Abstract: This article describes how the city of Portland, OR is struggling to stay on top of the public transit industry because of reduced revenue and federal funding, combined with unsustainable employee costs. The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMET), the regional transit agency that runs buses, commuter and light rail, faces a budget shortfall of up to $17 million next fiscal year. The Portland Bureau of Transportation, which manages the streetcar, faces a $16 million gap. Local officials are still developing budgets, but it is virtually certain that leaders of a region long known for a commitment to multimodal transportation will have to increase fares and reduce service to balance budgets in 2013. Especially significant will be the likely end of the Free Rail Zone, which is an innovative program that provides no-cost rides in the city center. What is less clear is how significant Portland’s challenges will be in the future. Most government officials say these are temporary setbacks that won’t change the region’s future priorities, but some critics believe that is exactly what needs to happen. While working through its budget problems, TriMet is pursuing a massive expansion of a seven-mile $1.5 billion light rail line to the suburb of Milwaukie scheduled for 2015. This has many wondering how the agency can afford new projects when there is not enough to keep up existing operations.
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
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