Rantings of a Trimet Bus Driver-Book 3

ELLEN FOX-OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE

2011-11-08T23:03:00.000-08:00

ELLEN FOX WATCH BLOG(blog not mine)

THE JUDGE RULES IN THE CASE OF ELLEN FOX VS AL M HERE!

ELLEN FOX GOES AFTER KHRIS ALEXANDER HERE

Ellen Fox maintains a slander blog where she puts forward the theory that I am "stalking" her.

The truth of the matter is that she is stalking me. Her blog exists as her personal attack weapon against me since she has been unable to use conventional means to undermine my efforts. Below is the description of my relationship with this very disturbed woman and how it came to pass that she has developed such a obsessiveness about me and my blog.

Ellen Fox and I had been casual friends for over ten years.
On several occasions in past volumes of my Rantings blog I gave her support in other disputes she was having with other people.

Our friendship ended after we had a telephone conversation where she advised me about “Trimet’s dirty tricks” and how they went about “setting up” operators they wanted to get rid of.

At that time it was my standard procedure to tape record all telephone calls. I had taped several conversations with various Trimet management officials and placed them on my blog with no voice distortion. Although several managers were offended by that they were apparently informed by Trimet legal that I was not in violation of any laws.

The conversation I had with Ellen was so intriguing, so beyond what I thought possible of Trimet management, that I placed it on my blog, using my advanced voice distortion software so as to protect Ellen’s identity.
The next day she contacted me in a rage. I took the whole thing down immediately per her request and thought that would be the end of it. Fat chance, I had no idea at that time what type of personality I was dealing with. She stated that even with voice distortion they would know it was her, apparently she was the only person alive that would have that information so it would be traced back to her resulting in retaliation. The whole event had very limited exposure since it was up only one day and the blog was relatively unknown except for a handful of transit bloggers.

That was the end of our friendship, and we never had another personal conversation again. If she had let go of the situation nobody would have ever known about it, but that is not MS Fox style. I became her personal enemy and she has been engaging in a smear campaign against me since.

As she would smear me around the internet I would defend myself of her, sometimes using small pieces of the original conversation. She then got a lawyer who persuaded me to remove all content related to her, I agreed with the following provision, she never mention me again on the internet.

Later in the year there was a controversy at the Powell garage. Attending my very first union meeting I was given a copy of the petition, to my shock and surprise my name was prominently displayed as party to the charges against another. Ellen had listed me as a protagonist in the whole situation. To make long story short things got nasty and finally that whole situation ended, unfavorable for Ellen Fox.

She then decided that she would sue me over the original taping. She wanted $7500. The judge saw no damages other than she was upset and awarded her $100. Unable to accept the judge’s ruling she tried again, this time the case was heard at the PEOPLES COURT, where the full judgment was for the defendant (me).

Unable to accept that ruling either Ellen Fox has continued to engage in a libelous smear campaign against me.

She maintains a "smear blog" which is all about me and how evil I am.

Most of my confidants advise me to ignore her, however one tires of being accused of stalking and menacing for no reason other than revenge.

This is a vicious woman who from my point of view is mentally unstable.

Now you know my side of the story.

BIG DEAL OUT OF MAX LEAVING KID BEHIND

2011-08-07T16:24:00.001-07:00

As you may know, there was a situation on Monday where a man and his son were
separated from each other during a MAX trip, and we are making the video from
the platform and an overview of the situation available to all media. If you
haven't picked up a disk from us, you can get the video here:

Here's the situation: The event with the man, Aaron Bailey, and his young child
(3 years old) happened Monday, November 16, at 8:13 a.m. at SE Main St station,
on the northbound platform. As the boy was getting off the train, he had pushed
the accessible ramp button on the door, causing the door to open, then close
again to deploy the ramp. The door should have reopened. It did not reopen and
the boy and father were separated, the boy on the platform and the father inside
the train. The door and ramp function is still under investigation, but the ramp
deployment process may have been overridden, causing the ramp deployment to be
interrupted.

A woman on the platform is standing by the boy. She pressed the button for the
door but the door didn't open. The dad was inside, pushing the door open button
as well. Other doors on the train opened and closed as normal, finally all
closing and the train left the station. The child was on the platform, the woman
(stranger) staying with him. She remained with the child until dad returned
about seven minutes later on a southbound train from Gateway.

Mr. Bailey reports that he pushed the intercom button inside the train to
contact the operator, with no response. It appears there was a malfunction with
the audio component of the intercom. That issue has been addressed.

While this kind of situation is rare, there are clear protocols for when a
family is separated from each other on our system. The operator is to call our
control center to report what happened. A supervisor is dispatched to the
child's location and stays with the child until he/she can be reunited. The
control center also informs the next train or bus coming to the child's location
to hold there until a supervisor or the guardian arrives. In this situation,
once Mr. Bailey talked with the operator, rail control was called and a
supervisor came to the SE Main St station. Mr. Bailey and his son had already
left.

We've been in contact to Mr. Bailey to apologize for this unfortunate situation
and gave annual passes to he and his wife for their inconvenience.

Bekki Witt, TriMet Public Information Officer

Stories

2011-08-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

by Anne Yeager and KGW.com Staff

Posted on November 20, 2009 at 12:11 PM

Updated today at 3:50 PM

PORTLAND -- A MAX operator was fired Wednesday after the separation of a father from his 3-year-old son at the Main Street platform last week.
TriMet said the operator ignored four calls on the emergency intercom system on November 16, which created a potential danger.

KGW identified the driver as Paul Cooper.
“This operator’s actions were unacceptable,” TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen said. “They also do not represent our 1,300 operators who everyday deliver quality service to thousands of riders.”

Bailey said that the MAX train's door closed before his son, Aiden, could climb aboard.
Bailey was taking his son to Head Start. The Green Line was approaching the Main Street Platform when the doors opened.As Aiden stepped out onto the platform, the doors shut, separating the child from his father.
"I frantically tried to push the open button, but they didn’t open, “ Bailey said.
A Good Samaritan who had been standing on the MAX platform took Aiden by the hand and waited on the bench, according to a statement issued by TriMet on Nov. 20.
Cooper was suspended earlier in the week.
TriMet inspected the intercom system and re-created the incident, determining there was no mechanical malfunction.
In a statment Friday, the Amalgamated Transit Union spokesman Jon Hunt said the agency was too eager to "throw (the) operator under the train.

"Before doing any investigation whatsoever, TriMet managers announce to the press that they intend to discipline the operator of the train. The question everyone should ask is 'why is TriMet management so quick to point the blame away from themselves and onto the operator?'"

Hunt added that MAX operators and passengers complained about malfunctioning communication equipment on the new trains and the manufacturer about these issues but there has been no resolution.

"TriMet managers knew about this problem even before the Green Line to Clackamas was opened to the public.”
Bailey said he pushed the intercom at least 10 times without response. No one answered, he said.
"I had him in my hand ... when he was exiting he pulled the handicap button, “ Bailey explained. "I frantically tried to push the open button, but they didn’t open."
Bailey said he exited the train at the next stop, crossed, and took the first train heading back toward his son.
The boy waited approximately seven minutes with the Good Samaritan, TriMet said.
"We embraced and I cried for a minute and then I hugged her (the Good Samaritan) and we cried for a minute,” Bailey said.
Once the relief passed Bailey became angry with the operator's response and questioned why the train doors had closed on his son, and why the operator did not answer the intercom calls.
Bailey told KGW Wednesday on he was sad that the firing had to happen, but that TriMet had to set a precedent.
"When this all started, I would have been happy with personal apology. With Tri-met’s admission, I hope he’ll (the operator) be held accountable in the future," Bailey said.
Did you see this incident - or do you know how to contact the Good Samaritan who helped? Send us an E-mail
The Baileys received family passes for a year and an apology.
http://www.kgw.com/video/featured-videos/boystrandedontrainplatform-70598347.html

THROUGH THE WONDERS OF TECHNOLOGY

2009-11-30T00:23:00.000-08:00

Here-----> RANTINGS SITE
IS NOW RE-OPENED AND CHECK THERE FOR UPDATES.

RANTINGS BOOK 1 AND BOOK 2 HAVE BEEN COMBINED INTO THE BOOK 1 SITE ONLY

TRYING TO TURN THE PUBLIC AGAINST THE TRANSIT WORKERS

2009-11-29T11:42:00.001-08:00

Click To Play

2009-11-29T09:34:00.000-08:00

BANTA DECISION DUE WEDNESDAY

PUNKRAWKER

2009-11-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

Ride TriMet Line 35 Macadam

Ride on TriMet Line 79

I JUST DRANK 1 GALLON OF THE WATER!

2009-11-28T19:40:00.000-08:00

OREGON CELL PHONE LAW TOOTHLESS, AUDIO/VIDEO NOT INCLUDED

2009-11-28T12:36:00.001-08:00

THE END OF THE SIGN UP

2009-11-28T01:08:00.001-08:00

THE END OF FALL SIGN UP from al m on Vimeo.

2009-11-28T00:35:00.001-08:00

TIGARD CITIZENS WANT ROADS NOT RAIL

2009-11-28T00:22:00.000-08:00

WHO IS CWHEREWETKU

2009-11-27T23:26:00.001-08:00

OREGON CELL PHONE BAN LAW

THIS TRIMET TV PRODUCTION IS PRETTY GOOD

2009-11-27T15:40:00.001-08:00

MORE BOARD DISCUSSION ON THE MAX CALL BOX

2009-11-27T15:24:00.001-08:00

MEANWHILE, THE OTHER GUY THAT GOT SCREWED BY A TRIMET VIDEO CAMERA...

2009-11-27T15:21:00.000-08:00

Mad at the police? Wise to confine your fighting to the courtroom ...

Bean-bag shooting: Portland officer was acting well within the law

FRED TALKS ABOUT THE MAX DEATH AND GAS PRICES

2009-11-27T15:17:00.001-08:00

WATCH OUT TRIMET EMPLOYEES, BE AWARE

2009-11-27T14:05:00.001-08:00

IS THIS GUY HANGING AROUND OR NOT?

2009-11-27T12:37:00.001-08:00

2009-11-27T09:02:00.000-08:00

STRANGE TRIMET ARCHIVES

OUR FRAGILE LIGHT RAIL NETWORK

2009-11-27T09:00:00.001-08:00

Due to a large construction vehicle blocking the tracks at SW Broadway and Morrison, MAX Blue and Red line service is disrupted. Buses are serving stations between SW 3rd Ave/Morrison and PGE Park stations. Riders can expect delays on all service downtown.

COMPLETE NOVEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

2009-11-26T23:52:00.001-08:00

NOVEMBER TRIMET BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING from al m on Vimeo.

TRIMET FINANCIAL REPORT-PT 2 (not good news)

2009-11-26T22:38:00.001-08:00

TRIMET FINANCIAL REPORT-PT 1-(boring)

2009-11-26T22:31:00.001-08:00

FRED GIVES THE COMPANIES SIDE OF THE LITTLE BOY INCIDENT

2009-11-26T19:33:00.001-08:00

TRIMET BUS ACCIDENTS UP 89%???

2009-11-26T18:24:00.001-08:00

FRED TALKS ABOUT CELL PHONE USE AT TRIMET

2009-11-26T16:40:00.001-08:00

2009-11-26T14:58:00.000-08:00

ANOTHER TRANSIT STRIKE

LARGEST BUS TRANSIT SERVICE IN THE COUNTRY

BUS RAPID TRANSIT MAKES IT DEBUT

CONVERSATION WITH VETERAN LIGHT RAIL OPERATOR-part 2 the day of the firing

2009-11-26T14:21:00.000-08:00

I re-created the conversation as best I could from memory:

Veteran max operator when asked if the call boxes could be to blame:

-yea that’s entirely possible, we’ve had nothing but problems with those call boxes”

It was another type 4 malfunction.-

I asked about the lack of mirrors on those type 4’s.

-Yea they are camera’s, and they are another sad story, ½ the time you pull into a platform on a sunny day and you think a fog has just settled in, the view is as thick as pea soup.-

-He watched the video today for the first time, there was quite a gap between when they requested the ramp and when he closed the door. The operator definitely hit the door close button, overriding the ramp request. That is definite because you can see the door closed when all the other doors are still open.-

When asked why he would override it he answered:

-Strictly speculation, if your there at the platform and somebody requests the ramp after you have been sitting there awhile, the chances are good that it is somebody just bumping the button. At the time your getting ready to go you’ll now have to wait for that ramp to cycle, and its going to kill your time right there. If you’ve put a request in for a preempt, you only got one shot at that preempt or you will lose a couple of minutes if you have to wait for it to time out and cycle around and get it back. If somebody at the last minute hits that bridge plate, you’re going to want to close it and go. If you wait you lose your preempt. I’m not saying its right or wrong, it’s just a reason why an operator would do that. It might be a case where he has gates down and a signal, he’s only got 60 seconds before he gets out of there otherwise it could be a 90 second time out before you can get the signal again. In some cases, like Willow Creek, its 45 seconds before that gate will even start to come down. You’re requesting your signal as soon as you pull in because your stuck there for 45 seconds immediately. People don’t think it’s a big deal but two minutes is about your window of opportunity because by the time you get to Old town your gonna be cut off by the green line, or yellow line, whatever, now your gonna be 10 minutes late and you can kiss your schedule goodbye-

I asked if he thought the firing was justified:

-Based on his history, the answer would be yes. If it was just based on this one incident, If he did cancel that call then yes, he should be fired. If he deliberately cancelled the call then yes.

This operator was shocked that somebody would actually cancel a call for help and ignore it.

A road supervisor commented that if he had left the call on and answered it when he got to the next station that would have been acceptable.

The whole incident and who is too blame hinges on weather the call box worked, and if it did indeed, then did this operator INTENTIONALLY cancel the call.

If he actually did that, then the firing is justified. Nobody in the room disagreed.

SUNSET BOB WEIGHS IN

2009-11-26T14:03:00.001-08:00

A CONVERSATION WITH A VETERAN MAX OPERATOR

2009-11-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

I also had a conversation with a veteran max operator tonight. I did my best to re-create the conversation as best I could from memory.

He described the sound you hear when a call comes in from that call box as
“Take a backpack to your ear and rub it around, that’s what you hear”

He also told me that 90% of the calls are just somebody pushing up against the button or a little kid pushing the button , nuisance calls.

5% of the calls are “does this train to me to?????. or how do I get to blah blah blah, etc.

A few calls are “I lost something”.

An occasional call is for medical help, seizure and the like.

Most of the time those calls go directly to 911 rather than the call box.

A big problem with those boxes is they stick way out and they get pushed by accident, 9 out of 10 calls.

The box used to say “for emergency only” but TRIMET wanted people to be able to call the operator for whatever reason, so that creates lots of nuisance calls. Operators used to answer the call box like this “please state the nature of your emergency” but TRIMET wanted people to feel “good” on the train.

When you do answer it you stop watching what you were watching and divert your attention to the box, a major distraction and potential hazard.

On top of all this they have always had problems with those devices; the quality of the communication is very poor.

It seems that this particular operator has not been a star employee; he didn’t go in to details.

BE THERE

2009-11-26T11:56:00.001-08:00

KATU BREAKS THE LAW

2009-11-26T09:26:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 25, 2009, includes my response to lynching

2009-11-26T01:41:00.001-08:00

TRIMET RAIL OPERATOR LYNCHED from al m on Vimeo.

ATU 757 PRESIDENT JON HUNT ON THE FIRING

2009-11-26T00:53:00.000-08:00

Union response
TriMet Management Eager to Throw Operator Under the Train

"Most people hope that they will be treated justly in their workplace," says Jon Hunt, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, Division 757. He is talking about recent events where a three-year old child ended up stranded on the rail platform while his father was still on the train.

Hunt states that he is also the father of a pre-schooler and so can imagine the terror that father must have felt. "I can also understand that people want to hold someone accountable so that this situation never happens again," Hunt says.

"But," Hunt goes on to say, "Here's the problem. Before doing any investigation whatsoever, TriMet managers announce to the press that they intend to discipline the operator of the train. The question everyone should ask is "why is TriMet management so quick to point the blame away from themselves and onto the operator?"

Over the past few days, the Union has conducted its own investigation, talking to mechanics, supervisors and other operators. What it has learned indicates the accusing fingers may be pointing in the wrong direction. The Union has asked for documents that should help it finalize the investigation.

"Our preliminary investigation has shown the following. A test on the train's intercom system the day of the event indicates that the two-way communication system did not work. No alert whatsoever appeared in the operator's cab. The data recorder also shows that every time the passenger frantically pushed the button, the passenger cancelled his prior call. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened. Operators and passengers have been complaining about a number of intermittent problems with the new rail car's communications system. Nothing has been fixed."

"There are numerous other problems with the new rail cars as well. In this case, as in other cases, customers push the button for the disabled ramp and the doors won't open and the operator does not even know the button was pushed because the notice doesn't get through to the cab. Operators and passengers have been complaining about trapped passengers and malfunctioning communication equipment. TriMet management knows this is a problem. They have been communicating with the rail manufacturer about these issues but there has been no resolution.

As a consequence, the child was left alone on the platform. Unfortunately, this is not the only safety issue in the rail system that needs attention," Hunt says.

TriMet managers knew about this problem even before the green line to Clackamas was opened to the public. If they had delayed that opening until the problem was fixed the child would not have been left on the platform. People with disabilities and passengers seeking to leave the train would not find themselves trapped on TriMet trains. And a twenty-year operator, with a wife and children, would not find himself worrying about his family's future this holiday season."

BELIEVE EVERYTHING THE PRESS TELLS YOU!

2009-11-26T00:07:00.000-08:00

2009-11-25T23:59:00.000-08:00

BUS DRIVERS NEED TO ORGANIZE LIKE THE POLICE

LYNCHING COMPLETE

2009-11-25T23:25:00.000-08:00

TriMet fires MAX operator who ignored father's calls for help
BREAKING: Trimet Fires MAX Driver Over "Stranded Boy." | Blogtown ...
TriMet Cans MAX Driver In Toddler Incident (UPDATED with union ...
Comments on TriMet: MAX operator ignored father's emergency calls ...

SUNSET BOB GETS A HANDLE ON THE NEW CELL PHONE RULES

2009-11-25T15:36:00.001-08:00

NEWS REPORTS

2009-11-24T23:50:00.000-08:00

Worried about souring public opinion, TriMet operators says 'walk in my shoes'

Police rally in support of 'beanbag cop'

Identified: Gresham man killed Sunday by downtown-bound train

MAX operator suspended after boy, dad separated

Stranded MAX Boy Media Blitz Comes to a Close

TriMet Identifies Man Struck By MAX Train - Portland News Story ...

Portland TriMet MAX operatorcontributed to 3yearold boy being left ...

Allvoicescom Kid strandings lead Portland's TriMet to inspec

2009-11-24T23:28:00.001-08:00

WHAT A WORLD!

2009-11-24T23:27:00.001-08:00

WHERE'S FRED?

2009-11-24T23:23:00.000-08:00

Light rail and I: a love story 28 years in the making...:-): Come walk in my shoes

2009-11-24T23:13:00.000-08:00

Light rail and I: a love story 28 years in the making...:-): My response to Jospeh Rose of the Oregonian

ANOTHER ANTI TRIMET ARTICLE

2009-11-24T14:39:00.001-08:00

Aiden Bailey learned a painful lesson about buttons last week. TriMet should have learned it, too.

Since Aiden is only 3, his moral of the story may not entirely square with everyone else's version of what happened. But Aiden does know he became separated from his father while getting off a MAX train, when he gave an irresistible button -- for a disabled access ramp -- an exploratory push.

Aiden then darted out a train door and lost his father's hand. The door shut and the train pulled away, with his dad still on board. Neither his frantic father, inside the train, nor a woman outside, were able to open that door.

Luckily for Aiden, his dad and the whole TriMet system, that woman came to Aiden's rescue and waited with him for seven minutes until his father could get back to him.

Afterward, Aiden promised his dad this wouldn't happen again. Nope, because he wouldn't be pushing any more buttons.

The moral of the story for the rest of us is that pushing buttons on a TriMet train may not do you any good. As the train pulled out, Aiden's father again and again pressed the button to activate the emergency intercom and talk to the operator of that train, but never got any response.

On Monday, TriMet ruled out mechanical failure as the cause of what happened, and blamed the train operator for the Bailey family's separation. The operator has been placed on administrative leave, pending the results of an investigation.

That's exactly the right call, but TriMet needs to go further. It needs to re-examine its policies and training and make sure train operators understand that intercoms are not just for decor.

It would be nice to think that what happened to Aiden is an isolated incident. But another father reported a similar incident in September, when he, too, became separated from his children.

Train riders almost never enjoy the friendly give-and-take with their drivers that so many bus riders experience. Yet MAX passengers do trust that an authority figure is close at hand -- a captain of the ship, even if rarely glimpsed.

True, you can ride the train for years without verifying that such a person is on board. But each car does come equipped with four emergency intercoms to communicate -- in theory -- with your operator.

You may never need to push one of those buttons, which are stationed near the car's doors. But when you do push one, because of a rowdy crowd, threatening behavior, medical emergency or other problem, there's no excuse for a driver to tune you out.

For this remote captain to fail to respond in a moment of crisis is terrifying, even if you're not 3 or the parent of a 3-year-old -- even if you're, say, 83.

Vicki Hersen, executive director of Elders in Action, works with transit riders on that end of the age spectrum, sometimes in frail condition. And when they or their caregivers require help on board a MAX train, they're counting on those buttons to work. "It's not used very often," Hersen repeated Monday -- but when it is, the call is urgent.

Aiden Bailey is absolutely correct. This is a button-pushing problem, all right.

It's time for TriMet to push some buttons.

I will bet there is even more to this than has been divulged. Most likely the MAX operators are under extreme pressure from TriMet to keep on schedule, no matter what. To keep expenses down, Tri Met purposely devises schedules using the fewest trains possible to maintain their line. This manifests itself in not providing fudge time to respond to emergencies. So, yes the operator should have responded and should be disiplined, but I believe that TriMet's catch 22 policies are also to blame.

Inappropriate comment? Alert us.

Reply to this comment | Post a new comment

Posted by alyourpalster

November 24, 2009, 11:18AM

OREGONIAN, if your paper was to have any actual creditability at all it would have gathered some facts before making this editorial.

For example, how often do these call boxes get used? Of all the calls how many are legitimate and how many are "crank", I've seen all kinds of stupid people asking stupid questions on those call boxes.

Now you people have just got done lecturing TRIMET BUS DRIVERS about the perils of distracted driving but now you expect the MAX OPERATOR, to divert their attention from the platform leaving a station and deal with whatever is going on in the train?

You want the max operator to stop the train every time somebody calls them?

You really think that is legitimate?

I get this feeling that the Oregonian has an agenda of attempting to make TRIMET employees look bad, could this have anything to do with the working and wage agreement which is forthcoming?

Otherwise the Oregonian would be covering some REAL LEGITIMATE NEWS; like this for example:
REAL MISSING CHILDREN

instead of trying to inflame passions against the transit workers of the greater Portland area.

It seems TRIMET and TRIMET employees are expected to be perfect while the rest of the world can function in its dysfunctional manner with out question!

What's really going on at the OREGONIAN?
It stinks like rotten fish!

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/11/wheres_max_if_you_need_him.html

WORKING AT TRIMET DANGEROUS PROPOSITION IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE-NEWS MEDIA WILL DEMAND YOUR BURNING

2009-11-24T10:05:00.000-08:00

TriMet has put a MAX operator on paid leave pending a disciplinary hearing saying his actions contributed to Aiden Bailey, 3, being separated from his father at a Southeast Portland light-rail stop last week.

On Nov. 16, Aiden stepped off a Green Line train at the Southeast Main Street platform, holding his father's hand, when he accidentally hit the disabled ramp button.

Before Aaron Bailey could follow his son off the train, the doors closed, separating the pair.

Orianne Greene, a 22-year-old Portland State University student, took the boy's hand and waited with Aiden. Bailey returned about seven minutes later on another train.

A security video of the incident aired on national TV, including NBC's "Today" show and "Inside Edition," and quickly spread across the Internet.

TriMet said Monday that a thorough inspection found no problems with the train's doors or emergency intercom system.

According to TriMet spokesman Josh Collins, Aiden likely engaged the disabled ramp moments before the operator pushed a "door close" button in the train's cabin -- a preparation for leaving the station -- over-riding the door from reopening.

At that point, there was not much Bailey could have done, besides jamming his foot in the door, to reach his son, Collins said.

Bailey remained on the train, frantic, as it began to roll away. In a phone interview with The Oregonian Monday he said that that he repeatedly attempted to get the operator's attention via an emergency intercom system on board the train.

Bailey said TriMet's admission confirmed his "suspicions" that the emergency intercom was working that morning.

TriMet initially told The Oregonian that the train's intercom was broken. "We confirmed that there was a malfunction with the audio component of the intercom on this train, and that has been addressed," TriMet spokeswoman Bekki Witt said Friday.

That statement was revised Monday. According to Witt, the operator had claimed he was unaware that the emergency intercom had been pushed, and the agency assumed that a malfunctioning intercom had caused the problem.

But a review of the train's database and tests of the intercom during a re-creation of the incident showed that the intercom was functioning, activating both audible and visual cues in the train's cabin. TriMet now believes the operator ignored those cues, said Mary Fetsch, a TriMet spokeswoman.

"If someone pushed the emergency button four times, and the operator didn't respond, that's very serious," Fetsch said.

Bailey said he could hear the intercom ring twice in the speaker and then "it would go click," as if someone in the train's cab was disengaging the call, he said.

"I'm furious," Bailey said. "Quite honestly, I've never been this angry. The operator could have opened the door and he didn't bother. That was my son."

At the Gateway Transit Center, Bailey said he got the operator's attention and asked why he didn't answer his calls for help. He said the operator just closed the window on him without an answer and the train rolled away.
Motoya Nakamura/The OregonianOrianne Greene
"He's very lucky Orianne that was there," Bailey said of the operator. "I remember the following morning, while boarding the same train, I saw two children in the cab with him. I thought, 'How ironic that he must have children or grandchildren in the cab with him.'"

Witt said only instructors are allowed in the cabins with operators. "We're not supposed to have extra people in the cabin," she said.

Bailey said he initially told TriMet that he would put the incident behind him if he received a face-to-face apology from the driver. "I would have ended it," he said. "I would have shook the gentleman's hand and said, 'We're all good.'"

But TriMet didn't even bother to return his first call about the incident until the local media started asking questions Thursday, he said. The agency has since apologized and given Bailey's family a one-year pass.

Now, Bailey doesn't know what he's going to do. He said he wanted to "reserve comment" on whether he would urge TriMet to fire the operator.

"The reason why I made this public," he said, "was because I felt TriMet needs to be more responsible for its riders."

The operator's name has not been released. TriMet said he will remain on paid administrative leave until a disciplinary hearing Wednesday, when the operator will face a range of disciplinary possibilities, including termination

LETTERS

2009-11-23T23:27:00.000-08:00

GUILTY

2009-11-23T23:18:00.000-08:00

TriMet announced today that it’s placed on paid administrative leave the operator whose actions contributed to the separation of a father from his 3-year-old son at a train station last week.

The Nov. 16 incident, which has earned national attention, occurred after 3-year-old Aiden Bailey hit the ramp button while exiting the train. The doors immediately began to close in order to deploy the ramp for handicap access. And the boy’s father, Aaron Bailey, was forced to let go of his son’s hand as the doors closed.

The doors would have re-opened after the ramp had deployed, but the train operator may have overridden the deployment process, according to TriMet. At any rate, the train departed, leaving the child alone with a stranger, 22-year-old Orianne Greene. She waited with the boy until his father arrived on a returning train seven minutes later.

TriMet, which did not identify the MAX operator, says it will address the issue with the operator at a disciplinary meeting Wednesday morning.

Share and Enjoy:

http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2009/11/23/trimet-operator-at-fault-for-leaving-toddler-at-station/

TriMet has placed the operator of a MAX train on administrative leave for his actions on Nov. 16 that led to a 3-year-old boy being separated from his father on a Southeast Portland light-rail platform.

The boy was reunited within minutes after the father boarded a train headed back to the station. Orianne Green, a 22-year-old nursing student, stayed with the child on the platform until his father returned about seven minutes later.

TriMet said the MAX train operator, who was not identified, was put on administrative leave pending a disciplinary hearing Wednesday morning. TriMet said an investigation found that the operator’s actions contributed to the child’s separation from his father.

According to TriMet, the incident began when Aaron Bailey and his son, Aiden, were riding a Green Line MAX train headed for the Gateway Transit Center. As the train stopped at the Southeast Main Street station, Aiden and his father started to step off, and the child pushed the disabled ramp button. That caused the doors to close before his father could depart the train.

Aaron Bailey said he pushed the intercom button several times to alert the train operator, but the operator did not respond to four calls to stop the train.

At the station, Green saw what happened and shouted through the doors of the departing train that she would stay with the child until the father returned.

TriMet said its investigation found that the doors closed because the disabled ramp was being deployed, and would have reopened, but the operator selected the “door close” button as he prepared to leave the station.

TriMet’s findings follow a thorough inspection of the emergency intercom system and door/ramp operations, review of train performance data and a recreation of the incident.

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=125901865505545300

2009-11-23T13:54:00.000-08:00

MAX DEATH INVESTIGATED

KILLED BY MAX

2009-11-23T00:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.oregonlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2009/11/man_dies_when_hit_by_max_train.html

RIDERSHIP

2009-11-22T23:56:00.000-08:00

Average Weekday Service October 2009

MAX 121,000 36.85%
WES 1,190 0.36% ( a real joke)
BUS 206,110 62.78%

TOTAL 328,300 99.99%

Despite what the TriMet spin machine releases to the media. Bus service vastly overwhelms MAX and WES service. The people have voted, it's a landslide for bus service, so stop cutting it.

2009-11-22T23:05:00.000-08:00

JASON RIDES THE WES TO SALEM

JASON MCHUFF REPORTING NOVEMBER 22

LEFT ON MAX PLATFORM-THE FACTS

2009-11-22T22:48:00.000-08:00

WELL WOULDN'T YA KNOW IT!

2009-11-21T21:31:00.000-08:00

IT'S A SHAME that it has taken accidents, deaths and injuries for the federal government to wake up to the danger posed by inadequate, and in some cases nonexistent, oversight of many or most subway and light-rail systems around the nation. By the same token, it is to the Obama administration's credit that it has begun grappling with this intolerable problem after less than a year in office.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told The Post that his department intends to push legislation that would allow the federal government to provide safety oversight for subways and light rail. The feds already regulate and enforce safety standards for air travel, ports, commuter trains, Amtrak and ferries. The fact that subways and light rail are exempt is due to circumstances and thinking that applied a half-century ago but that have been irrelevant for decades and that make no sense.

Tens of millions of people ride these systems daily, but too often -- Washington's own subway being an egregious example -- oversight falls to poorly staffed, underfunded, ill-equipped state agencies. In Metro's case, its regulatory body, an obscure agency called the Tri-State Oversight Committee, has no office, no staff and no telephones. The Boston Globe reported that in Massachusetts, two or three engineers are in charge of overseeing safety for Boston's transit system, the nation's fifth-busiest, while also examining complaints about tow-truck companies.

Add to that a pattern of chronic underinvestment in the modernization and upkeep of critical infrastructure, plus the reality of budget cuts taking their toll on transit systems, and the result is accidents waiting to happen. The crash in June that killed nine people and injured many more on Metro's Red Line was not only a terrible tragedy, it was also a chilling portent.

The current setup, by which more than two dozen state agencies are in charge of keeping local transit systems safe, is a hodgepodge. Some larger states do a creditable job (California, Pennsylvania, New York); other structures are toothless. The lack of uniform safety rules is worrying: How can transit professionals be taught and trained when there is no nationwide standard?

Setting up effective and muscular oversight may raise questions of cost. Whether federal transportation officials implement a new regulatory regime or simply oversee the work that state agencies are doing, there is a likelihood of mandated repairs and new standards. Some local transit agencies, already strapped for cash, may resist these mandates. They may need federal help to meet these costs. But if those costs are the price of avoiding accidents, they will have to borne -- and better sooner, before more terrible accidents require them.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/trimets_operations_chief_final.html

2009-11-21T21:17:00.000-08:00

TriMet's operations chief finalist for Arizona job

By Scott Learn, The Oregonian

November 19, 2009, 7:00PM

TriMet's operations director, who received a $15,000 retention incentive in January for staying on the job, is one of two finalists to head the light-rail transit agency for the Phoenix area.

Stephen R. Banta, 51, is a candidate to head Phoenix's Metro transit agency, which recently added a 20-mile, $1.4 billion light-rail line and hopes to add another 37 miles of rail or bus rapid transit.

Banta started at TriMet in May 2007. In January, he was paid a $15,000 retention incentive in addition to his $185,283 salary. In March, TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen said the incentive was intended as "a golden handcuff" for Banta, who he said was often approached by other employers.

Two months ago, Banta also proposed a significant management restructuring within his division that he described in a Sept. 30 memo to his managers as "an opportunity to start anew."

"I want to blow up the ship," he wrote, "not just turn it."

Hansen said in a statement Thursday that Banta's "tremendous" amount of operations expertise has been an asset to TriMet, but the agency approves of Banta vying for the high-level Arizona job.

"This type of opportunity does not come around often, and we know that Steve was approached on this and not actively seeking it," Hansen said. "If he is selected for the position, we would miss him, but support him pursing this opportunity."

In light of TriMet budget cuts, 2009 wages are frozen for nonunion employees. But TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said the retention bonus is built into Banta's contract and isn't subject to the wage freeze. Until he's offered a job, she said, the agency "cannot speculate on whether the payment will be made" for 2009.

No formal process has begun on the management restructuring, Fetsch said, adding that TriMet is "holding off on the process at this time."

Hillary Foose, spokeswoman for Phoenix's Metro, said the agency's board interviewed Banta and a second candidate, transit veteran Deborah Wathen Finn, in closed session Wednesday. The board has a regular meeting scheduled for Dec. 9 and may make a hiring decision then, Foose said. No decision is expected this week.

Banta was traveling and could not be reached for comment Thursday. Before coming to TriMet, he was chief operations officer for the Port Authority of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, Pa.

After four years in the Navy, Banta began his transit career in 1986 repairing railcars for San Diego Trolley, moving into operations management in 1989. He has also worked for transit agencies in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Dallas.

-- Scott Learn

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/11/second_parent_tells_story_of_f.html

2009-11-21T20:59:00.000-08:00

By Joseph Rose, The Oregonian

November 21, 2009, 8:37AM

TriMet is inspecting emergency intercom systems and doors on its MAX trains following two incidents in which young children were separated from their parents and left stranded at stations.

Read the full story about TriMet's plans and Aaron Bailey's ordeal after being separated from his son by what appears to be a malfunctioning on one of the new Type 4 trains.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that a parent has notified TriMet about a possible problem with faulty intercoms on its light rail trains.

On Sept. 13, Colin Fogerty called the agency after a closing door separated Colin Fogerty from two of his three children as they tried to get off at the Yellow Line’s Overland stop.

As the train left, Fogerty, a public radio editor with the Northwest News Network, said he started hitting the intercom button to let the operator know that his son, 7, and daughter, 3, were left alone at the last stop.

No one answered, he said.

“It took them two months to get back to me,” Fogerty said. But the TriMet customer service representative “couldn’t tell if they had looked into the intercom problem.”

Although the doors didn't malfunction, Fogarty had ridden the MAX with his kids enough for them to know how quickly to move. "At this stop," he said, "we moved quickly. We did not dilly dally."

Still, the doors closed on him and his second 3-year-old twin before they could get off the train.

While two of his children got off before him, Fogarty was left holding his second 3-year-old twin as the train started to roll again.

Fogarty also complained to TriMet about how the operator reacted when he confronted her about the train leaving the children at the last station. He said she became defensive, saying, "I didn't leave anyone behind."

Fogarty admits he was angry. But when he asked her to call for help, she reportedly told him, "I'm not calling anyone until you stop yelling at me."

TriMet officials did not immediately know Friday if a supervisor had met with the operator to discuss the incident.

Fogarty said he ran about a half mile back down the line, with his 3-year-old in his arms, bouncing on his hip, to find his two other children crying but being comforted by strangers.

FAMOUS PORTLAND BLOGGER JACK BOGDANSKI LECTURES ME

2009-11-21T13:59:00.000-08:00

Famous blogger Jack Bogdanski lectures me.
My post:
"""Blame TRIMET, blame the OPERATOR, blame blame blame. Hey, this is AMERICA, where its always easier to blame someone else than take responsibility. Of course its all the rage to point the finger at the most evil of government agencies, TRIMET, the #1 punching bag for all the anti government lunatics that live in the greater Portland area. The dad is the one that is at fault, how come he wasn't watching out for his son? And from what I understand, he could have stopped the train by pulling the emergency stop control in the glass box, which he did not do. In any event, this is not something that is so unusual, it happens quite often actually, but right about now putting TRIMET in the news guarantees a certain amount of sales and/or readers. Nothing happened, it wasn't news! The only story here is a public interest story on a good Samaritan who took the time to tend to the child."""

Jacks lecture:
"""You've got to be kidding, Al. This was a serious disaster in the making, caused by bad maintenance, operator error, bad equipment design, or all of the above. If you want to marginalize yourself further, just keep shouting about it, but this one isn't going away."""

My response to lecture:
"""
I don't worry about being "marginalized". This was not a big deal, that's my opinion, I think its all hype. I say what I feel, if that leads to marginalization then so be it! (I still think you should run for mayor)"""

~~>And I do think he would be an excellent mayor<~~~

KID LEFT BEHIND, TRIMET GETS BLAMED

2009-11-20T23:30:00.000-08:00

MAX Door Separates Boy, 3, From Dad - Traffic News Story - KPTV ...

Light Rail Train's Door Separates Boy, 3, From Dad

trimet statement regarding MAX incident with boy

http://blip.tv/file/2876224

JOHN HUNT

2009-11-20T00:50:00.001-08:00

MAX PLATFORM ACTION

2009-11-19T23:35:00.001-08:00

STUFF

2009-11-19T23:11:00.001-08:00

Funny comment:
http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/index.ssf/2009/11/oprah_to_end_television_t
alk_s.html#comment-8577061

**Twitter / Sam Grover: Train with mechanical prob ... -
http://twitter.com/samgrover/statuses/5876391279

Twitter / Karel P Kerezman: What? The train ahead of u ... -
http://twitter.com/GreyDuck/statuses/5876165586

Twitter / Merrick Monroe: Some dude in @trimet emplo ... -
http://twitter.com/merrickmonroe/statuses/5872488686

Twitter / Chuck Carroll: Fucking Trimet fair inspec ... -
http://twitter.com/neosapient/statuses/5870987970

**Twitter / Carl Alviani: Just discovered the "Buses ... -
http://twitter.com/CarlAlviani/statuses/5865288958

Twitter / JulieY: #algore compliments @trime ... -
http://twitter.com/JulieY/statuses/5862948438

**Twitter / Joseph Rose: RT @MrMojave: Why does tri ... -
http://twitter.com/pdxcommute/statuses/5833427939

**Twitter / Halley: I'm starting to believe Tr ... -
http://twitter.com/halleyween/statuses/5808355308

(I have this on camera)

Twitter / kiisu d'salyss: the 19 bus driver really h ... -
http://twitter.com/yakvomit/statuses/5782551357

Twitter / Joseph Rose: @markreber Thanks. I was r ... -
http://twitter.com/pdxcommute/statuses/5752689994

(KATU "bad journalism")

Cully neighborhood pushes for improved transit < Daily Journal of Commerce -
http://djcoregon.com/news/2009/11/18/cully-neighborhood-pushes-for-improved-
transit/

BANTA LEAVING?

2009-11-19T22:51:00.001-08:00

By Scott Learn, The Oregonian

November 19, 2009, 7:00PM

Bad idea

2009-11-19T09:28:00.000-08:00

Operator Notice
November 17, 2009
Distributed 11/17/09 by Operations to provide employees with important work-related information.
Please post until 12/31/09 or until an updated notice is provided.
Help customers prepare for winter service change
Where are the schedules?
TriMet recently changed its system for printing and distributing schedules to better
match supply to demand. Since September, we’ve been printing fewer schedules and
focusing on making them available when customers need them most—at the beginning
of the service change. This approach is expected to cut printing costs and paper waste.
For the November 29 service change, we’re only reprinting schedules for Line 35
(adjusted to improve on-time performance) and the lines with two-to-four minute
reductions in off-peak frequency, to help close the budget gap: Lines 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 14,
15, 17, 19, 20, 33, 35, 44, 54/56, 57, 70, 71, 75 and 77.
Here’s how schedule availability works for the November 29 service change:
When & where to
find winter schedules
Nov. 1-
Nov. 21
Nov. 22-
Dec. 14
Dec. 14-
Feb. 27
Onboard 􀀳
Outlets 􀀳 􀀳
trimet.org 􀀳 􀀳 􀀳
For the three weeks just before and after the service change, bus operators can help
make the most of a limited supply of schedules by:
• Placing the correct schedule in the info rack at the beginning of your run
• Removing all schedules from the rack at the end of your run
• Returning them to your pouch, the station agent, or the sorting bin
In mid-December, all the schedules designated for on-board distribution will be gone—
but customers will still have access to schedules. You can recommend that they:
Visit an outlet: Marketing keeps more than 200 outlets stocked with current
schedules throughout the signup. Outlets include libraries, grocery stores, the
TriMet Ticket Office at Pioneer Courthouse Square, and the lobby at Center Street.
A complete list is available on trimet.org/outlets.
Go online: Print a PDF schedule or plan a trip at trimet.org.
Use TransitTracker: Find out when the bus or train is really coming.

2009-11-19T00:48:00.000-08:00

AETHIEST ADS ON THE BUS

NOW THIS IS INNOVATION

2009-11-18T23:29:00.001-08:00

m-ticketing hits the UK Bus route with m-blox and Arriva

Posted by Bena Roberts on Nov 18, 2009 15:09

Tags: m-payments, m-ticketing, mblox, Mobile barcodes, mobile payments

Customers across Arriva's regional bus businesses in England, Scotland and Wales, will be able to buy daily, weekly and four-weekly tickets via their mobile phones following the national launch of Arriva's m-ticketing service on Tuesday, 17 November. This spans 1,000 routes and 4,500 buses.

How?
1) Customers can register online now athttp://www.arrivabus.co.uk/m-ticket . Once registered, the m-ticket application will be sent - free of charge - to their phone.

2) Select and purchase their ticket. Either by credit/debit card or by cash for people who prefer or don't have a credit/debit card. For cash top-ups, customers will need to add Arriva credit to their phone, using the m-ticket application's `Add-cash' option at a PayPoint outlet or Arriva Travel shop.

3) Activate the ticket on the day and time of travel. Their ticket will be displayed on the mobile phone screen and simply needs to be shown it to driver. The ticket runs from the date of first use, not purchase.

mBlox
The service is from Concept Data Technologies and mBlox. The application for the bus service is free to download. Once downloaded tickets are purchased via the app. But the data charge is eaten see here: http://mblox.com/zerodatacharge

What we think?
Travel in the UK is overpriced. M-ticketing is simple and saver tickets offer a 10% discount which is a bonus. I need to understand the zero rate data charge from mBlox but if the data and app are free then this should rock.

I wonder if any additional scanning of the phone is needed?

I am only talking out loud as I am sure there is thick protection glass between the driver and the customer. How long does it take to view the code and the date and all sorts of thing? I love m-ticketing but I hope this won't be an issue with fraud or mobile yoof gone wild or something…

SOME PEOPLE THINK I'M OUT OF CONTROL..CHECK OUT THIS GUY

2009-11-18T23:28:00.000-08:00

MORRISVILLE, Vt. — What possesses a man to steal his ex-employer's bus, take it
for a three-state joy ride and then post a video of the lark on YouTube? "It was
inspired," Jacob Rehm, 38, said outside court Tuesday. "I felt inspired."
The vehicle's owner, Lamoille Valley Transportation, was not amused. Neither
were authorities, who charged Rehm with theft of services, operating a vehicle
without owner consent and trespassing. Neither was a judge, who ordered a
competency evaluation for him.
Rehm, a former bus driver for Lamoille Valley, took the bus from the company's
depot Nov. 2.
Accompanied by friend Natalie Page, 38, he headed south toward Allentown, Pa.,
but turned around somewhere in Connecticut after he realized the $200 worth of
diesel he had bought wouldn't get them to Pennsylvania and back. Police caught
up with him in the northern Vermont town of St. Johnsbury after the company's
owners were told he had been seen driving through a schoolyard waving at
children.
The $583,000 vehicle, which was normally used for New England fall foliage tours
and national park tours, wasn't damaged.
Rehm later posted a four-minute video titled "The Fabulous Bus Ride" on the
video-sharing site. "Vid by Jake 'Rolls Royce' Swift," it says in the opening
credits, which Rehm said Tuesday is his nom de plume.
The video mostly shows the bus parked by a roadside, but Rehm is also seen in
the driver's seat as it travels down a road. A woman sitting in the
otherwise-empty bus is seen hiding herself behind a jacket when the camera turns
to her.
"It was not premeditated," Rehm said after his arraignment Tuesday in Vermont
District Court in Hyde Park. "I did not mean any form of mischief, not at all,
or attention seeking, I didn't even do it for that."
Speaking to reporters in front of the courthouse, Rehm shooed away his lawyer,
public defender Rory Malone, as Malone tried to get him to stop talking to the
press.
Malone wouldn't comment on the case against Rehm.
"At this point, my client has spoken," he said later. "I'm bowing out of it."
Joel Prive, general manager of Lamoille Valley Transportation, said Rehm behaved
erratically but was never involved in an accident or traffic violation during
his three weeks working for the company in 2006. Customers complained about him
acting oddly and out of character from what his bosses expected, though,
according to Prive.
He told his employers he lived with friends, but they learned that he was
actually homeless and living in a car, Prive said.
If convicted on all three charges, Rehm could get 15 years in prison.
"It's not every day that someone documents their crime and posts it on YouTube,"
said prosecutor Todd Shove.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Feds to review BART after discrimination complaint

2009-11-18T23:27:00.000-08:00

Posted: 11/18/2009 10:23:13 AM PST

Updated: 11/18/2009 10:23:15 AM PST

OAKLAND, Calif.—Federal officials plan to review the Bay Area Rapid Transit Agency's compliance with anti-discrimination laws amid criticism that its plan to extend service to Oakland International Airport would not benefit minority commuters.

The Federal Transit Administration's Office of Civil Rights says it will send employees to conduct the civil rights review of BART's service and fares in the next few months.

Officials say in a letter dated Oct. 28 the review was prompted in part by critics of the rail extension. The critics say the $522 million project would help affluent airline travelers.

Opposition groups say the money would be better spent on bus service for low-income and minority Oakland residents.

A BART spokesman says the review is routine.

ERIK HALSTEAD

2009-11-17T10:40:00.001-08:00

Rule changes on TriMet don't make up for safety

By Letters to the editor

November 17, 2009, 4:00AM

TriMet's general manager Fred Hansen has announced a wide-ranging crackdown on TriMet operators using their cell phones while in the course of their duties ("TriMet's chatty bus drivers draw complaints," Nov. 15). In the last six years in which I have ridden TriMet buses on a near-daily basis, I've never seen one of TriMet's professional operators use a cell phone or other device in an inappropriate manner.

Meanwhile, bus passengers experience TriMet's culture of bus safety by boarding overcrowded, crush-load buses. If the bus was a building, it would be closed up by the fire marshal. A fleet of increasingly aging and unreliable buses requires passengers to evacuate and wait for a replacement bus in unsafe locations. TriMet schedules operators in such a way that there little to no break time between long runs. Certainly Hansen has no respect for -- or simply ignores -- the duties of a bus operator during those routes. In this case, Hansen can claim action and blame operators for something that seldom happens, while doing nothing to instill a true culture of safety at TriMet.

ERIK HALSTEAD
Southwest Portland

TRIMET ON TWITTER

2009-11-11T01:19:00.000-08:00

CRANKY BUS DRIVERS
TRIMET DOESN'T CARE
BUS DRIVER WITH DEEP VOICE
MAD WOMAN BUS DRIVER
KICKED OFF MAX
PICTURE

PEGGY HANSON

2009-11-11T00:17:00.001-08:00

FRED ON CELL PHONES

2009-11-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

Distracted driving in the public spotlight
by Fred Hansen, General Manager — last modified Oct 30, 2009 08:38 AM

Media story coming soon on TriMet operators and cell phone use

We are in a period of heightened public awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. The latest research found that a motorist talking on a cell phone is “four times as likely to crash as other drivers” and “as likely to cause an accident as someone with a .08 blood alcohol content.” More and more people—employees, customers, reporters and the public—are speaking up when they see someone using a cell phone while driving. They are concerned for their safety and the safety of others.

The Oregonian is planning to run an article about TriMet operators and cell phone use. Other media attention may follow. In this time of heightened public attention, I want to take this opportunity to restate that TriMet policy prohibits talking or texting while operating a vehicle and conducting TriMet business. The relevant policies include:

HR 206: A cellular phone may never be used when operating a TriMet revenue or non-revenue vehicle, or when operating a personal vehicle in the course and scope of carrying out job duties….If an employee has a TriMet cellular phone and needs to make or accept a call while driving, the employee must pull over or stop the vehicle in a safe location and make or accept the call while the vehicle is stopped.
SOP 81: No audio or video device of any kind including headsets, wireless earpieces, and cellular phones, shall ever be used or visible while you are in the driver’s seat unless you are parked at a layover.
RAIL 8.3.4: Operators shall not use cellular telephones or other communications devices in an operating cab while the train is away from a terminal station, except to contact Control during a radio system failure.

Some transit properties, such as Boston’s, don’t allow frontline employees to carry cell phones at work, even if they’re turned off and off their person. As I said in my interview with The Oregonian, our approach at TriMet is to set a high standard and to put faith in our employees to understand the rules and abide by them. (For a more detailed discussion of this topic in the context of operating a train or bus, please see Steve Banta’s 10/20/09 column on TriNET.) Distracted driving is not worth the risk to the safety of our employees, customers and equipment, as well as that of other people and vehicles on the road.

Thank you. We never compromise safety.

JEFF FRANE MAKES SOME NOTABLE COMMENTS!

2009-10-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

Jeff F Says:

Al: That seems to be a taboo subject! There are never any discussions around the issue of doing something about that ridiculous zone system they have in place here!

Al, there are plenty of discussions on the subject and on fare policy in general. I doubt you could find a single person in the agency that is a fan of the current system, but any solution will probably involve new methods of fare collection.

al: I've been hearing that TRIMET won't even have printed schedules anymore! They expect everybody to get it off the internet!

Not true, Al. The quantity of schedules being printed has been dramatically cut over the last few years with very little complaint from customers. This has not only saved $$$ on printing and distribution costs but on what had been massive amounts of recycling. In the olden days, print runs had no real connection to use; the policy was to saturate the region with schedules regardless of whether or not they were being used. Hundreds of thousands of printed schedules literally never made it onto a rack much less into a customer's hands.

We have to be a lot more efficient and a lot more cost-conscious these days--and it is also a fact that a lot of TriMet's customers no longer need or want printed schedules but instead use the phone or the Internet to get their information (and consequently get more current information).

STEVE BANTA TALKS ABOUT CELL PHONE USEAGE

2009-10-20T15:22:00.000-07:00

Distracted driving is under scrutiny across the country, and here at TriMet.
10/20/09 Texting and talking while driving

Stephen R. Banta, Executive Director Operations

The Oregonian will soon publish an article about TriMet operators and cell phone use. Before it comes out, I want to emphasize a couple of things to employees.

First, I am proud of our professional operators and know that the vast majority do not text or talk on their phones while operating TriMet vehicles. Like many of you, I am frustrated that the actions of a few reflect poorly on so many.

Second, the issue of texting and talking on cell phones while driving has become a major issue in our industry. Over the last year there have been several serious accidents involving transit operators who were distracted using personal mobile devices. In some cities, newspapers and television stations have shown photographs of operators texting and talking on cell phones, and even doing crossword puzzles.

This summer it was reported in the New York Times that motorists talking on a cell phone are "four times as likely to crash as other drivers, and are as likely to cause an accident as someone with a .08 blood alcohol content." Clearly, this is an issue that we all need to take very seriously.

Some transit agencies have instituted zero tolerance regulations, while local, state and federal governments are talking about potential restrictions on texting and talking on cell phones while driving. TriMet has been working with other transit agencies through APTA to develop a set of best practices around this issue. If you are interested in reading the draft recommended practice, it is available on APTA's website at this link: Recommended Practice regarding Employee-Controlled Distractions while Operating a Vehicle on Company Time.

By now, you should all be aware of the policies relevant to this issue:

* SOP 801 Bus Operating Rules:
No audio or video device of any kind including headsets, wireless earpieces, and cellular phones, shall ever be used or visible while you are in the driver’s seat unless you are parked at a layover.
* Rail Transportation Rule Book A 3.4
Operators shall not use cellular telephones or other communications devices in an operating cab while the train is away from a terminal station, except to contact Control during a radio system failure.

I want to emphasize that we will strictly enforce compliance of these rules. This includes the wearing of Bluetooth wireless headsets, whether they are in use or not.

If you choose to text, take or place a call while driving, you are jeopardizing the safety of yourself, your riders, other users of the road and TriMet's equipment. You are also putting your job at risk, and engaging in behavior that reflects poorly on all operators. Please join with me and commit to not talking and texting while driving, and to holding each and every one of us accountable for safe, professional behavior.

------------------------------------------

Do you have thoughts on distracted driving? Send me a message at stevemail@trimet.org.

Do you want to be notified when my column is updated? Send me a note and tell me you want to subscribe. You will receive an email alert when there is a new post available.
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CLASSIC ERK HALSTEAD

2009-10-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

"Each time we add, it makes the whole of the system -- not just the rail side, but the bus side of it -- work better and better."

This is the biggest load of crap I've heard come out of Fred Hansen's mouth.

Tell me how 12 years of disinvestment in the bus system has made the bus system "better and better"...tell me how an increasingly unreliable, aging bus fleet is "better and better"...tell me how overcrowded buses (because TriMet won't purchase high capacity buses) or fewer, less frequent buses (thanks to the elimination of "frequent service") will make the bus system "better and better". Tell me how failing to follow its own guidelines for bus stop improvements makes the bus system "better and better". All Hansen knows is how to spend all of TriMet's money on the MAX system, and he's proven his anti-bus attitude each and every day when orders for new buses get cut back; when bus maintenance gets cut back; when bus service gets cut back - all the while MAX has no problem expanding; all the while TriMet can give free money away to the City of Portland (to subsidize the Streetcar) and to ODOT (to install lights on the I-205 bike path), and continue the utter failure known as WES.

Better and better...maybe if Hansen rode a bus. Oh, wait, I have repeatedly asked him to join me for a bus ride - and each time he declines. Hmmm, I wonder why. Because he doesn't want to see what I see every day - a bus system that is FAILING and that even Cuba can do better at.

REMEMBERING BOOKER

2009-10-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

BEST FARELESS SQUARE NAMES

2009-10-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

“Fairless Square,” in honor of the bus riders who will feel like second-class commuters come January.
“Funky Town.” Come on. It’s got potential. If not funky, things will probably be a bit confusing for tourists.
“The Recession Rubicon.”
“Isn’t Fair Square.”
“Hansen’s Hexagon,” in honor of TriMet head honcho Fred Hansen (plus, the area looks more like a hexagon than a square).

"The Payup Layup."

"Ten Billion Dollar Plaza"

Thug Triangle.

Spare-Change Sector.

Feckless Square

"Yet Another Service Cut"

handouts R us

I ain't paying square

drugs r us

"Fear Zone"

"Low Life Square"

"Crackhead Square"

Single Occupancy Vehicle Trapazoid

Free Rail Zone

Taxpayer is getting screwed zone

"Stolen taxes pay your fare zone"

Hugo Chavez Square?

Drug Access/Free Transit (DAFT)

Free While Urinetown

SATAN'S ALLEY!

Elites Rule Square!

Skid Row?

Murderers' Row?

Light Enforcement Zone

New Economy Zone

Business Killer Zone

Skanky Dirty Wine Line

Central Access Rail Service -- CARS!

Boondoggle area

Hansen's Folly Square ?

Taypayers' Fleeced Square ?

Poor Decision-Making Square ?

Homeless Square.

Lenin Square

Hobo Delight

"Lack of Consistency Square"

Stinky seatmate square.

dirt bag center

Fred Hansen Money Square

John Charles Memorial Square

George Passadore Zone

James Chasse Memorial Square

Caesar Chavez Worshipers Zone

"Spare Some Change?" Zone

Vagrant A-hole Sales Territory (VAST)

Fare That Isn't Fair

Elect the TriMet Board

Piercings & Pitbulls Square

STUFF

2009-10-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

October 12, 2009

TRIMET'S AWARD-WINNING WEBSITE HAS NEW FEATURES AND NEW LOOK

If you’ve visited trimet.org recently, you probably noticed that things look a bit different! TriMet’s Web Team launched a new homepage design that includes a number of improvements that make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. In the next few weeks, the rest of the site will be updated as well. Changes include:

*

Wider pages, allowing more useful content on the screen at one time.

*

The homepage design puts more focus on the Trip Planner.

*

Text is now larger and easier to read.

*

The Search box moved to the top of the page for more visibility and the Email Updates signup box is now available on the homepage.

*

A new “super-footer” makes non-riding content – like Projects, Employer Programs and Developer Resources – more accessible from the homepage.

*

There are now links to TriMet’s social media sites on the footer.

*

For employees, you’ll find a link to TriNET included in the footer.

trimet.org is a key customer information tool for TriMet, with about 650,000 visits and 300,000 trips planned each month. Watch for other new features throughout the site in the coming weeks. Feedback and suggestions can be sent to newdesign@trimet.org.

AND THE WINNERS ARE

Congratulations to the following winners of the Bike Commute Challenge! Golden Saddle Award (top TriMet workplace) – 1st place: Holgate (11.7% of commutes were by bike); 2nd place: Capital Projects (10.5%); and 3rd place: Center Admin (4.7%). Overall top riders – highest percentage of commutes: Jesse Culver, Portland Streetcar (100% - tiebreaker 352 miles); and most miles: Buck Lorts, Capital Projects (435 miles). New participants – highest percentage of commutes: Karl MacNair, Capital Projects (100% - tiebreaker 172 miles); and most miles: Leonard James, Center Transportation (204 miles). Winners receive bike shop gift certificates. A total of 83 employees logged trips during the challenge.

Green Means Go mugGREEN MEANS GO MUGS STILL AVAILABLE
Ceramic mugs commemorating the opening of the MAX Green Line and featuring the artwork from local artist Meredith Dittmar are still available for purchase. Employees can buy the six inch mugs at Center St, Powell Garage, Ruby Junction, Holladay St, Merlo Garage and Elmonica for $5 (cash/check only) and at the TriMet Ticket Office during regular business hours (cash/check/credit/debit accepted) while supplies last. To purchase your Green Means Go mug visit http://trinet.trimet.org/cms/departments/marketing/green-means-go-mugs.

IS IT THE COLD OR FLU

The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but are caused by different viruses. In general, the flu is worse than the common cold with symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness and a dry cough. Colds are usually milder than the flu and you’re more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. For more info on what to watch for, visit the Oregon Department of Health (DHS) website’s section on flu symptoms at http://www.flu.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/acd/flu/h1n1vseasonal.shtml. Up-to-date information on this year’s flu season can be found on the DHS website. Information on flu shots and the H1N1 vaccine for Regence BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser patients can be found by clicking here.

FIND THE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ON CURRENT EVENTS

Check out the Q&A list on TriNET. Questions are answered regularly with the most recently asked question at the top.

SEARCHING FOR BOXES

Document Services provides empty paper boxes as they become available. Boxes are given away to employees on a first-come-first-serve basis. Contact staff at documentservices@trimet.org
to check availability.

TRIMET U CLASSES
Click here for upcoming classes with openings.

October 5, 2009

More than 240,00 people per month ate meals from an emergency food box and 36% of those receiving food are children.

FOOD DRIVE EXTENDED THROUGH MONDAY, OCTOBER 12

Emergency food box distribution is on the rise in our community with families and children facing the greatest need. TriMet has extended the food drive for the Oregon Food Bank to help Oregonians in need. Food collected during food drives remains in the community where it was collected. There will be a barrel or box at each facility through Monday, October 12. Here are some suggested items for the food drive:

* Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon, etc)
* Canned & boxed meals (soup, chili, mac & cheese, etc)
* Peanut butter (no glass jars)
* Canned or dried beans and peas
* Pasta, rice and cereal
* Canned fruits
* 100% fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed)

H1N1 VACCINE STARTS TO ARRIVE IN OREGON THIS WEEK

The first doses of the H1N1 vaccine will be arriving this week in limited supply as a nasal spray. The vaccine, in shot form, is expected to be widely available mid-month. The nasal spray can be used by most healthy people ages 2 to 49, but is not recommended for pregnant women. The State Public Health Division recommends the H1N1 vaccine first be available to these priority groups:

* Children and young adults from 6 months to 24 years
* Pregnant women
* Health care workers and emergency medical responders
* People caring for infants under 6 months of age
* People aged 25-64 with underlying medical conditions (such as asthma, immune-deficiencies, diabetes, etc)
* Frontline law enforcement and public safety workers

The H1N1 vaccine fights only the new flu strain. The vaccine for the seasonal flu is available now and being administered throughout the area. Remember - the best way to protect yourself from either flu is to get vaccinated and you can get the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 flu shot separately or together. On a weekly basis over the course of the flu season, the State Public Health Division expects to receive a total of 2.3 million doses of H1N1 vaccine by the first week of January 2010, enough supply to vaccinate virtually everyone who can receive a vaccine.

For more information on seasonal flu and pandemic H1N1 virus, visit the Oregon Department of Health website. Click here for information on flu shots for Regence BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser patients.

FIND THE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ON CURRENT EVENTS

Check out the Q&A list on TriNET. Questions are answered regularly with the most recently asked question at the top.

TRIMET U CLASSES
Click here for upcoming classes with openings.

==============================================================================

Service Milestones

35 years: Allen Morgan, manager transportation operations training

15 years: Gary Blaser, Janice Jennings, Fred Moreland and Theresa Scott, operators; John Coryell, fare inspector; Ruth Schoon, mini-run operator; Dave White, rail operator; and Daniel Whitney, streetcar operator

Retired
Nels Hansen, helper,
17 years of service

Sam West
rail operator,
11 years of service

Service Milestones

15 years: Mary Priester, manager public art programs

5 years: Ronald Green,
Patrick Hegele and Moulay idrissi Bichr, operators

1 year: Larry Drorbaugh, Michael Johnson, Roger Knowles, Kimberly Ome’y, Robert Souther and Norma Weathersbee, mini-run operators

Retired

Buzz Murray,
bus operator,
30 years of service

Darrell Overlin,
field technician,
30 years of service

Richard Sirianni,
fare inspector,
21 years of service

Paul Surby,
bus operator,
10 years of service

TriMet’s award-winning website has new features and a new look

2009-10-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

’s award-winning website has new features and a new look

If you have visited trimet.org recently, you probably noticed that things look a bit different!

Yesterday, TriMet’s Web Team launched a new homepage design that includes a number of improvements that make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. In the next few weeks, the rest of the site will be updated as well.

http://trimet.org

In addition to a bold new look, here’s what’s changing on trimet.org:

· The new pages are wider, providing more flexibility in page layouts and we can fit more useful content on the screen at one time.

· The homepage design puts more focus on the Trip Planner (what most people come for), and we added prominent buttons for the most popular features, including the new Interactive System Map.

· Text is now larger and easier to read.

· The Search box moved to the top of the page for more visibility, and the Email Updates signup box is now available on the homepage.

· The new navigation menu maintains the site’s 5 familiar sections, while allowing advanced users to click to see more options. This makes it much easier to find a schedule, for example.

· A new “super-footer” makes non-riding content—like Projects, Employer Programs and Developer Resources—more accessible from the homepage.

· There are now links to TriMet’s social media sites in the footer.

· For employees, you’ll find a link to TriNET included in the footer.

This update reflects the agency’s ongoing efforts to enhance the customer experience by improving the delivery of self-service electronic information. trimet.org is a key customer information tool for TriMet, with about 650,000 visits and 300,000 trips planned each month. Recently, a new Interactive Trip Planner/System Map was added to the site, which lets users see their itinerary and other transit information on a map.

TriMet’s Web Team periodically updates the website’s design, code and features to adjust to changes in technology, content and the needs of our users.

In the coming weeks, watch for other new features throughout the site. You are welcome to provide feedback and suggestions for the new site by emailing newdesign@trimet.org.

http://trimet.org

Thank you to the many creative and talented TriMet employees who made this update possible

Service animals and pets on TriMet vehicles

2009-10-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

There have been several incidents recently involving a person with a service animal (a cat) who has been told they are not allowed to ride the system with their animal not in a closed carrier. Remember that animals other than dogs can be trained to provide service to customers with disabilities.

This notice is to remind Operations employees of the existing TriMet policy regarding pets and service animals.

TriMet’s policy:

Service animals are permitted aboard district vehicles so long as:

· the animal is under the control of the person and restrained by leash, harness or other device made for the purpose of controlling the movement of an animal. Animals not under the control of their handler can be denied service (see below).

Pets are only allowed on district vehicles if:

the animal is kept and held at all times within a secure container appropriate and constructed for carrying the size and type of animal; and the animal can be transported without risk of injury to the animal or harm or inconvenience to other riders or District personnel.

Tips for Operators

If a customer is boarding your vehicle with an animal that is not in a container, operators are encouraged to do the following:

Tell the customer that pets on TriMet vehicles must be kept in a container. If the customer has a service animal, they will inform you of this.
If they state it is a service animal, allow the customer to board if their service animal has a leash, harness or other device made for controlling the animal.
Do not ask a person if they have a disability or what their disability is. Do not ask for “proof” of the disability.
You may inform the customer that they are responsible for their animal’s behavior.
You may deny service to an animal that is behaving aggressively toward people or other animals, is disruptive (such as barking uncontrollably), or is not housebroken. However, the customer can ride TriMet service without the animal.

RESOLVED?

2009-10-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

Notification of Issue Registration

Project:	Helpdesk Support
Issue:	Customer Request
Issue Number:	36624

Status:	Resolved		Date:	10/14/2009
Time:	14:18:20		Created By:	Dawn Carder

Description:
Entered on 10/14/2009 at 14:18:20 by Dawn Carder:
Helped Operator with computer problem. I was unable to fix the problem for Al from home. He will have to come to a report area to change password.

Issue Information:

Select Reason for Call:	Other		Rate the Priority:	Normal
Request Received via:	Phone or Walkup

Contact Information:

Logon ID:	MarguliA	Last Name:	Margulies
First Name:	Al	Phone:	home
Email Address:	margulia@tri-met.org	Badge#:	2387
Department:	Bus Transportation: Merlo	Mail Stop:	MT
Company:	Trimet

Vacation holdback will be conducted via TriNET

2009-10-15T23:17:00.000-07:00

Operator Notice

October 12, 2009

Coming this December: Make your vacation holdback request online

This December, bus and rail operators will submit vacation holdback requests by computer. Instead of

turning in a form to a station agent and waiting for results, you will log in to TriNET, see your eligibility,

make your request, and get an immediate response. You’ll need to know your user ID and password to

make a vacation holdback request. Trainers and station management will be contacting operators who

have never logged in, or haven’t logged in recently, to help you.

Besides saving paper and time, this approach is a first step toward giving you easier access to

information about yourself and your work by using the computer. “Operator self-serve” will be phased in

over several years, starting with basics, such as vacation holdback, request to go fulltime, or one-day

signups. Eventually it will cover more complex requests, such as trading work, request slips and even

regular signups.

FAQs: Vacation holdback & TriNET

Will all 2010-11 vacation holdback requests be made on TriNET?

Yes. Trainers and station management will make themselves available to help you successfully submit

your request by computer.

What about vacation signup, vacation relief signup, regular signup, etc?

None of these processes have been moved on to TriNET yet, but that’s the goal. Self-serve vacation

holdback requests are a first step in this direction. Specifically, the next two signups (Winter 2009 and

vacation 2010-11) will be conducted in the Center Street report area, not on the computer. Discussion

with and notification of operators will take place before next steps are taken.

How do I know my user ID and password?

Every TriMet employee has a user ID, even if they’ve never used it. For most employees, your user ID

is the first seven letters of your last name plus the first letter of your first name. If you’ve never logged in

to TriNET, or if your last login was more than three months ago, the Help Desk has set up your CDL

number as your temporary password.

Who can help if I'm having problems with the computer?

Garage trainers and other training supervisors provide operators with work-related computer help. For

example, trainers can help you figure out what your user ID is; log in; choose a new password; and

answer the “password maintenance” questions to help if you forget your password or it expires.

In addition, employees have access to the Help Desk (x5818, 4th floor Center) during their open hours.

Can I use TriNET from home?

Yes, as long as you’ve chosen your own password and answered your password maintenance

questions. There’s one exception: The very first time you log in needs to take place at work, on one of

the computers that requires login (not the “kiosk” computers near the station agent window).

Why do we have to change our passwords every three months?

It’s a requirement for all TriMet employees, and part of how we keep the system secure.

What about privacy?

TriMet restricts access to employee information to those who have a legitimate business need for the

information. The operator self-serve approach expands access by exactly one person: You. Employees

are responsible for keeping their passwords private. Operator self-serve applications, starting with the

vacation holdback request, will have security features, such as requiring you to enter your password

before you submit your request. For more information about privacy (including how public records laws

apply to TriMet’s computer networks), contact IT or your manager.

If I think the information about my timeloss is wrong, what should I do?

As in the past, speak with anyone in station management if you have a question or concern about what

the vacation holdback system says about your timeloss. If your timeloss is reversed, you can log in

again and change your request.

I'm not eligible for (or interested in) vacation holdback. Do I have to start using TriNET?

No, but it’s a good idea to know your user ID and set up your password so you can take advantage of

the other resources on TriNET and be ready when other processes move from paper to computer

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR VACATION HOLDBACK?

Vacation holdback allows operators to take vacation one day at a time instead of by the week.

Earned means you will have earned the weeks sometime during the vacation year (4/4/10-3/30/11).

Chargeable timeloss is measured from 12/1/08 through 11/30/09 and is defined as chargeable

oversleeps, excused and unexcused absences, sick time, and suspensions. Non-chargeable hours

include paid leave, unpaid leave, FMLA, Comp, TDA and light duty. If you hold back vacation time

and don’t use it, it will be paid off at the end of the vacation year. You can’t carry it to the next year.

Fulltime operator Minirun operator

Qualified to hold back 1 week Earned 2 weeks Earned 3 weeks

Qualified to hold back 2 weeks Earned 3 weeks Earned 4 weeks

Chargeable timeloss: Chargeable timeloss:
60 hours or less 38 hours or less

The 2010-11 vacation holdback notice will be issued in late November. You will be able to submit

your request between December 2 and 26. The vacation holdback request program will be

accessible from the homepage, under “TriNET applications.”

-----------text of notice------------------------------

Attached, below and on TriNET is an updated version of yesterday’s Operator Notice about TriNET and vacation holdback. Please discard the earlier version.

The two updates are as follows:

Clarification--privacy of your CDL number: “We chose the CDL because you know it—it’s in your wallet—but other people don’t. The list of CDLs generated for this project is stored in a super-secure part of TriNET’s computer network, and will be destroyed at the end of this project. Only a very limited number of IT employees, approved by the chief technology officer, can view the list of CDLs.”

Correction--unused holdback days: “Minirunners who hold back vacation time and don’t use it will lose it; fulltime operators will have it paid off at the end of the vacation year.”

Station agents, please post this notice and remove the Oct. 12 version.

TRIMET SEXUAL ASSAULT SOLVED

2009-10-15T15:05:00.001-07:00

A 26-year-old man has been arrested in the Oct. 7 sexual assault of a woman who he's accused of following off a Tri-Met bus in Southwest Portland. The man turned himself in to his probation officer about 6:45 p.m. last night.

Joshua James Cox told detectives that he turned himself in because people he knew had told him they recognized him from last week's news stories about the attack. Cox is on probation for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Last week, police released a Tri-Met video camera surveillance image of the suspect boarding the bus along Southwest Fifth Avenue in downtown Portland.

The stranger-to-stranger attack occurred about 12:30 a.m. after the man got off the bus at Southwest Capital Highway and Sunset Boulevard. He followed a woman, who is in her mid- to late 20s, across the street, where he attacked and sexually assaulted her, Detective Mary Wheat said.

The man ran off when another man confronted him, police said.

Cox will be arraigned in court this afternoon. He has prior theft and drug convictions, and addresses in Southeast Portland and along Southwest Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway in Beaverton, court records show.

--Maxine Bernstein
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/man_arrested_in_connection_wit.html

TRIMET RIDERS ABANDON SHIP

2009-10-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

October 12, 2009

September ridership report includes new Green Line

MAX weekly trips increased nearly 12%

With the opening of the MAX Green Line, weekly ridership on MAX has increased nearly 12 percent compared to September 2008. The Green Line also averaged 17,000 weekday trips.

MAX (Sept. 13-30, 2009 figures compared to Sept. 2008)

Weekly MAX trips increased 11.8 percent to 785,000 trips
Weekday MAX trips up 9.8 percent 121,200 trips
Weekend trips up 19.1 percent up 179,000 trips
Rush hour trips increased 6.7 percent to 36,400 trips

MAX Green Line (Sept. 13-30)

Weekday trips totaled 17,000
Weekend trips totaled 31,900

Overall, there were 8.3 million trips on buses, MAX and WES trains in September 2009, a 4 percent decline over September 2008. Ridership is impacted by service cuts that took effect this month, the continued recession, double-digit unemployment and lower gas prices that were at record levels last year.

Bus (figures for entire month)

Weekly bus trips declined 9.5 percent to 1,202,700 trips
Weekday bus trips declined 9.4 percent to 200,700 trips
Weekend bus trips declined 10 percent to 199,200 trips
Rush hour bus trips were down 14.8 percent to 64,700 trips

WES

Weekly WES trips totaled 5,625
Weekday/rush hour trips averaged 1,125 boardings.

TransitTracker

Real time arrival information is available for all 7,100 bus stops and 64 MAX stations. Check TransitTracker online or by calling 503-238-RIDE (7433) and entering the Stop ID number.

COMPLAINT AGAINST TRIMET BECAUSE THEY ARE DEMOCRATS

2009-10-08T23:13:00.000-07:00

Over the summer and last school year I worked in HR in the administrative office of the public transportation agency (called TriMet) in Portland. Probably the most hilarious customer call I ever got went as follows:

Him: "Ok, so this has bothered me for a long time. Every bus driver for TriMet is either a Democrat, or resembles a Democrat [yes, he actually said "resembles"]. I have been tallying this for two years now whenever I ride the bus, and I have not found one Republican yet. Why does TriMet only hire Democrats?"
Me: "We do not make hiring decisions based on political affilia-"
Him: "Look, I'm a Young Republican, I've lived in Portland for 35 years and I deserve better!"
Me: "I'm not sure what to tell you beyond what I already have..."
Him: "Are you a Democrat?"
Me: "I'm unaffil-"
Him: "This is ridiculous, can you put me through to your manager?"

*transfer*

http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?showtopic=69189&st=0&p=1848943&#entry1848943

BUS DRIVER INNOCENT!

2009-10-08T23:11:00.000-07:00

Case Style: Bolek Brant v. Tri-County Metropolitan Transit District of Oregon dba Tri-Met

Case Number: A138202

Judge: Edmonds

Court: Oregon Court of Appeals on appeal from the Circuit court of Multnomah County

Plaintiff's Attorney: J. Randolph Pickett argued the cause for appellant. With him on the briefs were Melissa A. Bobadilla and Pickett Dummigan Aguilar LLP.

Defendant's Attorney: Keith M. Garza argued the cause and filed the brief for respondent.

Description: Plaintiff,(1) a passenger on a bus owned and operated by Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (Tri-Met), brought this negligence action against Tri-Met, alleging that she fell from her seat because of the bus driver's negligent operation of the bus. Tri-Met moved for summary judgment under ORCP 47 on plaintiff's claim, and the trial court granted the motion, reasoning that, although plaintiff presented evidence that the driver had braked suddenly and caused her to fall, she had not presented any evidence that the sudden braking was unreasonable under the circumstances. On appeal, plaintiff contends that a jury could infer that the driver was negligent based solely on the fact that she fell from her seat when the driver suddenly applied his brakes. We affirm.

On January 19, 2006, plaintiff was riding a Tri-Met bus in southwest Portland. During the trip, plaintiff fell from her seat and was injured. After she fell, the driver pulled the bus to the side of the road and obtained from plaintiff a signed "Driver's Exoneration Form" that stated that the driver and Tri-Met "were not at fault in connection with [the] accident."(2) However, a few days after the incident, plaintiff wrote a note in which she indicated that she had fallen because of the "jerky" drive on the bus. She subsequently filed this action, alleging that the bus driver's negligence caused her fall and resulting injuries.

Tri-Met, in turn, took plaintiff's deposition. During the deposition, plaintiff testified that she "was holding on to the handlebar, sitting in the senior seat on the opposite side of the bus where I fell. Suddenly the bus driver hit the brakes. I lost my grip and fell down on the floor." When asked whether the driver caused her to fall, plaintiff responded, "I think so, because he stopped so suddenly and so strong." When asked whether the driver "came to a complete stop and that's when you fell," plaintiff responded, "I think so." Plaintiff did not testify as to why the driver braked or the circumstances surrounding the braking.(3)

Tri-Met then moved for summary judgment on the ground that plaintiff was unable to prove that her fall was the result of the driver's negligence, as distinguished from the ordinary operation of the bus. In the absence of any evidence of the circumstances of the "braking," Tri-Met argued, the jury would be left to speculate whether the actions of the bus driver were "heroic, normal, negligent, or grossly negligent." In that regard, Tri-Met submitted, the facts were indistinguishable from O'Dee v. Tri-County Metropolitan Trans. Dist., 212 Or App 456, 157 P3d 1272 (2007), a case in which we affirmed a grant of summary judgment against a plaintiff who was injured when a bus driver swerved and braked to avoid a bicyclist. In O'Dee, we concluded that the "[p]laintiff was unable to present any facts that by themselves or by their reasonable inferences could cause a reasonable juror to find the bus driver failed to meet the applicable standard of care." Id. at 463.

In response to the summary judgment motion, plaintiff offered her own deposition testimony, the deposition testimony of the driver (who recalled that the bus was traveling "at a pretty constant speed, but I don't recall what that was"), and the video of plaintiff's fall that was captured by Tri-Met cameras onboard the bus. According to plaintiff, the video (which we discuss in detail later in this opinion), shows "that the bus was traveling in a relatively straight direction with no obstacles encountered, that plaintiff was holding onto the railing in the senior seat as she described, and that she suddenly was thrown towards the aisle, and fell." In plaintiff's view, that evidence distinguishes this case from O'Dee, in which the driver swerved to avoid a bicyclist, because nothing in the bus driver's testimony or in the onboard video "would explain and justify the operator's sudden movement of the bus."

The trial court agreed with Tri-Met, concluding that our analysis in O'Dee was controlling:

"Here Plaintiff has not presented any evidence as to why or in what way the alleged braking was unreasonable. In O'Dee the Court of Appeals stated: 'The unknown information is whether the bus driver's reaction to the bicyclist was reasonable.' Id. at 463. Plaintiff does not ask for the application of any res ipsa loquitur doctrine. That being the case, the unknown information is whether the bus driver's reaction to the situation he faced was reasonable. Plaintiff had the burden of producing evidence on that point and she has not done so."

The trial court then entered judgment against plaintiff, which resulted in this appeal.

On appeal, plaintiff renews the argument that she made below as to why the facts of this case are distinguishable from O'Dee. Specifically, plaintiff argues that, when she is given the benefit of all reasonable inferences that may be drawn from the fact that she was thrown from her seat by an unexplained braking, there is a genuine issue of material fact in this case that was not present in O'Dee.(4) Because it is the focus of the parties' arguments, we begin by discussing O'Dee in some detail.

In O'Dee, the plaintiff alleged that she was injured when the Tri-Met bus on which she was riding swerved twice and then braked abruptly. 212 Or App at 458. The facts, stated in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, were as follows:

"On August 15, 2002, plaintiff boarded one of defendant's busses at 74th Avenue and Glisan in Portland, heading toward the city center. Plaintiff recognized the driver because she was a regular passenger and he was the regular driver. As the bus approached plaintiff's stop traveling approximately 10 to 15 miles per hour--a speed that the parties agree was appropriate in the circumstances--plaintiff rose in anticipation of deboarding. The bus suddenly swerved to the left toward oncoming traffic to avoid what was probably a bicyclist entering the street from the sidewalk; as a result, plaintiff was thrown to the floor. As she was picking herself up, the bus swerved again, this time to the right, and came to an abrupt stop. Plaintiff avoided a second fall, but stated that, when the bus swerved the second time, 'I felt like I was separated at the waist, and I felt like something tore in my thigh. And it really hurt.'"

Id. The trial court granted summary judgment on the ground that the plaintiff had failed to produce any evidence from which a jury could have concluded that the bus driver's reaction to someone "rolling" into his path (likely a bicyclist) was unreasonable under the circumstances. We agreed, explaining:

"[T]he bare fact that a bus driver who was approaching an intersection in a busy part of Portland did not anticipate a bicyclist early enough to avoid having to swerve does not mean that the driver was negligent. * * *

"Moreover, because there is no evidence about the location of the bicyclist, his or her speed, the existence of other distractions, the driver's condition, or any other relevant facts, a jury would have no way of knowing whether any reasonable driver would have been able to react in a manner that would not have caused plaintiff to fall. Without any such evidence, a finding that the driver failed to exercise the requisite degree of care would be pure speculation, and, as the Supreme Court has stated, '[i]t is * * * fundamental that negligence cannot be predicated upon mere conjecture, guesswork, or speculation.' Simpson v. Hillman, 163 Or 357, 363, 97 P2d 527 (1940)."

Id. at 461-62 (second omission in O'Dee). We further rejected the plaintiff's contention that the bus driver breached the applicable duty of care when he swerved "back to the right after the initial swerve to the left." Id. at 462. "Given the complete lack of evidence of where other vehicles were located, a juror would have no reason to believe that the driver acted negligently in swerving back to the right to return the bus to the lane in which it had been traveling." Id.

Central to our holding in O'Dee is the applicable legal standard under ORCP 47 C. We explained that, "since the summary judgment standard was amended in 1999, the nonmovant has the burden of offering admissible evidence to create a genuine issue of material fact 'on any issue raised in the motion as to which the adverse party would have the burden of persuasion at trial.'" 212 Or App at 463 (quoting ORCP 47 C). "The onus of evidentiary default in this case therefore falls on plaintiff." Id. at 463. In other words,

"[t]he unknown information is whether the bus driver's reaction to the bicyclist was reasonable. Plaintiff was unable to present any facts that by themselves or by their reasonable inferences could cause a reasonable juror to find the bus driver failed to meet the applicable standard of care. Under the current rules of civil procedure, plaintiff failed to defeat defendant's summary judgment motion."

Id. (emphasis added).

With that background, we return to the issue before us--i.e., whether plaintiff's evidence created a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the bus driver was negligent. As we explained in O'Dee, Tri-Met is a common carrier and therefore "'owes its passengers the highest degree of care and skill practicable for it to exercise.'" 212 Or App at 461 (quoting Simpson v. The Gray Line Co., 226 Or 71, 76, 358 P2d 516 (1961)). The question before us, then, is whether plaintiff presented sufficient evidence at the summary judgment stage for a juror to conclude that Tri-Met's driver failed to exercise the requisite degree of care.

Initially, plaintiff contends that her own testimony--"Suddenly the bus driver hit the brakes. I lost my grip and fell down on the floor"--is all that is necessary "to carry the day and avoid summary judgment." In her view, that testimony alone gives rise to an inference that the driver was not exercising the requisite degree of care, because there were "no circumstances that would exculpate the Tri-Met operator for the method of his driving which caused plaintiff to fall." According to plaintiff, she "is not required to prove a negative, and somehow rule out any non-negligent causes of the conduct at issue."

Plaintiff understates her burden at the summary judgment stage. The question is not whether she disproved non-negligent causes for her injury. Rather, the question is whether plaintiff produced sufficient evidence to allow a jury to find that the driver was negligent. And, for reasons similar to those expressed in O'Dee, the mere fact that plaintiff testified that the driver braked suddenly--so suddenly, in fact, that plaintiff fell from her seat--is not sufficient evidence for a jury to infer that the driver failed to meet the applicable standard of care. Sudden braking by a bus driver may or may not be negligent depending on the circumstances; in the absence of any evidence regarding the circumstances in which the driver braked suddenly, a juror has no basis--other than sheer speculation--to conclude that the driver's conduct was anything less than an exercise of the highest degree of care and skill practicable.(5) Thus, this case, like O'Dee, is not about the strength of any exculpating evidence regarding the driver's conduct; it is about whether plaintiff produced sufficient evidence to make her case that the driver's braking was negligent under the circumstances.

Alternatively, plaintiff argues that the driver's testimony and the video from the onboard camera, together with her testimony, give rise to the inference that the driver suddenly braked when the bus was traveling "in a relatively straight direction with no obstacles encountered[.]" The problem with that argument, however, is that neither the driver's testimony nor the onboard video gives rise to a reasonable inference that the driver braked suddenly, let alone negligently.

During his deposition, the bus driver was asked what the bus was doing at the time plaintiff fell: "Was it going straight? Was it turning? Was it accelerating? Braking? Do you remember?" He responded that, as he recalled, "the bus was on a slight turn to the left" and was traveling at a "pretty constant speed, but I don't recall what that was." His testimony is plainly inconsistent with plaintiff's theory that he was braking; no reasonable juror could rely on his testimony to infer that he suddenly applied the brakes when the bus was traveling at a constant speed and without obstacles.

The footage from the onboard camera is similarly inconsistent with plaintiff's theory that she was injured as the result of a sudden, negligent braking by the bus driver. The video footage shows four separate camera angles, each recording video at a rate of approximately one frame per second:(6) Two of the cameras are angled such that they show the passengers; one camera is angled toward the front door of the bus; and the fourth is aimed outside the bus, showing the road in front of the driver. At the time of plaintiff's fall, the bus appears to be traveling up a hill and turning slightly to the left. In addition to plaintiff, four other passengers are visible on the video from the onboard camera. At or shortly before plaintiff's fall, none of the passengers demonstrates any indication that the bus braked suddenly. From the video footage, plaintiff appears to lose her balance and fall backward as the bus ascends the hill--an image that does not support her testimony that she fell to the floor when the driver suddenly braked. In short, no reasonable juror could find from the evidence that, even if the driver applied his brakes, he did so negligently.

Thus, the record does not contain evidence from which a reasonable trier of fact could conclude that the bus driver failed to exercise the highest degree of skill and care practicable, and "[t]he onus of [that] evidentiary default * * * falls on plaintiff." O'Dee, 212 Or App at 463. We conclude for that reason that the trial court did not err in granting summary judgment in favor of Tri-Met.

ATU NEWS

2009-10-08T11:48:00.001-07:00

Dear al,

The clock is ticking. Every hour, another five people die because they don’t have health insurance.¹

How many more have to die before everyone in America has access to quality, affordable health care?

Too many have died already. We have waited long enough for real health care reform.

Call your members of Congress today toll free and demand that they support real health care reform NOW: 1-877-235-2465

Now is the time for reform. All across the country, as a part of a nationwide call-in day, tens of thousands of activists like you are calling Congress and demanding real health care reform that:

Controls costs.
Holds insurance companies accountable.
Includes a strong public health insurance option to lower costs and make sure everybody can get health care.
Requires employers to pay their fair share.
Does not add taxes or other costs for working families—we’re already paying too much.

Working together, we can make sure everyone in America has access to quality, affordable health care.

Call and tell your senators and representative to support real health care reform:
1-877-235-2465

Insurance company lobbyists and the Chamber of Commerce are doing everything they can to slow down the process and ultimately kill reform. Don’t let them block reform. The time for waiting is done. We want quality and accessible health care for all now.

In solidarity,

Warren S. George

ATU International President

P.S. We voted for change last November. Now it’s time for Congress to deliver real health care reform. Call your senators and representative today: 1-877-235-2465

¹ Study links 45,000 U.S. deaths to lack of insurance

(Reute

TRIMET MAKES VAGUE COMMITMENT TO EXPAND 57 LINE

2009-10-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

TriMet planning test run of extended bus line

By Nick Christensen, The Hillsboro Argus

October 02, 2009, 4:30AM

Transit riders in Forest Grove could soon see increased service — and no, it won’t be in the form of the long-sought light rail line.

TriMet has committed to a test run of an extension of the 57 Tualatin Valley Highway bus line through Forest Grove, once the economy improves and funds are available for the project.

Forest Grove officials have long sought to extend the 57 bus through town, possibly as far as Forest Grove High School in the northwest part of the city. The 57 line runs as far west as B Street before turning east for its return trip to Hillsboro and Beaverton.

Rick Van Beveren, a TriMet board member who represents Washington County at the regional transit agency, said he’s advocated for the test.

“The pilot project gives us the chance to evaluate the local aspirations,” Van Beveren said.

The extended run will need to attract at least 15 passengers per hour to be considered viable. That may not be hard, given the popularity of the 57 bus.

“Line 57 is one of the most successful lines in the system,” Van Beveren said. TriMet said the line averaged 7,930 riders on the average weekday in the summer of 2008.

It may be awhile before the pilot is run, however. TriMet recently cut service on many routes, eliminated some others and decreased the service frequency on its four light rail lines.

“We don’t have the resources to do a pilot until economic conditions allow us to restore service and experiment with a few things we’ve wanted to do,” Van Beveren said.

He said another pilot project under consideration would increase service in north Hillsboro, along the Evergreen Parkway employment corridor.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/hillsboroargus/2009/10/trimet_planning_test_run_of_ex.html

HOW THEY COUNT MAX PASSENGERS-joseph rose

2009-10-07T05:57:00.000-07:00

After this week's Oregonian column breaking down the city of Portland's bike-counting methodology, you'd think the rascally bike-commuting skeptics would finally be convinced that everything's on the up and up.

But no. A couple anonymous callers started my week with rather paranoid rants about how the Obama administration and Mayor Sam Adams are committed to taking us back to the horse-and-buggy era. Horse. Buggy. Yes, those words were used.

Reader Mark Reber wrote to say we should “add 'Cycling Deniers' to the Birthers and Tea Baggers list." I'm starting to think he's right.

Still, I move on – to counting MAX riders.

Two weeks ago, after TriMet announced that there were 17,800 boardings on the Green Line during its first commuting day, a reader wanted to know how the agency counts riders.

We asked TriMet's Mary Fetsch for the “geeky details.” Maybe we were too vague. Instead of hooking us up with someone who could explain the system, she simply e-mailed us a collection of technical manuals about the bug-eyed detectors on many tranis.

Here's one. And another. And one more. And another. And two more that we couldn't open.

Sigh. So much for helping the public understand complicated TriMet issues.

I guess that's our job.

Eventually, we caught up with Steve Callas, manager of Trimet's service and performance analysis team.

TriMet
Callas was happy to talk “APCS” (that's automatic passenger counters). Using infrared and passive technology, these APCS sensors are near the doors of 50 of the system's 127 light rail trains.

The sensors (which detect body heat and motion) count boardings not riders. Because many older trains don't have the technology, Callas said he uses a computerized random sample program to factor all sorts of equations that make our heads spin.

For example, the Blue Line in August had 5,250 weekly train trips. Fifty-six percent of those trains were wired with APCS systems. Using the Monte Carlo sampling model, Callas then uses the computer program to randomly pick 350 trips and runs them through the model 300 times to come up with a mean total.

Voila! On an average week day, the Blue Line had 69,200 average week day boardings.

OK. Got it. We think. (We can see why Fetsch didn't touch this one).

Because the sensors incorporate motion and infrared, which detects body heat, objects such as baby strollers and shopping bags aren't counted, Callas said.

Eventually, as TriMet replaces old trains, every MAX should have APCS, making Callas' job easier and the ridership numbers more precise.

CAT COMMITTEE-june 09

2009-10-07T05:40:00.000-07:00

ATTACHMENT A

MINUTES OF THE
COMMITTEE ON ACCESSIBLE
June 17, 2009
9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
WORLD TRADE CENTER
BUILDING 2, MEZZANINE ROOM 5
25 SW SALMON, PORTLAND, OR

CAT minutes may be obtained in alternate formats by calling TriMet’s
Accessible Transportation Program Administrative Offices: (503) 802-
8200/TTY 802-8058, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm weekdays

Attendees: Jan Campbell, Chair; Trish Baker, Lina Bensel, John Betts,
Stan Lewis, Zoe Presson, Claudia Robertson, Albert Rouse, Terry Watson,
Robert Williams

Staff: Josh Collins, Kathy Miller, Allen Morgan

Guests: Leon Chavarria-Aguilar, Christina Cooper, Marie Katem, Arnold
Panitch, Chris Walker

Jan Campbell, Chair, called the meeting to order.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AND 5-20-09 MINUTES

Jan asked for approval of the agenda.

Trish Baker made a motion to approve the agenda. The motion was
seconded and passed unanimously.

Jan asked for suggestions for the new format of the meeting minutes.
Claudia Robertson mentioned using “follow-up” instead of “action item.”

Jan requested Allen Morgan to follow up to ensure that The Nines hotel is
incorporated in the list of hotels that TriMet sends information to. Allen
asked for additional locations of where information should go.

CAT Meeting Minutes
June 17, 2009
Page 2

Jan inquired if the transit mall shelters were going to have benches. Josh
replied that the current benches are temporary. The permanent seating will
be attached to the windscreens to ensure convenience and accessibility.

Trish Baker made a motion to approve the minutes with the addition
about the transit mall shelter benches. The motion was seconded and
passed unanimously.

ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIR

Jan informed CAT members that Marie Sowers resigned due to health
issues. A card will be sent to her from CAT members.

The CAT will begin a second recruitment process to fill the vacancy.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS

Jan mentioned Ride Connection would like CAT’s endorsement on House
Bill 2069. Claudia reported Special Needs transportation relies almost
solely on the cigarette tax, which is declining, and the House is looking for
an alternative source of income. Elders In Action and the Regional
Transportation Coordinating Commission endorse this decision. CAT is
being asked to write a letter in support of House Bill 2069.

Stan Lewis stated in terms of process he is opposed to a public body
making rush decisions because not all people may understand the pros
and cons of how it could affect the people they represent.

Kathy Miller commented that the request for the CAT’s support should have
directed through staff so that the request could have been addressed in its
entirety and information could have been included in the packet. She
suggested CAT members could send letters of support individuals.

Robert Williams suggested that the CAT send a letter to the TriMet
Government Affairs office to show their support.

Claudia made a motion for CAT to write a letter to the TriMet
Government Affairs Office within TriMet in support of House Bill 2069,
which will direct money to Special Needs transportation. The motion
CAT Meeting Minutes
June 17, 2009
Page 3

was seconded and passed with two abstention (Lina Bensel, Albert
Rouse) and one opposed (Stan Lewis).

STAFF COMMENTS

Josh Collins said CAT members are invited to experience the new
modifications made to the Type IV light rail vehicle on Monday, June 22nd
between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. at the Rose Quarter MAX station.

Stan suggested that it could be best for the agency to arrange for the
vehicle to be studied by individuals representing the ridership who have
experience in future vehicle purchases.

Josh provided an update on the changes to the ADA boundary as a result
of the September 2009 service cuts affecting Line 153. He said LIFT active
customers who now would be outside the boundary would receive a
continuation of service. TriMet is hopeful that the service changes are
temporary and that service might be able to be restored at some future
point.

Robert requested that staff send a letter to the mayor of Oregon City
naming the recipients of continued LIFT service.

Follow-up Item:
1. Josh Collins agreed said a letter would be sent to the mayor of
Oregon City.

Josh stated John Hunt would continue as the president of the ATU.

Josh reviewed the memo from Steve Banta in regards to Ted Newton’s lay-
off from the organization. Steve will update the CAT of any future changes
with ATP.

Kathy announced the CAT luncheon would begin immediately following the
meeting. She added that beginning in July, the CAT Work Session and
Business meetings would be held at the Portland Building.

CAT Meeting Minutes
June 17, 2009
Page 4

PUBLIC COMMENT

Arnold Panitch requested that bus schedules be posted on the mall. A
number of stops do not have schedules.

Follow-up Item:

1. Allen Morgan will follow-up on schedule postings at the stops.

Chris Walker suggested adding some extra time to monthly passes for low-
income people that rely on monthly checks to purchase their new monthly
pass. He also requested TriMet look at doing same day rides for LIFT
passengers.

Follow-up Item:
1. Kathy Miller will forward his comment about the monthly passes
to Marketing staff.
2. Kathy Miller will forward the suggestion about same day rides
for LIFT to Susan Florentino, ATP.

Leon Chavarria-Aguilar commented that it would be helpful to have
brochures that contain maps of the new mall for people to read at their own
leisure.

Leon mentioned that it might be helpful to have a person of ethnicity at the
Northeast Portland TriMet office to make it more appealing for people to
come to confidently seek an answer in their own language.

REVIEW OF CAT ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS STATUS
REPORT – Jan Campbell, Chair

Claudia questioned the list of consumers and representatives on page
three of the CAT actions and recommendations status report. Kathy
clarified that would be changed to “all members and all recommendations.”

The new members have been notified, but reappointment letters have not
been sent out to existing CAT members due to the pending approval of the
CAT Meeting Minutes
June 17, 2009
Page 5

CAT bylaws at the June 24 Board meeting. Term limits will be set based
on the bylaw changes.

New CAT members include:
• Leon Chavarria-Aguilar
• Patricia Kepler
• Arnold Panitch
• Beth Rehm

Jan asked if the CAT had made a formal recommendation about the
eligibility process moving forward.

Follow-up item:

1. Kathy Miller will verify if a recommendation was made in regards to
the eligibility process improvements.

CAT REPORTS – Jan Campbell, Facilitator

CAT Public Work Session – June 2nd, 2009
• Trish mentioned the date for the July meeting should be July 15th, not
July 17th. (pg 6)

Follow-up Item
1. Kathy will correct the date on Page 6 of the June 2nd Public Work
Session minutes to July 15th. The minutes will be approved at the
July 7th Public Work Session.

Terry Watson commented the LIFT performance report statistics on
complaints being down 40 percent is good, and he noticed a reduction in
LIFT ridership. Jan mentioned the drop could be because of the
discontinuation of the transportation contract with Multnomah County, and
the increase in the unemployment rate. Kathy added that there has also
been an increased effort to LIFT applicants of their transportation options in
addition to LIFT.

CAT Meeting Minutes
June 17, 2009
Page 6

PUBLIC COMMENT

Marie Katem recapped a recent appointment for which she had scheduled
a will call for LIFT. The dispatcher had told her that a cab would be sent,
but she had indicated that she had a cart that would not fold up so it would
be best to send a bus. A cab and a bus arrived for her due to
miscommunication. She also expressed interest in becoming more
involved with CAT.

MALL SERVICE UPDATE – Josh Collins, Manager, Communications;
Allen Morgan, Manager, Transportation Operations Training

Josh and Allen provided an update on the mall service.

• Mall bus service began on May 24th.
• MAX operators are in training on the new mall.
• There have been no incidents or accidents between buses, trains, LIFT
vehicles, or cars.
• There have been no incidents of a LIFT operator needing a supervisor to
remain with the vehicle to service a stop on the mall.
• Operators have made exceptionally positive comments about the mall.
• Initial feedback from MAX operators has been that mall operations are
working well throughout the training period.
• The Yellow Line begin service on the mall on August 30th, and the Green
Line begins service on September 12th.
• Shelters are being constructed along the mall.
• There is a concern for cyclist and pedestrian safety on the mall.
Jaywalkers, skateboarders, and cyclists will be fined for unsafe conduct
on the mall.

CAT Comments:
• There is still concern about the distance between bus stops. Once MAX
becomes active on the mall people will have more options to travel to
the next stop.
• A Line 35 stop has been installed at the OHSU parking lot for their
shuttle. Ride Connection would like follow-up on their request for a stop
at 3030 SW Moody Avenue.

CAT Meeting Minutes
June 17, 2009
Page 7

Follow-up Item:
1. Josh Collins will follow up request for a bus stop at 3030 SW
Moody Avenue (Ride Connection location).

OPERATIONS UPDATE – Josh Collins, Manager, Communications

Highlights of the presentation included:

• TriMet is likely to be faced with an additional round of service cuts to be
implemented in late November. There will be another round of public
hearings and open houses and the proposed changes will be outlined in
detail.
• Fareless Square will most likely be included in the changes, but a final
decision has not been made.
• CAT will be notified of the dates for the next open houses as soon as
possible.
• The next round of service adjustments will not include the elimination of
any bus lines.
• Frequent service lines will be adjusted by adding two to five minutes in
the non-peak periods, i.e., if a line runs every 15 minutes, it could be
adjusted to running every 17 minutes.
• Portland Streetcar has also experienced a budget reduction and they
are responsible for determining their service schedules.
• WES service will not be reduced. The ridership is still growing, but is
facing the challenge of significant layoffs in the Wilsonville area.
• Savings are being made by directly reducing the number of service
hours and the number of vehicle hours. TriMet is hopeful that there will
be no lay-offs of any frontline employees. No new operators have been
hired since January.

CAT Comments:
• It was suggested that laminated signs be used at outlying bus stops to
inform customers of route frequency. It can be difficult to know bus
arrival times for hourly service.

CAT Meeting Minutes
June 17, 2009
Page 8

FIXED ROUTE SECUREMENT POLICY – Allen Morgan, manager,
Transportation Operations Training

Allen stated that TriMet has a growing concern regarding safety issues with
non-secured mobility devices. Fred Hansen, General Manager, has asked
CAT to review TriMet’s policy.

Other highlights of the presentation included:

• On January 21, 1999, CAT made a report to TriMet on the securement
policy and a recommendation for optional securement.
• Questions to be considered in the policy review:
o Is a policy mandating four-point securement appropriate or
necessary?
o What is the minimum level of securement that is acceptable?
o Can customers be given more choice in the level of securement
without increased risk of injury?
o Should bus operators continue to be vested with the
responsibility for decisions on whether or not to provide service
when passengers refuse securement?
• There have been changes in equipment, newer buses, and securement
systems.
• A panel investigates accident reviews and decides if an accident is
chargeable to the operator. Many of the accidents where passengers
fell were from mobility devices falling over.
• The training department has strong concerns about securement and
would like to discuss recommendations.

CAT Comments:
• CAT members interested in subcommittee participation should inform
staff at the next work session.
• Materials should be sent in advance to the CAT to allow for review.
• There is a concern that there are mobility devices, especially scooters,
that may be unable to be secured safely.
• It was suggested that the fixed route securement policy be consistent
with LIFT’s policy.
CAT Meeting Minutes
June 17, 2009
Page 9

• Some customers may be concerned about operators invading their
space when securing a mobility device.
• Health issues due to the cleanliness of mobility devices may be a
concern when providing securement.

Follow-up item:

1. Allen Morgan proposed forming a subcommittee to review the
fixed route securement policy. Members would review current
ADA regulations and guidelines in regards to the issue, compare
them to TriMet’s current policy, and bring recommendations back
to the full CAT for action.

CAT General Comments

• Schedules should continue to be posted in fixed route stations since
some do not have cell phones to check Transit Tracker. If the headway
were 30 minutes or more between buses, it would be best to have a full
scheduled posted instead of only service intervals.
• There are concerns about possible service adjustments for the LIFT
program. While there has not been a proposal made at this time, CAT
should be prepared for adjustments to LIFT as well as fixed route.

Jan thanked all departing CAT members for their service to CAT.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at approximately 11:45 a.m.

THE GENERAL MANAGER GIVES HIS YEARLY AWARDS-mispelling due to adobe to word conversion

2009-10-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

Generral Manaager’s Awwards 2009

Communnication Awaards

Diane Gooodwin, project communication manager
Diane and her team ffinesse a maassive and evver-changingg workload, which mustt often turn oon a
dime to aaccommodate urgent, laast minute reequests for meetings, mmaterials andd tours for
stakeholdders from arround the reegion, the coountry and inndeed the wworld. Despitte an alreadyy
dauntingg workload, sshe has cheeerfully takenn on additionnal responsibbilities with the stimuluss
projects package andd the producction of two major rail oopenings, Fammily Day andd countless
smaller eevents withinn one year. DDiane is alsoo an effectivee and efficieent managerr and inspire s a
high leveel of confidennce and con nection withhin her teamm. In short, DDiane makess us all look ggood.

Steve Kautz, service programs mmanager
Steve is aan excellent all-around ccommunicattor. He is orgganized, cleaar and tactfuul, and alwayys
keeps thee big picturee in mind. Hiis General MManager’s awward recogniizes a speciaal assignmennt
that invoolved much mmore listeninng than speaaking. Steve managed a significant sshare of the
public ouutreach for the recent seervice changges includingg acting as thhe hearings oofficer wherre he
was gracious, kind, ddignified andd unflappablee. He was tr uly remarkable to watchh and he
represennted the age ncy’s values to our public during a tough periodd.

Juli Natioons, dispatchher
Juli starteed as a mini run operatoor in 2001 annd became aa dispatcher in 2007. Whhen new
operatorrs visit Ruby Junction to see how Disspatch workss, they oftenn ask to meeet Juli—because
they’ve aalready noticced her professional andd positive tone, on the raadio and thee BDS. Juli is
calm in eemergency s ituations and is there when neededd. She makess sacrifices too ensure shifts
are covered. Her cowworkers say sshe’s an insppiration to eeveryone aroound her.

Dave Terrtadian, engineer V
Most reccently Dave sserved as th e Resident EEngineer for the CM/GC contract forr WES. WES was
faced witth a much-exxtended devvelopment pperiod and an extraordinnary numberr of late desiign
changes. Dave rose tto these challenges. Throoughout thee whole consstruction perriod,
he held ttogether his field team: TTriMet staff,, key jurisdicctional reps, railroad ins pectors and
contractoors, all of whhom were eaager to buildd, but faced numerous ddesign changges. It requirred
extraordinary communication skkills to hold tthe project ttogether.

Customer Service Awards

Bethany Berson, on street assistant
Bethany has worked in the on-street customer service program since March 2007. Whether
during planned or unplanned service disruptions, Bethany demonstrates the highest level of
dedication and professionalism. She’s made several improvements to the scheduling and
inventory control systems for the special events and Ride Guide program. She partners with
Operations to gain valuable feedback on disruptions to then make improvements for the next
time. Bethany also brings a sense of fun to her work, which many of us witnessed last fall when
she wore her finest cowgirl outfit to the Rodeo.

Kurtis McCoy, maintenance systems analyst
Kurtis, as the analyst assigned to Bus and Rail Maintenance, is always responsive to his internal
customers. He provides quality analysis in a very timely manner to more effectively monitor
current maintenance programs or develop new strategies. He is always looking for new ways to
support bus maintenance through his analytical skills.

Catherine McLendon, mini-run Operator

Catherine has a steady stream of commendations, including a customer earlier this year who
rides Catherine’s 5:30 a.m. Line 92. The customer wrote, “myself and my fellow passengers
think the world of Catherine, our driver. She is kind, caring and a bright spot on cold dark
mornings. She is also a wonderful driver: Very smooth and a really good temper.” Catherine
also has a real knack for dealing with difficult situations. One customer wrote last year, “I was
on the bus and there were 4 kids who were loud, bothering other passengers. The driver did
everything she could to take control of the situation. When those kids got off the bus, we all
clapped."

Chris Tucker, customer service manager
Last November, TriMet introduced a new style of ticket that is larger, easier to read, less likely
to jam the farebox and harder to counterfeit. Launching the universal ticket required extensive
communication with our ticket printing vendor as well as with internal partners in Marketing,
Creative Services, Accounting, Operations, Procurement and the TVM group. Chris was
instrumental in developing a communication plan and matrix for internal partners so all could
track the timeline and key assignments of the project. And Chris’s work was crucial in the recent
effort to identify more effective ways to use customer feedback.

Payroll Team: Linda Elliott, Shawna Huffman, Lonnie Jones, Young Sheibani, James Yazzolino

All of us are grateful customers of the Payroll Team. This small group keeps an essential
organizational function moving smoothly, and they prevent problems before they start. In some
organizations, contacting Payroll might mean subjecting yourself to rigidity and bureaucratic
delays. But here at TriMet, you know that you will get a response that is prompt, friendly and
reliable. This award celebrates Linda, Shawna, Lonnie, Young and James for setting a high
standard for internal customer service.

Partnership Development Awards

Jared Anderson, administration coordinator
A year ago October 8, Jared stepped in to a position held by a Government Affairs veteran.
Since then, he has established his own excellent working relationships with people throughout
TriMet as well as stakeholders from our many government partners. Jared’s skill and dedication
resulted in a smooth transition from one administration coordinator to another. Specifically,
this award recognizes Jared’s work with our regional partners to produce the JPACT
Authorization and Appropriations materials. These are used by our federal elected officials in
their discussions of the transportation priorities identified by the region. Thanks to Jared, these
important resources are in tip-top shape.

Tom Strader, marketing analyst
Tom has been called upon to provide staff support for two major projects this year– the
Portland Public Schools pass program and the changes to Fareless Square. In both cases, Tom
has exceeded expectations in performing analysis, working with partners, writing papers and
filing applications. His work is always excellent. In addition he continued his outstanding work
on other projects including changes to the Lloyd District pass program, updates to the Universal
Pass Program, implementation of the PGE Park fare program and fare policy.

Promoting Diversity Award

Angela Faison, mini-run operator
As she approaches her second anniversary at TriMet, Angela has already made a name for
herself as an all-around strong employee and specifically for her dedication to serving
Spanish-speaking customers with limited English proficiency. She has taught herself enough
Spanish to provide basic customer information, especially stop announcements, in that
language. One customer recently said, “Besides being friendly & very accommodating of her
passengers, she calls out all the stops in both English & Spanish which I think is awesome.
Don't let this one get away.”

Productivity Improvement Awards

Steve Berge , bus mechanic
Steve is both steadfast and innovative. He has a wide knowledge base that serves him well and
allows him to fill in as an assistant supervisor when needed. As his manager says, “He’s the
man.” Today we are honoring Steve for his work as the leader of a PIP group that has found a
way to reduce the cost of transmission maintenance. After two years of testing, the group
determined that a different kind of pressure plates and friction disks could be used in our Voith
transmissions. A contract was recently awarded for these parts, which are made in the U.S. This
change is expected to save TriMet about $130,000 in the first year.

Craig Catalda, LRV mechanic
Craig started at TriMet as a helper in 1998 and is now an LRV mechanic. His manager says, “If
you look around Ruby and see all of the things that have gotten more organized and more
efficient, Craig is the go-to guy for that. He’s the backbone of Ruby. If we had 20 guys like him,
we’d never have a broken car around here.” Craig’s record shows that being organized helps in
emergencies, as well as day-to-day in the shop. A couple of years ago, Craig and a coworker
were able to coordinate with the police and fire to get the train lifted in about three minutes
from a woman who was trapped under it. His quick thinking and instinct to get things done was
invaluable in this emergency situation.

Jeremy Ferguson, IDP coordinator
For his leadership of the IDP team in implementing: nine consecutive service changes prior to
the actual date; a plan to reduce schedule outlets by half along with the reduction of printed
schedules on trains/buses, resulting in nearly a $30,000 savings in printed materials; efficiencies
in the customer info process to reduce time and cost of installing shelter info displays; creating
practical approach to communicating service changes to customers during planned
interruptions

Fred Polsky, software systems engineer
Fred created the Green Line alignment and controls in the Rail Central Control System. In the
past, all new additions were created by a contractor. Fred’s work on this saved the project
$250,000, despite long and odd hours required to implement the changes. Fred was uniquely
qualified for this project, and he embraced its unique requirements. He tested and installed
software during the brief window of time, extremely early in the morning, when there’s no
movement on the alignment. Last month, The Oregonian published a human-interest story
about Fred Polsky. The reporter said, “His wry, self-deprecating, geek-like manner notwithstanding,
the design and maintenance of MAX master control is a matter of life and death.”

Air Conditioning Team: Scott Doggett, Steve Lyons and Paul Schlichting

This past year, these three employees identified and solved a problem with a component in the
bus air conditioning systems. The lines that the factory provides for the AC system are rigid and
tend to crack. This team came up with the idea of making the lines out of a flexible hose. The
benefits include:

•
Cost savings: $300 each for parts and labor, instead of $900 for parts alone.
•
Durability: These hoses should last the life of the bus, which saves money, time and the
environment (because cracked lines vent Freon)
•
Indirect benefits: The new hoses solved a vibration problem with the 2600s at Center,
saving another $33,000.

Sustainability Award

Meghan Oldfield, engineer IV
As the resident engineer on the I-205 segment of the South Corridor Project, Meghan was
instrumental in the development and implementation of dozens of initiatives that lessened the
project’s impact on the environment, both during construction and throughout the life of the
project. For example, boulders excavated during construction were donated to Portland Parks
and Recreation for use in building a skate park. Wood used to frame the structures was
donated to Rowe Middle School’s Building Trades Department. Meghan was a tireless advocate
for all things green.

GENERAL MANAGER’S SUSTAINED MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Kim Akimoto, records analyst
Kim has been at TriMet since 2000 and has served in her current position since 2006. She
keeps our records management program in great shape and helps our designated records
coordinators do their jobs. Kim’s approach is proof that being a stickler for the rules doesn’t
mean you can’t give great customer service. She is active in the Association of Records
Managers and Administrators (ARMA) and we’re proud that she was named the 2009 Oregon
ARMA member of the year.

Mike Carter, rail supervisor
Mike started as a bus operator in 1976, and still approaches his work with fresh energy every
day. When he’s working a platform, you know that employees and the public alike will get good
customer service. He’s visible, empathic and quick to respond.

Jana Flores, operations specialist
For the past four years, Jana has kept the transportation training department organized. When
there were hundreds of new operators, Jana scheduled new operator training. When the hiring
freeze went into effect, she focused on the Back to the Mall training. Throughout, she is
cheerful and professional and a delight to all who have the opportunity to work with her.

Vern Goudy, streetcar operator
Vern has been with TriMet since 1992. He started with bus, moved into rail, and is now happily
operating streetcar. A manager calls him, "A perfect example of an excellent, reliable employee.
I wish I could clone him.” Vern is known for his loyalty, willingness to come in as a “flex
operator,” and great customer service skills.

Mike Grove, maintenance manager
Mike has worked for 38 years in TriMet bus maintenance. For the first eight years he worked on
the floor. Since then, he has served as a systems manager and as the manager of Center Street
and Powell. He is dedicated to the department and to making it the best it can be by assuring
that sound maintenance practices are developed, implemented and followed. Mike
communicates well with his peers and his employees. He is known for his tenacity with vendors,

pushing to get the best product possible, whether it’s an operator seat or an overhead sign; a
wheelchair restraint or an electric wiper. Mike has announced his plans to retire this fall, and
this award provides an opportunity to salute him for 38 years of sustained excellence.

Grant Hein, field outreach and community relations representative
Grant has worked at TriMet for three years this month, and we are lucky to have him as part of
our frontline on-street customer service team. Grant always puts the customer first. He is
known for providing excellent after-action reports that help us debrief and make changes for
future events. Whether he’s on a MAX platform using a bullhorn to work with a crowd of Blazer
fans, or sitting next to a customer on a bus that’s about to undergo a service change, Grant
listens to the customer, does his best to meet their needs on the spot, and passes along what
he’s learned.

Willie Montgomery, bus operator
Willie came to TriMet 28 years ago this month. A Grand Master Operator, he's earned 21 safe
driver awards and 23 superior performance awards (16 of them in a row). He has very good
attendance, and is currently headed for his 12th year of perfect attendance. Willie is known for
his very professional attire: always a hat and a tie, and jacket when the weather allows. Willie
generally signs heavy-traffic lines such as the 72, and is proof that you can have a low-key
personality and successfully drive a line like that.

A.K. Rucker, bus operator
We’ve honored AK before for his extraordinary accomplishments with the First Step program,
which increased its enrollment this summer thanks to stimulus funding. AK has been with
TriMet since 1981, and today we honor his day-in, day-out performance as an operator. Anyone
who’s ridden with AK knows he’s known for letting people know “the bus is moving.” This
summer, a customer said, “I ride the bus every day and on many routes and have never
encountered such a courteous driver.” He is a model to us all in how he demonstrates the
agency’s values every day.
Remedio Susi, bus operator
Remedio was hired in 2001 and is known as a “go-to guy” who’s always available. His
commendations say he’s friendly, on time, and good at calling stops. This past July, a customer
said of Remedio, “The driver is consistently very pleasant and helpful. He lowers the bus for
people even without disabilities if they are short, like me. It makes getting on the bus much
easier. Not all the drivers do that automatically." It’s these small things every day that add up to
sustained excellence.

Lee Wells, spotter
Lee was hired in 1983 and has worked for many years as the signout person on the graveyard
shift. That means he’s the one who works with maintenance and transportation personnel alike
to get all the buses where they belong in the middle of the night, so we can have a successful

a.m. pullout. His manager says Lee is “Steady as a rock.”

STUFF FROM INSIDE

2009-10-06T23:14:00.001-07:00

October 5, 2009

More than 240,00 people per month ate meals from an emergency food box and 36% of those receiving food are children.

FOOD DRIVE EXTENDED THROUGH MONDAY, OCTOBER 12

Emergency food box distribution is on the rise in our community with families and children facing the greatest need. TriMet has extended the food drive for the Oregon Food Bank to help Oregonians in need. Food collected during food drives remains in the community where it was collected. There will be a barrel or box at each facility through Monday, October 12. Here are some suggested items for the food drive:

* Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon, etc)
* Canned & boxed meals (soup, chili, mac & cheese, etc)
* Peanut butter (no glass jars)
* Canned or dried beans and peas
* Pasta, rice and cereal
* Canned fruits
* 100% fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed)

H1N1 VACCINE STARTS TO ARRIVE IN OREGON THIS WEEK

The first doses of the H1N1 vaccine will be arriving this week in limited supply as a nasal spray. The vaccine, in shot form, is expected to be widely available mid-month. The nasal spray can be used by most healthy people ages 2 to 49, but is not recommended for pregnant women. The State Public Health Division recommends the H1N1 vaccine first be available to these priority groups:

* Children and young adults from 6 months to 24 years
* Pregnant women
* Health care workers and emergency medical responders
* People caring for infants under 6 months of age
* People aged 25-64 with underlying medical conditions (such as asthma, immune-deficiencies, diabetes, etc)
* Frontline law enforcement and public safety workers

The H1N1 vaccine fights only the new flu strain. The vaccine for the seasonal flu is available now and being administered throughout the area. Remember - the best way to protect yourself from either flu is to get vaccinated and you can get the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 flu shot separately or together. On a weekly basis over the course of the flu season, the State Public Health Division expects to receive a total of 2.3 million doses of H1N1 vaccine by the first week of January 2010, enough supply to vaccinate virtually everyone who can receive a vaccine.

For more information on seasonal flu and pandemic H1N1 virus, visit the Oregon Department of Health website. Click here for information on flu shots for Regence BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser patients.

FIND THE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ON CURRENT EVENTS

Check out the Q&A list on TriNET. Questions are answered regularly with the most recently asked question at the top.

TRIMET U CLASSES
Click here for upcoming classes with openings.

CURRENT JOB OPENINGS

* Manager, Bus Maintenance – closes Friday, October 9; non-union, full-time; internal opening only
* Relief Money Room Supervisor - closes Friday, October 9 - union, full-time; internal opening only
**************************************************************************************
Service Milestones

15 years: Mary Priester, manager public art programs

5 years: Ronald Green,
Patrick Hegele and Moulay idrissi Bichr, operators

1 year: Larry Drorbaugh, Michael Johnson, Roger Knowles, Kimberly Ome’y, Robert Souther and Norma Weathersbee, mini-run operators

Retired

Buzz Murray,
bus operator,
30 years of service

Darrell Overlin,
field technician,
30 years of service

Richard Sirianni,
fare inspector,
21 years of service

Paul Surby,
bus operator,
10 years of service

On the Move

Jeff McKay, from LRV mechanic to supervisor rail equipment maintenance

Misty Schiermeister, from road supervisor to lead supervisor

Retired

Gerald Bossen,
journey mechanic,
37 years of service

Michael Thomas, journey mechanic,
17 years of service

Marne Griffith,
bus operator,
12 years of service

Frank Schaffner,
bus operator,
11 years of service
********************************************************************
GENERAL MANAGER'S AWARDS CEREMONY IS TUESDAY

Come join us in the Center Street report area on Tuesday, September 29 for this year’s General Manager Award ceremony. The celebration begins at 10 a.m. If you are unable to attend, information on the award winners will be posted on TriNET after the ceremony.

TRIMET TO HOLD FOOD DRIVE ALL WEEK

Emergency food box distribution is on the rise in our community with families and children facing the greatest need. All this week TriMet will be holding a food drive for the Oregon Food Bank. Food collected during food drives remains in the community where it was collected. There will be a barrel or box at each facility. Here are some suggested items for the food drive:

* Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon, etc)
* Canned & boxed meals (soup, chili, mac & cheese, etc)
* Peanut butter (no glass jars)
* Canned or dried beans and peas
* Pasta, rice and cereal
* Canned fruits
* 100% fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed)

FLU SEASON IS HERE … ARM YOURSELF BY GETTING VACCINATED

Vaccines for the seasonal flu are now being administered throughout the area. The best way to protect yourself from the seasonal flu is to get the yearly flu shot, available to everyone. The seasonal flu shot will not protect you against pandemic H1N1 flu. The H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available early October. The Center for Disease Control is recommending that the H1N1 vaccine first be available to the following five priority groups:

* Children and young adults from 6 months to 24 years
* Pregnant women
* Health care workers and emergency medical responders
* People caring for infants under 6 months of age
* People aged 25-64 with underlying medical conditions (such as asthma, immune-deficiencies, diabetes, etc)

Protect yourself by getting the seasonal flu shot now and get the H1N1 flu vaccine, if you are in one of the priority groups, once it is available.
For more information on seasonal flu and pandemic H1N1 virus, visit the Oregon Department of Health website. Click here for information on flu shots for Regence BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser patients.

FY2010 TIP NOW AVAILABLE

TriMet’s Transit Investment Plan (TIP) is a five-year plan that describes focused investments in service, capital projects and customer service, designed to meet regional transportation and livability goals. Download the TIP at www.trimet.org/tip. For more information call 503.962.4977.

I-5 COLUMBIA RIVER CROSSING (CRC) WANTS YOUR OPINION ON TOLLING AND TRAFFIC

CRC is a comprehensive transportation project that will replace the aging I-5 bridge, extend light rail to Clark College in Vancouver, improve seven highway interchanges and include a better pathway for bikes and pedestrians. The project will be funded by federal and state governments, as well as from tolls. The project wants to hear from you regarding how we should use tolling to help fund the. Your input will be given to the Oregon and Washington legislatures in January 2010. Take a five-minute Web survey and learn more about tolling at http://tolling.columbiarivercrossing.org.

CURRENT JOB OPENINGS

* Assistant Supervisor, REM – closes Friday, October 2; union, full-time, internal opening only
* Manager, Bus Maintenance – closes Friday, October 9; non-union, full-time; internal opening only

PEGGY HANSON SAYS NO MESSING AROUND ON HALOWEEN!

2009-10-06T23:03:00.001-07:00

Date: Oct. 2, 2009

To: TriMet Operators, Transportation Staff

From: Peggy Hanson, Director Transportation Operations

Subject: Remember safety and professionalism on Halloween

Halloween is a festive event for many people, and is sure to bring out customers young and old who will look to TriMet to provide them with safe transportation to and from their activities. Remember that operators are the face of TriMet, and your contact with customers is important to how they view our organization and our service.

We have worked very hard to make sure that the operator’s uniform is a symbol of professionalism and pride. The wearing of costumes will not be permitted while operating a TriMet vehicle, or performing work as a TriMet employee. The uniform policy will continue to be in effect on October 31, as it is on every other day.

Be especially alert for children and families who may be out trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Some of your customers may be wearing Halloween costumes. Operators are reminded that TriMet does not prohibit passengers from wearing masks and facial coverings. Masks or facial coverings, in and of themselves, are not considered to be “obviously suspicious” under the H-O-T protocol. It is suspicious behavior and not appearance that prompts the H-O-T protocol.

Thank you for your hard work, and have a safe Halloween.

CRUSHED-joseph rose

2009-10-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

Two weeks straight time off from work must be great! Hard Drive column » No rumble, just a student crush on TriMet By Joseph Rose, The Oregonian October 04, 2009, 7:40PMJoseph Rose/The OregonianCleveland High School student pack themselves onto the No. 9 last Thursday morning. Standing at Southeast Powell and Milwaukie with 18 teenagers on Thursday morning, I saw something that reminded me of a street-gang faceoff in S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders” - a book I read in high school.
Autumn’s chill breathed through our jackets as we huddled under a TriMet shelter, waiting for the next No. 9 bus headed to Cleveland High School.
“Great,” muttered a girl with blue hair topped with a black bow. “Here they come.”
Across the street, a No. 70 had stopped. Like water gushing from a hydrant, a couple of dozen high schoolers poured out and waited for the walk signal at the other side of the crosswalk.
5 things to know about your commute ...TriMet Bus Line 66-Marquam Hill/HollywoodFor Cleveland High School students having a tough time getting on the crowded No. 9 buses in the morning, consider Line 66 as an alternative. It’s an express route that just might get you there faster and without as much jostling.
Rock blasting on Oregon 217Crews widening and giving 217 a face-lift will be blasting away Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 11 p.m. and midnight. Expect a series of blasts milliseconds apart south of the Wilshire Street overpass. To protect motorists, traffic will be stopped on northbound 217 from Walker Road and at the southbound on-ramps from U.S. 26 for at least 20 minutes each night.
Springwater Corridor Trail, between mileposts 1.5 and 2Last week, we got a little grumpy about the huge bumps being caused by overgrown tree roots that were creating hazardous conditions for bicycle commuters. Well, the city responded by tearing up the asphalt, cutting out the roots and patching things up. Thanks.
National walk or bike to school dayBack in 1969, 41 percent of children walked and biked to school. Today, that number has shrunk to about 13 percent nationally, and the obesity rate isn’t pretty. On Wednesday, we encourage parents and students to get out of the car and do what the event says — bike or walk to school. It’s supposed to be good for you.
Brickwork returns to Southwest Broadway, downtown PortlandNot again. The left lane (including the bike lane) on Broadway will be closed all week at the Morrison and Yamhill intersections for brick repair. Alternative southbound routes include Southwest 11th and Third avenues. Oh, and Naito Parkway.
Through the blur and buzz of morning traffic on Powell, one throng of teens nervously sized up the other.
It wasn’t a Ponyboy moment. A rumble wasn’t in the air. They all seemed like good kids - laughing through tin grins, listening to iPods, talking “Twilight,” cramming for quizzes.
No, the students congregating around the corner near the Aladdin Theater worried that the last bus headed to Cleveland before the morning bell wouldn’t have enough room for everyone.
With Portland Public Schools giving free TriMet passes to all high school students this year, it’s the same scene almost every day, said Cleveland senior Pansey Wilcox-Frigley.
“Sometimes, the bus is so crowded that it goes by without stopping,” she said. “Other times, depending on the driver, we manage to squeeze everybody on.”
The upside to the free passes: They ease morning traffic and help the environment.
The down: Many buses are too jammed to board, some parents say, forcing students to catch later buses and arrive tardy to school.“This is not how you build confidence in the next generation of transit riders,” said Lael Pinney, whose daughter has given up on trying to catch the No. 10 to Cleveland. “How could they not see this coming? Why didn’t they add buses right away?”
Reasonable questions.
The closest thing to an answer that I’ve seen is a letter that Tom Mills, a service planning and scheduling manager, sent to a frustrated parent. TriMet, he wrote, wasn’t “able to accurately gauge what the increase in ridership would be” before the school year.
“Once the school year began,” he wrote, “we started experiencing overloads on bus lines serving several high schools.”
Well, obviously.
At least TriMet hasn’t let the problem fester. In the past 10 days, it has added two “tripper” buses to the Line 44 route serving Wilson High and one to the Line 51 for Lincoln. The agency has also added buses to Line 10 for Cleveland and to Line 73, the Northeast 33rd Avenue route serving Grant High.
As for the eastbound No. 9 going to Cleveland, changes arrive this morning with an extra bus. Buses will now arrive at the busy Powell and Milwaukie stop at 7:53 a.m. and 7:56 a.m.
Last Thursday, there was only the 7:56.
Some kids had their strategies. Part of the group that transferred from the No. 70 broke away and started walking west, hoping to board one step ahead of the big crowd.
“It at least guarantees they’ll get on,” Wilcox-Frigley said.
Sitting in the shelter, Angelina Cardinalli said it wasn’t fair. “We were waiting here first,” she said.
Fortunately, the driver showed mercy. TriMet buses are supposed to hold only 64 riders. There had to be more than that on the last No. 9 to Cleveland. -- Joseph Rose, Twitter: pdxcommute

TRACKING TRANSPORTATIONS FUNDS

2009-10-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

Portland’s TriMet opened its MAX Green Line this September. Photo by sam_churchill.
The stimulus package, known formally as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, has raised hopes but also concerns about its potential effects on sustainable transportation. Will enough funds be allocated to transportation and energy projects? And will it spark effective progress in the long term? The recently re-launched Recovery.gov may provide answers to some of these questions and give deeper insight into how stimulus money is being used for sustainability efforts.
The government-run site hosts innovative search features including an interactive U.S. map that lets you pinpoint (based on your zip code) local stimulus projects with specific fund amounts and project descriptions. Another feature on the home page titled “Data, Data and More Data” allows you to search by state, government agency and monetary amount.
This map, for example, shows Department of Transportation projects in Illinois. Scroll to the Chicago area and you can find a blue dot representing the Chicago Transit Authority (yes, finding the right dot takes some patience.) Clicking it will reveal that CTA plans to spend almost $200 million to purchase buses and renovate their subway system. Another $49 million will go to infrastructure renovations.
Likewise, a search for transportation projects in Oregon shows that Portland’s TriMet system is budgeting over $38 million for construction and renovations and $32 million for new rail cars.
The District of Columbia’s Department of Transportation, however, plans to allocate most of its $100 million budget towards street and building renovations (see map here).
Browsing these figures does reveal some trends. Major urban areas are certainly allocating big funds to transportation, but much of it is dedicated to renovating or maintaining existing structures and roadways. Very little, if at all, is expressly budgeted to innovative projects such as bike paths or bus-only lanes.
These tepid results seem reminiscent of the short-term benefits of the Cash for Clunkers program. TheCityFix reported recently that this program, despite its gesture towards an economically viable and sustainable car culture, would not offset carbon emissions in the long run (see related Washington Post op-ed here.) Will Recovery funds for mass transit systems fall short in providing concrete and enduring progress for sustainability?
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood had mixed words on this topic in a speech at the Center for National Policy in July. LaHood mentioned that funding for intermodal transportation was a priority for Recovery Act discretionary spending. However, he failed to explain how the Department of Transportation would balance quick recovery fixes (short-term construction projects) with long-term solutions (a sustainable commuter system).
PBS analyzed this very question in a report on stimulus funding. It was found that a number of factors hinder public transit projects in cities and states across the country. Among them: a downturn in revenue from state sales tax; federal guidelines favoring increased road density and gas consumption; and the dominance of politically motivated pork barrel spending.
Regardless of the barriers impeding sustainable transit projects, there are glimmers of hope. The American Public Transportation Association recently compiled a list of sustainable Recovery projects: West Palm Beach’s Palm Tran is purchasing 10 hybrid buses, 15 diesel buses and 4 alternative fuel trolleys; Phoenix’s Regional Public Transportation Authority will use $15 million for bus rapid transit projects; D.C.’s WMATA is buying 45 new hybrid-electric buses.
As Recovery.gov expands it will be interesting to observe how these funds are allocated across the country. Right now, many transit organizations including the WMATA have yet to disclose specific projects on the site, despite having done so on their own pages (take a look at WMATA’s stimulus distribution). This might change in the coming weeks: Mid-October is the first quarterly deadline for Recovery Act recipients to disclose the use of their funds.
http://thecityfix.com/tracking-transportation-funds/

TRIMET GOLF TOURNAMENT PICS-thanks STEVE FUNG

2009-09-28T14:32:00.001-07:00

INFO

2009-09-28T11:35:00.001-07:00

September 28, 2009

GENERAL MANAGER'S AWARDS CEREMONY IS TUESDAY

Come join us in the Center Street report area on Tuesday, September 29 for this year’s General Manager Award ceremony. The celebration begins at 10 a.m. If you are unable to attend, information on the award winners will be posted on TriNET after the ceremony.

TRIMET TO HOLD FOOD DRIVE ALL WEEK

Emergency food box distribution is on the rise in our community with families and children facing the greatest need. All this week TriMet will be holding a food drive for the Oregon Food Bank. Food collected during food drives remains in the community where it was collected. There will be a barrel or box at each facility. Here are some suggested items for the food drive:

* Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon, etc)
* Canned & boxed meals (soup, chili, mac & cheese, etc)
* Peanut butter (no glass jars)
* Canned or dried beans and peas
* Pasta, rice and cereal
* Canned fruits
* 100% fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed)

FLU SEASON IS HERE … ARM YOURSELF BY GETTING VACCINATED

Vaccines for the seasonal flu are now being administered throughout the area. The best way to protect yourself from the seasonal flu is to get the yearly flu shot, available to everyone. The seasonal flu shot will not protect you against pandemic H1N1 flu. The H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available early October. The Center for Disease Control is recommending that the H1N1 vaccine first be available to the following five priority groups:

* Children and young adults from 6 months to 24 years
* Pregnant women
* Health care workers and emergency medical responders
* People caring for infants under 6 months of age
* People aged 25-64 with underlying medical conditions (such as asthma, immune-deficiencies, diabetes, etc)

Protect yourself by getting the seasonal flu shot now and get the H1N1 flu vaccine, if you are in one of the priority groups, once it is available.
For more information on seasonal flu and pandemic H1N1 virus, visit the Oregon Department of Health website. Click here for information on flu shots for Regence BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser patients.

FY2010 TIP NOW AVAILABLE

TriMet’s Transit Investment Plan (TIP) is a five-year plan that describes focused investments in service, capital projects and customer service, designed to meet regional transportation and livability goals. Download the TIP at www.trimet.org/tip. For more information call 503.962.4977.

I-5 COLUMBIA RIVER CROSSING (CRC) WANTS YOUR OPINION ON TOLLING AND TRAFFIC

CRC is a comprehensive transportation project that will replace the aging I-5 bridge, extend light rail to Clark College in Vancouver, improve seven highway interchanges and include a better pathway for bikes and pedestrians. The project will be funded by federal and state governments, as well as from tolls. The project wants to hear from you regarding how we should use tolling to help fund the. Your input will be given to the Oregon and Washington legislatures in January 2010. Take a five-minute Web survey and learn more about tolling at http://tolling.columbiarivercrossing.org.

CURRENT JOB OPENINGS

* Assistant Supervisor, REM – closes Friday, October 2; union, full-time, internal opening only
* Manager, Bus Maintenance – closes Friday, October 9; non-union, full-time; internal opening only

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the Move

Jeff McKay, from LRV mechanic to supervisor rail equipment maintenance

Misty Schiermeister, from road supervisor to lead supervisor

Retired

Gerald Bossen,
journey mechanic,
37 years of service

Michael Thomas, journey mechanic,
17 years of service

Marne Griffith,
bus operator,
12 years of service

Frank Schaffner,
bus operator,
11 years of service

Welcome
Joan Yi, systems engineer II - server

Service Milestones

5 years: Keith Hildebrand, journey mechanic

Retired
Joann Thompson,
bus operator, 12 years of service

Congratulations
Scott Forrest,
September operator of the month

Fernando Lopez, mini-run operator of the quarter

----------------------------------------------------------

MAX CAMPOS COMES UP WITH THIS!

2009-09-26T01:09:00.001-07:00

st.stop_sequence	st.trip_id	t.route_id	st.stop_id	s.stop_name	st.arrival_time	st.departure_time	st.stop_headsign	st.timepoint	st.shape_dist_traveled	t.direction_id
1	671W1250	67	4429	PCC Rock Creek Main Stop	21:18:00	21:18:00	Beaverton TC	1	0	1
2	671W1250	67	10103	NW Springville & 173rd	21:18:57	21:18:57	Beaverton TC	0	2113	1
3	671W1250	67	10102	NW Springville & Samuel Drive	21:19:27	21:19:27	Beaverton TC	0	3195	1
4	671W1250	67	10101	NW Springville & 165th Terrace	21:19:52	21:19:52	Beaverton TC	0	4131	1
5	671W1250	67	10100	NW Springville & Sickle Terrace	21:20:15	21:20:15	Beaverton TC	0	4965	1
6	671W1250	67	10099	NW Springville & Oats Terrace	21:20:38	21:20:38	Beaverton TC	0	5827	1
7	671W1250	67	10098	NW Springville & Kaiser Rd	21:21:20	21:21:20	Beaverton TC	0	7363	1
8	671W1250	67	10105	NW Kaiser & Graf St	21:21:38	21:21:38	Beaverton TC	0	8028	1
9	671W1250	67	10104	NW Kaiser & Westbrook	21:21:59	21:21:59	Beaverton TC	0	8832	1
10	671W1250	67	10106	NW Kaiser & Wismer	21:22:27	21:22:27	Beaverton TC	0	9836	1
11	671W1250	67	10107	NW Bethany & Laidlaw	21:23:11	21:23:11	Beaverton TC	0	11460	1
12	671W1250	67	10108	4700 Block NW Bethany	21:23:30	21:23:30	Beaverton TC	0	12184	1
13	671W1250	67	10109	NW Bethany & Claremont Dr	21:24:02	21:24:02	Beaverton TC	0	13355	1
14	671W1250	67	10110	NW Bethany & Saint Andrews	21:24:40	21:24:40	Beaverton TC	0	14763	1
15	671W1250	67	10111	NW Bethany & West Union	21:25:08	21:25:08	Beaverton TC	0	15801	1
16	671W1250	67	10112	NW Bethany & Ridgetop Lane	21:25:34	21:25:34	Beaverton TC	0	16757	1
17	671W1250	67	10113	NW Bethany & Telshire Terrace	21:25:53	21:25:53	Beaverton TC	0	17439	1
18	671W1250	67	10114	NW Bethany & Oak Hills Dr	21:26:13	21:26:13	Beaverton TC	0	18181	1
19	671W1250	67	8780	NW Bethany & Avondale Dr	21:26:39	21:26:39	Beaverton TC	0	19155	1
20	671W1250	67	12928	NW Bethany & Hwy 26 WB On-Ramp	21:27:05	21:27:05	Beaverton TC	0	20131	1
21	671W1250	67	10115	NW Bethany & Cornell	21:27:33	21:27:33	Beaverton TC	0	21156	1
22	671W1250	67	13205	NW Cornell & 158th	21:28:00	21:28:00	Beaverton TC	1	22142	1
23	671W1250	67	6829	NW 158th & Greenbrier Pkwy	21:29:02	21:29:02	Beaverton TC	0	23491	1
24	671W1250	67	8474	NW 158th & Blueridge	21:29:46	21:29:46	Beaverton TC	0	24454	1
25	671W1250	67	8230	NW 158th & Schendel	21:30:47	21:30:47	Beaverton TC	0	25802	1
26	671W1250	67	6833	SW 158th & Walker	21:31:49	21:31:49	Beaverton TC	0	27162	1
27	671W1250	67	10182	800 Block SW 158th	21:32:41	21:32:41	Beaverton TC	0	28285	1
28	671W1250	67	9252	SW 158th & Jenkins	21:34:14	21:34:14	Beaverton TC	0	30330	1
29	671W1250	67	12899	Merlo Rd/SW 158th MAX Stn Turnaround	21:35:00	21:35:00	Beaverton TC	1	31331	1
30	671W1250	67	8234	SW 158th & Jenkins	21:35:36	21:35:36	Beaverton TC	0	32373	1
31	671W1250	67	3058	15500 Block SW Jenkins	21:36:03	21:36:03	Beaverton TC	0	33153	1
32	671W1250	67	8773	SW Jenkins & Jay	21:36:43	21:36:43	Beaverton TC	0	34324	1
33	671W1250	67	8827	SW Jenkins & Bowerman Dr	21:37:21	21:37:21	Beaverton TC	0	35419	1
34	671W1250	67	3065	SW Jenkins & Murray	21:38:03	21:38:03	Beaverton TC	0	36635	1
35	671W1250	67	3064	SW Jenkins & Karl Braun	21:38:39	21:38:39	Beaverton TC	0	37701	1
36	671W1250	67	3069	SW Jenkins & Ecole	21:39:14	21:39:14	Beaverton TC	0	38693	1
37	671W1250	67	3067	SW Jenkins & Hocken	21:39:55	21:39:55	Beaverton TC	0	39893	1
38	671W1250	67	3061	SW Jenkins & Cedar Hills Crossing Drvwy	21:40:39	21:40:39	Beaverton TC	0	41158	1
39	671W1250	67	1014	SW Cedar Hills & Jenkins	21:40:58	21:40:58	Beaverton TC	0	41731	1
40	671W1250	67	1003	SW Cedar Hills & Fairfield	21:41:20	21:41:20	Beaverton TC	0	42350	1
41	671W1250	67	2268	3600 Block SW Hall	21:42:11	21:42:11	Beaverton TC	0	43827	1
42	671W1250	67	1034	SW Center & 125th	21:42:43	21:42:43	Beaverton TC	0	44784	1
43	671W1250	67	12932	SW Center & Lombard	21:43:01	21:43:01	Beaverton TC	0	45296	1
44	671W1250	67	9980	Beaverton Transit Center	21:44:00	21:44:00	Merlo Garage	1	47005	1

FORMER OPERATOR JEFF ROSE SAYS TAKE THE 14

2009-09-20T20:36:00.001-07:00

I'm sort of a detail oriented person- if any of you could believe that! In any
case, when it comes down to the details- I'm not terribly impressed with Trimet
on a number.... a large number of things regarding my first experiences with the
MAX.

Both Kris and I have ridden twice now. On this, both of our second trip, the
train heading into town arrived at the Lents Town Center station about 10
minutes late! As a former light rail operator in Salt Lake City- I know that
delays happen- but they didn't happen very often, especially in off peak times.
My first ride went OK, but Kris experienced a huge delay on her first trip as
well. So of our 4 collective trips, 3 of them were late- not a good record so
far.

When we tried to pay for tickets going into town tonight- the machine wouldn't
take out money. Fortunately it took credit cards as well. Trimet, for
whatever reason, is known for having problems with TVMs (ticket vending
machines). TVM's are usually designed with a visual indicator that it is
having a problem and train operators can see a flashing yellow light when they
pull into a station that a TVM needs something- like more tickets, a bill jam
that needs to be cleared or it might be out of change to dispense. Maybe its
print cartridge is empty or something. In Salt Lake, when a TVM was called in
by an operator, an MOW (Maintenance of Way employee) would immediately respond
and fix it! That doesn't seem to happen here at all. Inadequate MOW
employees to keep up? Not enough spare parts on hand? Who knows. I just
know we didn't have problems keeping the TVMs working in Salt Lake- they were ON
IT!!

The amount on time it takes the Greenline to get downtown really isn't the fault
of Trimet. The Greenline was pretty much laid out when I-205 was constructed.
The route isn't the best. For someone who boards at Clackamas Town Center and
is heading downtown- to have to spend so much time heading north (to Gateway)
before actually making in any closer to town really- really adds up to a long,
old trip! That's why, depending on where I'm actually going downtown, in the
future I'll probably be a little more inclined to just take the 14. The 14
also runs every 15 minutes- all the time- whereas the MAX goes to 30 minute
headways at off-peak times.

One important thing for riders to know is "what zone am I in?" I bought my
house just on the west side of I-205 thinking, "hey- at least I'm in zone 2!"
1-205, in general, is the border between Trimet zones 2 and 3. The Max is on
the zone 2 side where I board in Lents- and where I would board the 14 and pay a
2 zone fare to get into town- do I pay a two zone fare, or a three zone fare to
ride the MAX into town? It doesn't matter that much to me, but I'd like to
know! Is the MAX in zone 2- or is it in zone 3? Is it in zone 2 when it is
on the west side of the freeway and in zone 3 when it is on the east side?
What I think is the case is this- the greenline is considered to be in zone 3
until it crosses the freeway the last time after it leaves Gateway headed into
town. The Gateway transit center IS in zone 3. The MAX is in zone 3 there-
and all of the buses that service the Gateway transit center are in zone 3. At
the Lents Town Center station- the MAX is in zone 3 and all the buses that serve
the Lents Town Center station are in zone 2? OK. As much as Trimet is
looking at really big budget deficits- I think that the zone boundaries should
be adjusted to make the greenline in Zone 2 after it crosses the Clackamas
County line- even if it means making Gateway Zone 2.

The system map for the lightrail system has been artfully simplified in such a
way that I thought that they'd actually dramatically *reduced* the size of Zones
1 and 2! It shows both of these zones as circles rather than being more
squarish as they actually are! Zone 1 is actually something of a square inside
a larger square that is zone 2. The illustration of the rail service map shows
both of the *circles* with a boundary just south of the South Waterfront
district- which would make you think that as soon as you stepped out side of
Zone 1 south of this district, you'd be in zone 3! This isn't the case at all!
I wonder why they don't simply show the Zones as they would be if the bus system
was shown on the map as well! Anything to confuse people, I suppose!

I know what I'm saying is confusing- but look at this:

http://trimet.org/maps/railsystem.htm

By this map, pretty much all of Lents is clearly in Zone 3- when the half of it
that is west of the freeway and the MAX is actually in Zone 2!! Once again- any
bus leaving any of the stations in Lents is IN ZONE 2!! This is way too
confusing.

Another confusing thing I noted on the way back- the station announcements. In
Salt Lake City, lightrail operators had to press a button in the cab to make the
"automated" announcements. When to do this was an art! When the doors closed
on my train, and I'd just gotten propulsion- I'd hit the button and just as the
last car cleared the platform, it would announce, "Next stop [and what the next
station would be]" Approaching the next station- just when I started to slow
as I approached the platform I would hit the button again and If I got it just
right if would announce arrival at that station just as the operating cab passed
the beginning of the platform!

Here, I think the announcements are fully automated- and the operator doesn't
have to do anything! It's probably controlled by GPS!! That should make it
perfect!! It would if it were planned well! The problem? One thing is
this: there is a visual element to it- there is a display that actually says the
name of the station! But WHICH station?!! At one point along the trip, we
were stopped at a station and it said "NE 82nd Ave." I mentioned to Kris where
we were at, "We're at 82nd Ave, blah, blah, blah!" We started moving and after
a while- as we pulled into the next station- I saw a sign on the platform that
said.... "NE 82nd Ave!" What?!! I thought we were just here? I then looked
up and the display said "Gateway"..... ? OH!! I finally figured out- when
you're on the WAY to a station it says the name of the station- but even before
the train STOPS it changes to the FOLLOWING STATION!! Maybe this is so that
people getting on see where the next stop is going to be? People getting on a
train know where they're at, right? They should know what train they're
getting on because it's usually pretty clearly laid out on the platform (in most
cases- Gateway is a problem, but Trimet wouldn't listen to me when I told them!)
When passengers get on, they're looking for a seat- not reading the visual
display (in my opinion). Basically, the sign should say what station the train
is at. It would almost be best if it went blank for a while between station
and as the train approached the next station it gave the name of THAT station!
As it is, it is VERY confusing to passengers actually ON the train! What
station are we at? You always thing that you're one station farther than you
really are!

Another option for the visual sign would be to have a "next stop" lit up at
times. When you leave one station it the "next stop" lights up and it says the
name of the next station. As you pull into that station, the "next stop" goes
out and it simply says the name of the station that you're at!

Oh well. This system was designed by someone in Trimet's office who either
never rides- or rides the system very rarely- just a guess!

I don't thing that I'll completely avoid the MAX, but I do think that after my
first couple of trips, I'll be content with riding the bus most of the time. I
think that lots of people *will* ride the MAX and it will be an important part
of our neighborhood. It will bring lots of good things, and some bad things
that we should be ready to deal with when they crop up. I think that Trimet
has done a decent job on the line in a lot of ways- and they have made a few
sloppy mistakes as well. C'est la vie! Should I tell them?!! They didn't
really listen to me much as an employee- maybe I can try as a customer!!

What have your experiences been so far?

MONEY EVERYWHERE BUT NOT FOR BUS SERVICE

2009-09-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

Notice of Opportunity for Public Comment

The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) is offering the public an opportunity to comment on its plan for FY2010 federal transit funding. Please post your comments online by 9 a.m. by Tuesday, September 29, 2009 or comment in person at TriMet's Administrative Offices noted below.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 9 a.m.
TriMet Administrative Offices, Rooms A & B
4012 SE 17th Avenue, Portland 97202

Plan a trip to this meeting

TriMet will provide a sign language interpreter for anyone who requests it at least 48 hours before the Public Comment meeting by calling 503-962-4813 or TDD 503-962-5811, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Estimated eligible programs in FY2010		% of federal funding
Section 5307	Urbanized Area Formula	(5307@80%)	$40,000,000
Section 5307	Congestion, Mitigation & Air Quality	(CMAQ@89.73%)	$ 8,200,000
Section 5307	Surface Transportation Program	(STP@89.73%)	$7,600,000
Section 5309	Fixed Guideway Modernization	(5309FG@80%)	$11,500,000
Section 5309	New Starts	(5309NS@72.88%)	$74,550,000
Section 5309	New Starts	(5309NS@50%)	$30,450,000
Section 5316	Job Access & Reverse Commute	(5316@50%)	$750,000
Section 5317	New Freedom Funds	(5317@50%)	$425,000
Total			$173,475,000

Proposed Program of Projects

Bus and Rail Preventive Maintenance: $40,000,000 Section 5307 funds, $11,500,000 Section 5309FG funds, and $1,500,000 STP funds
Regional Rail Debt Service: $7,990,000 CMAQ funds and $1,310,000 STP funds
Bus Stops & Streamline Treatments: $3,200,000 STP funds
I-205/Portland Mall Light Rail Project: $74,550,000 Section 5309NS funds
Portland Streetcar: $30,450,000 Section 5309NS funds
Low-Income Transportation to Work Programs: $750,000 Section 5316 funds
Elderly and Disabled Transportation Programs: $425,000 Section 5317 funds.
Milwaukie FEIS: $210,000 CMAQ funds
Pedestrian Network Analysis: $125,000 STP funds
Bus Purchase: $1,465,000 STP funds

Actual receipt of grant funds and the accounting recognition of grant revenue are contingent on a final federal transportation appropriations bill for next federal fiscal year. These projects show the plan for the maximum expected amount. If less funding is available, the federal involvement in these projects will be reduced.

Additional eligible programs in FY2009	% of federal funding
South Corridor Project: $32,000,000	(5309NS ARRA @72.88%)
Rail Preventive Maintenance: $2,300,000	(STP @89.73%)
Rail Preventive Maintenance: $2,346,564	(STP ARRA @100%)
Portland to Lake Oswego Transit: $972,673	(STP @89.73%)
Hillsboro Intermodal Facility: $1,852,500	(5309B @80%)
Innovative Battery Technology: $120,000	(STP @89.73%)
Milwaukie Park & Ride Facility: $2,454,000	(STP ARRA @100%)
Foster Road Layover Concrete Bus Pads: $200,000	(STP ARRA @100%)
I-205 Bicycle/Pedestrian/Lighting Project: $3,246,000	(STP ARRA @100%)
Portland Streetcar: $356,832	(STP ARRA @100%)
WES Train Horn Noise Reduction: $689,000	(STP ARRA @100%)

All projects have been selected through TriMet's planning process, which incorporates public involvement, and are included in the Metropolitan and State Transportation Improvement Programs. These projects conform to comprehensive land use and transportation planning in the area.

If more information is needed on the Proposed Program of Projects or Public Comment meeting, please use the comment link noted above.

Rantings of a Trimet Bus Driver-Book 3

ELLEN FOX-OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE

BIG DEAL OUT OF MAX LEAVING KID BEHIND

Stories

Related:

THROUGH THE WONDERS OF TECHNOLOGY

TRYING TO TURN THE PUBLIC AGAINST THE TRANSIT WORKERS

PUNKRAWKER

I JUST DRANK 1 GALLON OF THE WATER!

OREGON CELL PHONE LAW TOOTHLESS, AUDIO/VIDEO NOT INCLUDED

THE END OF THE SIGN UP

THIS TRIMET TV PRODUCTION IS PRETTY GOOD

MORE BOARD DISCUSSION ON THE MAX CALL BOX

MEANWHILE, THE OTHER GUY THAT GOT SCREWED BY A TRIMET VIDEO CAMERA...

FRED TALKS ABOUT THE MAX DEATH AND GAS PRICES

WATCH OUT TRIMET EMPLOYEES, BE AWARE

IS THIS GUY HANGING AROUND OR NOT?

OUR FRAGILE LIGHT RAIL NETWORK

COMPLETE NOVEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

TRIMET FINANCIAL REPORT-PT 2 (not good news)

TRIMET FINANCIAL REPORT-PT 1-(boring)

FRED GIVES THE COMPANIES SIDE OF THE LITTLE BOY INCIDENT

TRIMET BUS ACCIDENTS UP 89%???

FRED TALKS ABOUT CELL PHONE USE AT TRIMET

CONVERSATION WITH VETERAN LIGHT RAIL OPERATOR-part 2 the day of the firing

SUNSET BOB WEIGHS IN

A CONVERSATION WITH A VETERAN MAX OPERATOR

BE THERE

KATU BREAKS THE LAW

NOVEMBER 25, 2009, includes my response to lynching

ATU 757 PRESIDENT JON HUNT ON THE FIRING

BELIEVE EVERYTHING THE PRESS TELLS YOU!

LYNCHING COMPLETE

SUNSET BOB GETS A HANDLE ON THE NEW CELL PHONE RULES

NEWS REPORTS

ANOTHER ANTI TRIMET ARTICLE

WORKING AT TRIMET DANGEROUS PROPOSITION IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE-NEWS MEDIA WILL DEMAND YOUR BURNING

LETTERS

GUILTY

KILLED BY MAX

RIDERSHIP

LEFT ON MAX PLATFORM-THE FACTS

WELL WOULDN'T YA KNOW IT!

TOP STORIES

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/trimets_operations_chief_final.html

TriMet's operations chief finalist for Arizona job

By Scott Learn, The Oregonian

November 19, 2009, 7:00PM

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/11/second_parent_tells_story_of_f.html

By Joseph Rose, The Oregonian

November 21, 2009, 8:37AM

FAMOUS PORTLAND BLOGGER JACK BOGDANSKI LECTURES ME

KID LEFT BEHIND, TRIMET GETS BLAMED

JOHN HUNT

MAX PLATFORM ACTION

STUFF

BANTA LEAVING?

By Scott Learn, The Oregonian

November 19, 2009, 7:00PM

Bad idea

NOW THIS IS INNOVATION

m-ticketing hits the UK Bus route with m-blox and Arriva

SOME PEOPLE THINK I'M OUT OF CONTROL..CHECK OUT THIS GUY

Feds to review BART after discrimination complaint

ERIK HALSTEAD

Rule changes on TriMet don't make up for safety

By Letters to the editor

November 17, 2009, 4:00AM

TRIMET ON TWITTER

PEGGY HANSON

FRED ON CELL PHONES

JEFF FRANE MAKES SOME NOTABLE COMMENTS!

STEVE BANTA TALKS ABOUT CELL PHONE USEAGE

CLASSIC ERK HALSTEAD

REMEMBERING BOOKER

BEST FARELESS SQUARE NAMES

STUFF

TriMet’s award-winning website has new features and a new look

Service animals and pets on TriMet vehicles

RESOLVED?