgive me.

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Anyway, just leaving a friendly comment

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