Seattle Times: Light rail envy
T.A. Barnhart
In 2009, about the time Portland will complete its fourth light rail line, Seattle will finally get around to adding its first. Seattle Times columnist Danny Westland spent two days in the Rose City riding MAX to experience light rail — and he loved it.
It didn't take more than two minutes for me to be impressed. That's how long I waited to catch my first train in downtown Portland.In two days of riding the rails, on 14 different trains, the longest I waited for one to come was eight minutes. That was at 11 on a Sunday night.
The longest any of my trains spent stopped at a station was 25 seconds — even when 75 rush-hour commuters tried to board a crowded train at once. I've waited much longer for a single rider to get on a Seattle bus, fumbling for change or arguing with the driver.
I will say this for Seattle buses: The main lines do seem to operate more dependably, and the cost is less than Portland's. Seattle does do buses pretty well. It's all the rest they can't seem to get right.
"What is wrong with Seattle?" It's not me who asks it. It's the woman next to me, Debby Fehrenbach, of Hillsboro, Ore. She is commuting 15 miles on Portland's MAX electric light rail to her job at a Portland software firm.Fehrenbach lived in Seattle for 25 years. She moved here two years ago. Part of the reason, she says, is because of how stuck Seattle is.
"I love Seattle, but I kind of gave up on it," she says. "It's a bus city. In Portland it's so easy and fast to get around, you feel like you don't even have to have a car anymore."
Next month, Seattle-area voters will decide if they are going to expand light rail or, as they have been doing for years, vote to trap themselves in their cars on I5. Anyone who has spent time in Seattle can see for themselves: Norning and evening, drivers sit in their cars, crawling to and from work; Mariners games are interupted for traffic reports — after 7pm. The same people then spend the weekend crawling to and from wherever they need to drive to, radios tuned to endless traffic reports and cell phones connecting them to the world that's not trapped in cars. I came to the obvious, albeit uncharitable, conclusion that they really just not that bright. And Westland appears to agree with me:
All I'm saying in this column is that if we build more light rail, we will love it. As Portland plainly does. It's pricey. But it's reliable, quiet and, when designed so the tracks aren't right in the street, fast.So maybe we'll start acting like a big city and build some real rapid transit.
Or, maybe we'll go on as "Seattle: Bus City, USA."
Forced to forever face that awkward question from our smaller, smarter friends to the south.
 |
More Recent Posts | |
Albert Kaufman |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
Kari Chisholm |
Final pre-census estimate: Oregon's getting a sixth congressional seat |
Albert Kaufman |
Polluted by Money - How corporate cash corrupted one of the greenest states in America |
Guest Column |
|
Albert Kaufman |
Our Democrat Representatives in Action - What's on your wish list? |
Kari Chisholm |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
connect with blueoregon
9:54 a.m.
Oct 10, '07
Note the boarding times argument -- it's another argument for prepaid (aka fareless) transit. Fare collection slows the system, causes conflicts, and discourages transit use.
For the sake of climate change, we need to go to a system whereby all our transit is fareless (paid for through employer, hotel, and household taxes). Yes, I understand light rail isn't fareless, rather tickets that are checked randomly. I think it should be fareless.
Oct 10, '07
I agree, lite rail should be paid for prior to the actual use, and not by the actual user. It would be faster if nobody paid anything when they got on and off. And it would be better it everybody paid, regardless of if they use it or not. Hotel taxes would capture the tourist, state income taxes would capture the workers, maybe a special sales tax would capture the people who don't work or stay in hotels. If people who don't use it (ie Medfordonians who are not enlightened enough to come to Portland and ride lite rail) complain, well that is too bad for them. Maybe we should extend the taxes to beyond the state... yeah, lets get the federal government to fund the 100% instead of just the majority of it.
Oct 10, '07
I prefer Evan's smart argument to Harry's stupid one.
Oct 10, '07
And I thought Evan's argument was enlightened instead of just smart. Thanks for exposing us all to your preference.
11:04 a.m.
Oct 10, '07
what's really sad about Seattle (past 7-year resident) is that the voters passed a number of resolutions approving a new monorail line. Over and over again it was shown that this would be cheaper to build and easier to operate and less disruptive to current traffic and the other 1,000 reasons why it would be been better than light rail. only thing was, Seattle was stuck on light rail. not sure if it was the cash cow aspect, unions who were attached to the jobs, or exactly what, but eventually, the monorail option was overturned on the 3rd vote (I believe) and thus is out of the picture.
The light rail system in Seattle was such a contentious issue. Lots of NIMBYism, lots of questionable land-grabbing, and lots of really questionable politics. I lived in the South End (Beacon Hill) during the late 90s and early oughts and watched and tried to effect some positive change, during that time. It was ugly.
anyway, I do hope Seattle gets it together, it would be lot more fun place to visit, for one things. but for the Seattle-lites themselves and their quality of life, twood be a good thing.
Uff-Da!
Oct 10, '07
Thanks for posting this, Mr. Barnhart. When it comes to transit, Portland is truly blessed compared to our northern neighbor. One can only hope that they will finish their light rail line and continue to get their act together in joining land use and transportation at the hip.
As for the "free transit" argument, we already have fareless square in downtown Portland. If a fair way of paying for it (that doesn't tax people in Medford or Miami) can be found, I would like to have a year of free mass transit in Portland, just to see what the change in ridership is. A noble experiment.
12:14 p.m.
Oct 10, '07
years ago, TriMet attempted an honor system method, with the idea of relieving the drivers of taking fares & speeding things up. lots of fare inspectors, little doohickeys on the bus to validate tickets -- it was a resounding failure.
fareless, however, is something that might work. institute it with the opening of the new MAX line in 2009, see if commuter traffic (car) dropped, TriMet ridership increased. at some point, we are going to have to do something radical to get people out of their cars. i doubt $5 gal gas will do it; perhaps $0 ride transit might start the process.
Oct 10, '07
I say get rid of fareless square for good. Homeland security was appalled by it when they looked it over, and it encourages the abusive ridership and behavior of bums and their parasitic ilk. I can not ride MAX without hearing mutiple f-bombs and other abusive language in front of children and watching bums annoy business people and tourists with requests for money and drugs. MAX may look neat on the outside, but it is severely offensive on the inside. This is why some of my co-workers in other cites will never take MAX from the airport or just will not visit Portland at all.
Oct 10, '07
I don't think it's fair to expect people in Medford, or Bend, or Happy Valley, or anywhere, to pay for public transit they never use. But I like the idea of not paying once you get on the bus. Why hasn't Portland pursued an electronic payment scheme? For example, you purchase a card with a certain amount of money on it, which translates to a certain number of rides. When riders get on the bus, they swipe the card past a scanner (like ID cards to get into secured buildings, or like on the DC subway), and move along. As long as your card has money, you can ride, and you can refill your card at all the places you can currently buy TriMet tickets.
This seems like an efficient system that doesn't require outside payment or a dramatic change in the current system. Monthly and weekly unlimited passes could still be sold, as well, or you could put a specific amount of money on the card.
1:05 p.m.
Oct 10, '07
You say that like it's a BAD thing!
Seriously, I have lived in Portland and ridden buses and MAX on a daily basis during that time, and have never been asked for drugs on any bus or MAX, and I am almost never asked for money there, maybe once or twice a year.
Your colleagues' point of view just doesn't make sense to me. Where are these people coming from? Don't they ever experience urban life?
I ride the MAX to and from my job in Washington County and my home on the east side of Portland every morning and evening. It can be a little noisy and crowded in the evenings but I've always thought that it's good when trains are full.
I don't think it's fair to expect people in Medford, or Bend, or Happy Valley, or anywhere, to pay for public transit they never use.
I don't have a car. Why should I pay for roads or bridges anywhere, especially in Medford or Bend or Happy Valley? The answer is: because we are all part of the Oregon community and we should spend our resources in such a way as to provide the most positive impact in each locale, and overall for the state. That means transit in densely populated places, like Portland.
Why hasn't Portland pursued an electronic payment scheme? For example, you purchase a card with a certain amount of money on it, which translates to a certain number of rides. When riders get on the bus, they swipe the card past a scanner (like ID cards to get into secured buildings, or like on the DC subway), and move along. As long as your card has money, you can ride, and you can refill your card at all the places you can currently buy TriMet tickets.
They have a system like this in Hong Kong. It's called an Octopus card and it is good not only for cars and buses, but also in grocery stores, 7-11s, and various other cash establishments. In Shanghai they have a similar system and the taxis are set up to accept it as well. This would be a really great thing if it could be done in Portland.
Oct 10, '07
With increasing levels of intimdation and violence on the Eastside Max, free rides won't do it for a lot of people.
Four people were rousted from their seats Tuesday evening by three 15- 18 year old African American youths, all of them sucking "binkys'. (what's up with the Binkys anyway?) A few of us refused the "offer" to stand and that refusal resulted in some intimidation by the young pacifier sucking teens and one of the young men beaten to the floor of the train and then deposited out of the bus on to the pavement at 162nd and Burnside station, with a minimum of a broken fibia.
Max is increasingly not a very safe place to be.
Oct 10, '07
Free rides would increase the incidents of intimidation and violence system-wide. Yet TriMet always plays this down and gives us propaganda and company excuses to explain it away and just does nothing to help the situation.
Oct 10, '07
Seattle Times: All I'm saying in this column is that if we build more light rail, we will love it.
JK: Take a look at how it looks: PortlandFacts.com/Transit/RailMenu.html
Seattle Times: As Portland plainly does. It's pricey.
JK: Portland MAX costs about 4-5 times what driving costs when you include construction. See: PortlandFacts.com/Transit/Cost-Cars-Transit(2005).htm
The high cost ends up taking money out of the bus system and hurting low income people that are usually still stuck with the bus: “January represents the third consecutive month of declining weekly boardings,” wrote TriMet staffer Nancy Jarigese in a cover letter that summarized the report. “It appears that the combined effects of service cuts and fare increases are beginning to depress ridership.” portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=35639
Seattle Times: But it's reliable, quiet and, when designed so the tracks aren't right in the street, fast.
JK: Except when a problem occurs, trains cannot go around, the whole line clogs up. Buses just drive around a problem or take a neighboring street.
It also kills lots of people on a per passenger mile basis: PortlandFacts.com/Transit/MAXSafetyChart.html
If they told you about developent that rail caused, I'll bet they forgot to tell you about the subsidies and the fact that NO DEVELOPMENT occurred before the subsidies. See: PortlandFacts.com/Transit/LightRailDevelopment.htm saveportland.com/
Thanks JK
Oct 10, '07
So Jim K. Are you posting here because you think the people in Seattle will read it and not approve any more light rail lines? You can't realistically believe you are going to win the argument here in Portland because that train left the station at least a decade ago. (Pun intended.) No matter how many times you refer people to your website you must admit we have just about run out of places to put a light rail line. Maybe you ought to move on to street cars. Now there's a growth industry for you.
Greg C
3:35 p.m.
Oct 10, '07
So the over million Portland metro folks should get our money back for the massive spending it takes to build and maintain rural area state roads and highways, right?
I have no problem when far more portland metro people help pick up the tab for rural transportation systems (thousands of miles of roads) that we urban folks never use, but why is it always supposed to be a righteous rant when people outside of Portland rail (pun noted) against the use public funding to help build and maintain our urban transportation systems?
3:53 p.m.
Oct 10, '07
Karlock pulls some funny "facts" from a website that does not include the cost of road construction and repair, into the numbers they cite. Not to mention that the website uses national totals and not what usage is in specific metropolitan areas here in Oregon or the state totals.
Oct 10, '07
I work at the Rivergate Industrial Park just five miles north of one of the poorest sections of the city and the transportation to the Rivergate Industrial Park can be politely described at pathetically poor at best. With something in the neighborhood of twenty or more companies in the Park all paying a tax to Trimet we certainly should get better service. Unfortunately we do not and that becomes a major problem for many low income people in the adjacent area who might have a chance at getting an opportunity at good paying jobs, but who lack transportation. Fact of the matter is that the service was reduced when the Interstate line was opened.
Over the years I have seen more than one person riding a bicycle home after an eight hour shift at 11: o'clock at night in the winter rain and ice.
The only answer I have as to why is that we have to keep some people around who are poor so that we can brag about our diversity.
Lightrail may be cute, but it doesn't help solve anyone's poverty since money has been diverted from buses to pay for the rail. It doesn't reduce traffic congestion and it surely doesn't reduce pollution. It just shifts the pollution to Boardman where much of the power to run the lightrail is produced at PGE's coal fired plant, which I have heard is one of the worst in the country.
BTW curitiba, Brazil has what is considered the world's finest transit system and much of it is private and they see to have managed to figure out how to pay before boarding.
Telling the poor to take a backseat for the downtown workers and those who wish to feel good about helping the environment is no where near progressive in my mind. And yes I have contacted many a politician by letter about this issue, but never I have even seen any effort to correct the situation reply. Improved job opportunities might help solve some of the social problems that go along with poverty. But who gives a damn!
MW
4:52 p.m.
Oct 10, '07
Tell that to the NoPo area whose property value has boomed because of the Interstate LRT line.
5:18 p.m.
Oct 10, '07
Blueshift said: "Why hasn't Portland pursued an electronic payment scheme? For example, you purchase a card with a certain amount of money on it, which translates to a certain number of rides. When riders get on the bus, they swipe the card past a scanner (like ID cards to get into secured buildings, or like on the DC subway), and move along. As long as your card has money, you can ride, and you can refill your card at all the places you can currently buy TriMet tickets."
Stephanie replied:
"They have a system like this in Hong Kong. It's called an Octopus card and it is good not only for cars and buses, but also in grocery stores, 7-11s, and various other cash establishments. In Shanghai they have a similar system and the taxis are set up to accept it as well. This would be a really great thing if it could be done in Portland."
The system here in Seoul is similar where you have a transportation card and pay based on how far you go. It also allows you to freely transfer between buses and trains by swiping the card when you enter and exit them.
Oct 10, '07
What's wrong with Seattle? The same thing that's becoming wrong with Portland: Californians. These morons vote against everything that would be in the long term benefit of livability if it in any way infringes on their selfish, shallow, car-based suburban lifestyle. These assholes really give a good reason to pass a new US constitutional amendment to cancel out the 14th Amendment...
Oct 10, '07
lestatdelc writes: "Posted by: Michael Wilson | Oct 10, 2007 3:56:52 PM 'Lightrail may be cute, but it doesn't help solve anyone's poverty since money has been diverted from buses to pay for the rail.'
Tell that to the NoPo area whose property value has boomed because of the Interstate LRT line."
I screwed up. I thought people would understand I was writing about people who did not have much in the way of anything to begin with. I guess I can't assume people might be able to see the problem. Might I suggest you take a walk through NoPo sometime and talk to some of the people who are in need of decent opportunities.
MW
6:40 p.m.
Oct 10, '07
I go into NoPo all the time where friends of mine live. One of which within half a block of the MAX line from his front door. LRT helps development and helps the communities it services as well as the region as a whole.
6:43 p.m.
Oct 10, '07
Nonsense. Much of the shift in recent years form GOP to Dem is because of Californians who move here to get away form the sprawl and blight of California. You statement is not only insulting to many people who are staunch advocates in protecting what we have here in Oregon, so much so they moved here FROM California, but is devoid of fact and simply full of shit.
8:12 p.m.
Oct 10, '07
I don't think it's fair to expect people in Medford, or Bend, or Happy Valley, or anywhere, to pay for public transit they never use.
Well, actually, a big chunk of Tri-Met's funding comes from a tax levied only in the Tri-Met service area.
Oct 10, '07
Maybe the people in Seattle ealize that when every extra penny is thrown at lightrail and streetcars (unless you can tell me a project in Portland that's been cancelled for lack of money), suddenly you have no money for schools or police. Myabe they understand that light-rail isnt the panacea for every ill.
9:09 p.m.
Oct 10, '07
News Flash for Mr. Johnson: It ain't 1985 anymore. Get over it.
10:03 p.m.
Oct 10, '07
omg, could STeve have picked less factual info to toss around? much of the money for mass transit comes from the feds specifically for that purpose and from taxes for that purpose. and for the very good reason that a decent, livable, humane community is not built around the automobile. isolating ourselves in our cars, our homes, our gated communities is what makes strangers of neighbors and destroys community life.
the reason we have insufficient money for schools is M5, an insanely low corporate tax, M11 (increasing billions for prisons) and a host of other stupidities. MAX is no robbing our schools. but Kevin Mannix's nightmares are.
Oct 10, '07
"the money for mass transit comes from" . . . the taxpayers who get tired of schools being bottom priority because they aren't new and shiny like light rail vehicles.
Honestly, I really dont have anything against light rail - it is an issue of priorities in our society. However, people see transportation as our only issue. So now we get a 5 mph streetcar which will block traffic, but it sure will help the developers.
In addition, when Mr Adams goes to see Mr Blumenhauer they like to write this money as only being able to be used for light-rail/streetcars. This way they can always distract you with the I wish we could help, but our hands are tied.
And, no, Bush pissing away money in Iraq doesnt justify govt officials spending every bit of change building Sim City
9:57 a.m.
Oct 11, '07
Seattle envy? Over light rail, perhaps.
But Seattle "stupid"? I don't think so. Let's compare Seattle and Portland on a few other measures:
Median Income: $5000 higher for a household, $12,000 for a family, and $8000 per capita.
On those lower incomes, Oregonians pay higher income taxes, but no sales tax
But wait, it's cheaper to live here, right? According to the BLS, we're barely cheaper: on a 100 point scale (1984=100), Seattle = 211 and Portland = 205.
We do have significantly lower median home prices (about 80k lower). Cannot find comparable property tax rates.
Poverty rates: 4% lower.
Fortune 500 companies in the metro area: Seattle 9 (including 3 in the top 100), Portland 1. The more vigorous corporate environment translates into a much higher proportion of their state budget paid for by corporate taxes.
Research Universities: Seattle 1. Portland 0.
Unemployent: can't get precisely comparable numbers, but most indicate Seattle is .25%-.5% lower.
On most measures of public schools, King County, even with higher poverty rates, ranks ahead of PPS.
Seattle doesn't do well on light rail, but they sure seem to do everything else a hell of a lot better than we do.
Stupid? Stupid like a fox, I guess.
12:27 p.m.
Oct 11, '07
Paul G
Nike and Intel are both HQ here in the Portland metro area, and Xerox has the 2nd larger campus outside of their headquarters (Rochester NBY) in WIlsonville. Adiadas has their North American HQ in Portland as well. So your stats are not accurate.
Oct 11, '07
Lestadelc,
Excuse me: "Fortune 500 headquarters." Thanks for the correction.
Intel's corporate headquarters in is Santa Clara, by the way, nor Portland.
Oct 11, '07
An old transportation planner explained to me years ago, that "Charging for public transit in a big city is like charging for elevators in a tall building."
When people ride public transportation, everyone (and I mean everyone) benefits, not the least of the beneficiaries is our planet, our futures (because we won't use up our petroleum so fast), our health (for a great many reasons), our physical safety (needs no explanation) and our general quality of life when our streets are quiet, clean, safe, and available to everyone, not just people who choose to (or must) invest $15-50,000 in a couple of tons of steel and plastic.
Oh, and we would save trillions of dollars by investing just billions.
Oct 11, '07
If I lived in Seattle I'd be skeptical about buying a light rail system also. Light rail costs a ton to build and it probably never has a positive cash flow. (operating costs are greater than income not to mention the debt service)
Portland probably would've been ahead to take those several billion dollars that they spent on light rail and just put it in the bank and then use the interest to pay for buses. We could have had a large network of buses that would've run at zero fares since the interest on the billions would've paid for the operating costs. But ideas like that don't fit the mindset of the Portland elites so we ended up with light rail, trams, street cars, etc.
Oct 11, '07
Nonsense. Much of the shift in recent years form GOP to Dem is because of Californians who move here to get away form the sprawl and blight of California.
I'm almost certain that this has more to do with that the Democrats have taken over the middle ground Tom McCall, et. al., stood on as the Republicans reposition themselves as a far right party more than anything else. There are more Democrats in Oregon now because Reagan (another Californian... god, what the hell are they good for, anyway?) steered his party off a cliff.
You statement is not only insulting to many people who are staunch advocates in protecting what we have here in Oregon, so much so they moved here FROM California, but is devoid of fact and simply full of shit.
You're wrongly associating the cause of the problems with the solution. We wouldn't have to be so radically more strict about growth if we didn't have so many of these assholes bringing their problems with 'em from California. The right solution is to repeal the 14th amendment and take advantage of the 10th to close the state line from undesirables.
5:50 p.m.
Oct 11, '07
Paul, the only assholes in the discussion seem to be the ones throwing around accusations that Oregonians who moved here from California are assholes.
5:54 p.m.
Oct 11, '07
Point taken about Intel's HQ, though if we do that, then we can move Boeing out of Seattle since their HQ is in Chicago.