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Monday, December 19, 2011

Transportation TriMet Needs You to Solve Its Problems

Posted by Alex Zielinski on Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 11:29 AM

Aint no thang

TriMet has seen better times. Facing up to $17 million in budget cuts in the upcoming year, it has yet to find a viable solution to keep afloat. But! In a crafty move, TriMet has decided to pass its financial woes onto YOU, dear reader. And the rest of Portland.

Not a far cry from the New York Times' "Budget Puzzle" — in which readers take the nation's budget issues into their own hands — TriMet created a site where the public can slash and burn any TriMet program (or create cruel fare and parking price increases) to their heart's content. From the public's response, TriMet will try to create the most mutually agreed upon answer to their looming problem.

It's like one of those horrible "real life" problems from an Econ final. But, alas, this is real life. Take a swing!

 

Comments (6) RSS

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1
Hmmm...when you said "puzzle," I figured you meant it'd be hard to solve.
Posted by Reymont on December 19, 2011 at 11:49 AM · Report
2
Sooo, it looks like it's basically hiked fares and ending fareless square. Oh, and of course reducing bus service, but that was a given. Heckuva job, Brownie!
Posted by Blabby on December 19, 2011 at 12:13 PM · Report
3
No matter what else you cut, you can only get to 17 million if you hike the fare all the way up.
Posted by Chris Freeman on December 19, 2011 at 2:00 PM · Report
4
Why aren't cutting wages to drivers a given option? Let me guess: Trimet would instill Union wrath?
Posted by ► on December 19, 2011 at 2:18 PM · Report
5
How bout cut management back to 2006 levels?
How bout cut by 20% every single employee making more than $100k?
How bout stop the expansion.
The "tool" is a joke.
Posted by Al M on December 19, 2011 at 2:50 PM · Report
6
Cutting wages is addressed in the FAQ link at the top. It says wages have been frozen for 4 years and they can't cut wages because the employees are unionized and they have to do negotiations first.
The Milwaukie expansion is also addressed in the FAQ. It says the funds have been committed from federal dollars and from other agencies. No Tri-Met funds are being used for it yet.
Read the FAQing FAQ.
Posted by Chris Freeman on December 19, 2011 at 11:47 PM · Report

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