it won’t.

Sorry to all of you ghoulies and goblins, but presenting yourself with a Halloween costume won’t get you a free ride on TriMet nor will there be any kind of increased service of any kind.  Though, I wonder what would happen if I dressed up as a TriMet bus driver (as Al M?) or MAX operator (EMS? Don’t think I could pull that off very well…).

In any case, since there isn’t a Halloween-themed event that TriMet offers, we have to turn to our friends at PDX Pipeline that have produced a list of Portland Halloween Parties, Events, Costumes, Contests, Pictures, etc

Happy Halloween!

First, I need to thank a reader who I had some back and forth with; this individual brought this back into my attention and I thank this reader for sharing some insights, of which I’ll be using in this post.

The Zone System is Flawed

Here’s a map provided by TriMet to explain how the zones are laid out:

Looks simple enough… but is it really that simple?

An example: all train stops east of SE 82nd are in Zone 3 — even though the Green Line from Division to Foster runs within sight of Zone 2. And unlike the bus, there’s still no way for a MAX rider with a monthly two-zone pass to buy an upgrade ticket.  Furthermore, though all stops east of SE 82nd are Zone 3, on the east side there are no “paid” stops in Zone 1 — unless you count the stops in Fareless Square.

Confused yet?

Here’s a look at the rail zone map (click for bigger image):

Say you own a Two-Zone monthly pass.  If you’re traveling west on the red or blue line, that two-zone pass isn’t doing anything for you.  So you’ll need to purchase a fare upgrade for this.

Fare Upgrades for Two-Zone Pass Holders is Ridiculous

If you own a two-zone monthly pass and need to upgrade to an all-zone pass for the day if you’re riding the MAX west, you’re going to have a hell of a time doing so.  If you’re hopping on the bus, purchasing an upgrade to an all-zone day pass is as easy as $0.30. If you’re riding the MAX, you might think that a ticket machine has an upgrade option for you to purchase.

Nope.

TriMet’s advice if you’re a rail rider and you want to upgrade to an all-zone pass?  Buy the upgrade on a bus.

Does that sound at all reasonable?

Possible Solutions

First, keep in mind that any change to the zone and / or fare system will impact revenue.  The question is whether or not it would impact it in TriMet’s favor.  If it decreases overall revenue for TriMet, for whatever reason, you need to think of side-effects that come about from making any sort of change:

1. A more-friendly image of TriMet. Riders won’t be as confused. The ticket buying process will be easier to understand. Riders will understand how much a single two-hour or all-day ticket costs without having to think about zones.
2. This also helps bus operators by not requiring them to look whether or not the transfer receipt is an all-zone or two-zone pass.  This can also help in terms of keeping buses on schedule by reducing the time it takes for riders to have to show fare, bus operators having to inspect said fare, etc.
3. This helps ticket inspectors too. Easy “does the individual have the fare or not?” checks.

Get Rid of the Zone System

The first possible solution is just to get rid of the zone system.  I could see some protests from those who might be riding from Zone 2 who only require a two-zone pass.  But look at it this way: currently, a two-zone two-hour pass is $2.00. An all-zone two-hour pass is $2.30.  This is a difference of $0.30.  Say TriMet was generous, got rid of the zones, and just required $2.15 for a two-hour pass for all zones.  This isn’t a huge hike in price, is it?

Get Rid of the Two-Zone Daily / Monthly Pass

You can buy a two-zone monthly pass… but, when purchasing a day pass, you can only purchase an all-zone pass.  The upgrade system if you hold a two-zone pass to an all-zone daily pass is ridiculous and requires you to buy an upgrade on a bus if you’re riding the rail.  Why does the two-zone pass exist?  And if it’s truly important for it to exist, why not give riders an easier way to upgrade to an all-zone pass for the day?

KGW recently ran a story about whether or not hand sanitizer helps stop the spread of the H1N1 virus.  I was originally thinking, “Well, it’s technically a virus and not a form of bacteria… so hand sanitizer probably wouldn’t be super effective.“  But KGW says it does help!

That got me thinking: the best way to help reduce your chance or perhaps getting the H1N1 virus is staying away from crowded, close-proximity places. Unfortunately, for us public transportation riders, it’s kind of hard to stay away from crowded MAX trains, buses, etc.

So here’s an idea: how about placing some hand sanitizer on MAX trains for folks to use?  I know that I personally dread touching, well, anything on the MAX when I ride. And I’m not saying the cleaning folks aren’t doing their job; I’m sure they do an awesome job. But the sheer amount of people that ride, that wipe noses and hold on to the rail, that sneez… ok, you get my point.

What do you all think?  If there was perhaps some hand sanitizer on the MAX, maybe by the door, would you perhaps take a couple of pumps and use it?  Do you think it would be a good idea to provide folks this?  Would you feel perhaps a little bit cleaner if this was provided?

*I’m personally not a fan of media outlets using the term “swine flu” instead of H1N1 virus; the USDA even asked folks to not refer to it as such
Image is from The Heartland Perspective blog

Went from Gateway to Clackamas Mall to shop and dine.

At each station stop I enjoyed the cool little glittery-tile design.

Almost didn’t catch the train right as it was leaving the station on the way home; if I didn’t, I would whine. (30 mins  between trains on the weekend)

Seriously though, finally rode that puppy with Mrs. TriMetiquette and it was just fine.  My wife and I always like to look at the glass designs at each MAX stop when we’re riding; they’re usually different from stop-to-stop but it seemed like they’re the same at each green line stop.

Quick and easy trip to the Clackamas Mall!

A breakdown:

• Bus weekly trips down 11.4% (whoa nilly)
• MAX weekly trips up 9.2%
• WES weekly trips were at 5,900 (yikes)

So continues the extremely poor ridership of the WES…

How is everyone liking the set-up?

“… may be ordered to leave transit property and issued a summons or citation by a police officer. If convicted, a person could be fined up to $500, spend up to six months in jail, or be both fined and jailed.”

Jail time for an offensive odor?!  Wow.

Why this is a good idea

Obviously, allowing students to take public transportation to and from school helps the morning and afternoon commute via automobile by getting some more cars, trucks and vans off of the roadway.  This also helps parents of these students by letting their son or daughter get to school responsibly via public transportation.

There is not time restriction for the pass either, so if a student is involved in any extra-curricular activities, they’ll still be able to use public transportation to get around.  I know when I was in the high school band (laugh all you want! Band president junior and senior years in high school!), my Mom and Dad would have LOVED for me to somehow hop on a bus and go home; who knows how many hours of their time they spent waiting in a car to pick me up after a high school football game because I was in the pep band or even taking me to school at 6:30 in the morning for jazz band.

Why this is a bad idea

Maybe I’m an old cranky man inside a 27 year old guy’s body, but more often than not those in the 9 - 12 grade age range seem to act like preschoolers on the MAX or bus (I’ve actually not encountered too much rude behaivor on the streetcar…).  I wonder if there can’t be some sort of program where ticket inspectors can cite students who are eligible for this program if they’re acting rudely and have their free pass taken away for some set amount of time.

Also - these passes are good anytime during any day of the week.  Why not restrict these passes to Monday - Friday use?  Why Saturday and Sunday as well?

And then there’s the problem of overcrowding.  MAX lines are already super crowded during the morning rush hour ( 6 - 8am).  This will only make it even more crowded.  Is TriMet planning on running more MAX trains?  I’m sure the Green Line (opening September 12th!) will help somewhat, but I would hope we might see a couple more trains during this time period.

What do you all think?  Is this a good decision on the City Council’s part? Are you a parent with a student who is in the 9th - 12th grade in a Portland Public School?  Let me know.

OregonLive reports that there was one dissenting vote:

“Lynn Lehrbach, of eastern Multnomah County, was the lone dissenter in the board’s vote. He said the fareless area helps bring rich and poor together.”

Umm… yeaaaaah.  That seems, to me, to be a really weird reason.

Here’s the release from TriMet.

What do you all think?  Good idea?  Bad?  Personally, I guess I support this move more-so than abolishing Fareless Square entirely.  Having the MAX Green Line downtown should help a bit.

This is Mrs. Trimetiquette speaking.  Officially.  I’ve been behind the scenes mostly, calmly and unconditionally supporting my husband in his quest for decency, courtesy, and common sense when it comes to public transportation here in Portland.  But I’ve had enough of Christian taking all my ideas and posting them as “new” blog posts.  It’s my turn.  And I would like to personally, publicly, and officially thank you, Trimet, for finally stepping up to the plate and enforcing your very own rules.  I ride Max two days a week to and from work, and I don’t remember the last time my fare WASN’T checked.  Like clockwork.  You all are out there, sporting your crisp navy blue and white uniforms, checking fare DAILY.  Now, before, a fare inspector was a rare sight.  So rare that I used to have panic attacks when I saw one of you because I was afraid the ink on my newly stamped All-Zone ticket has smeared from holding it firmly between my anxious and sweaty fingers.  Or I would have day-mares that I would mix up my current pass with one from the week before that I had inadvertently thrown into my bag.  But now, you are predictable.  And I thank you for that.  Thank you for so diligently inspecting EVERYONE’s fare, for kicking off the low-lifes who try to cheat, and for thanking those of us who don’t.  Thank you for freeing up seats for paying customers.  I only hope that it’s not “just a phase” that you all will grow out of.  Truthfully, when people see you all stepping onto the train, they behave (most of the time).  And the ones who don’t, well…thank you for kindly escorting them off, because more often than not, the misbehaving ones don’t pay fare.  Just please keep it up.  Don’t get lazy.  I know I’m not the only one when I say that I actually enjoying riding Max much more now that I know you all are out there.  For us.

Be well,

Mrs. Trimetiquette, Jess Bullock