My wife works in Beaverton, she normally uses a two bike system so she doesn’t have to hassle with bringing a bike on the Max. But unfortunately yesterday this wasn’t the case.

Blue line 185th Stop:
She was about to board, when she saw that Trimet ticket checkers were not letting cyclists board unless there was an empty hanger for their bike. Train after train they were kicking people off from previous stops, a group of 20-30 cyclists standing confused gathered. One was quoted “I guess I will ride to Portland…” My wife said one cyclist challenged them verbally and was given another ticket. His defense was that he was not blocking any one from moving in the cabin, and as he (and I) understood Trimet’s rules, this was allowed. No tolerance, bike on hanger or bike off train.

Here is my wife’s comment about the situation, taken from BikePortland comments:

Great work Trimet. You have ignored bike capacity issues, and now you are trying to force them off the train. Bravo.

*Update - Jonathan Maus from BikePortland.org pointed out that this is not a new issue:

http://bikeportland.org/2007/04/20/trimets-bike-policy-differs-from-actual-enforcement/

What makes me even more upset, is this line:

“we have clarified this point with our inspectors and expect no further issues in this regard.”

Here we are a little over a year later, same issue my friend.

**UPDATE2 -

BikePortland has contacted TriMet and has received a response, read here:
http://bikeportland.org/2008/06/27/trimet-security-still-saying-no-hook-no-ride/

 ***Update 3 -

BikePortland has another follow up based on another response from TriMet.

-Brewcaster

In a follow-up to his plea to put back the north end of Westmoreland / Harold Street light rail station in the Southeast light rail plans, Eric Norberg gives us more insight into TriMet’s thought process to exclude a light rail station in that particular area. His conclusion?

A one minute delay.

Apparently TriMet’s computer model calculates a delay of one minute if there was a Harold Street light rail station in the plans.

One minute.

Eric sums up his feelings (and I’m sure just about everyone elses on this matter):

“Think about it: A substantial number of Clackamas County commuters — says the computer — would be discouraged from taking a direct trip downtown on light rail — and presumably would turn back to their cars to make the trip, with $4 a gallon gas and all the delays commuters encounter on S.E. McLoughlin Boulevard — simply because of that “unacceptable” 60-second delay.”

Adding a station at Harold Street would only cause more ridership, an ease of congestion at a location that experiences it tremendously, a more cost-efficient means of transportation for public transportation riders around the area & more.

But yeah, that extra minute of commute time if it was planned? Yeah, so totally inconvenient…

Come on TriMet, wise up. This is getting a little ridiculous, don’t you think? Why are they so against building a station in an area that so desperately needs a light rail station? And one that was already figured into the plans in the first place and was taken off for who-knows-what-reason at some point of time.

TriMet has a rule to fold up your baby stroller when boarding the MAX. Those who have boarded MAX with a baby stroller know that this request is a tough one. The crowding on the MAX, your stroller condition & amount of goods that you have with the stroller & other factors play to a decision that many make: to find room & park your baby stroller wherever there is space.

Another TriMet rule is - if you have your baby stroller and are by a priority seating area, you need to move for seniors and people with disabilities. Whether this happens or not, it limits the space to put a baby stroller on the MAX.

With these rules & restrictions, the overarching question here is: what do you do if you board a MAX train with a baby stroller?

Simply put, TriMet’s rule to have to fold your stroller is absurd. Think about it - you get on the train and within seconds it’s moving, making you unsteady. So now you’re supposed to unseat your child and fold up a stroller while the MAX quickly accelerates, which always seems to result in some folks losing their balance.

But it’s not like people follow this rule; I’ve never seen someone fold a stroller. And I’ve seen lots of strollers while riding.

I already wrote about Activistas already talking about this issue in the past. What do you think?

New MAX trans are coming to Portland in Fall 2008!  Color me excited!  The new trains will be able to hold 36 more individuals per train and will be about seven feet longer than the existing MAX models.  They’ll also have air conditioning!  Take a look at this new MAX train sexy beast:

Love the new “aerodynamic” styling going on!  Makes it look so… so… 21st century.   Seating area illustration:

I’m loving the new look & design, but one thing that’s seemingly missing: more bike storage!   Finding room for the “bike hook area” even not during rush hour times can be hit-and-miss… and people are wanting a better solution for what we have now.  Well, I guess the increased capacity may help in clearing that area a bit… but I’d love to see some other areas riders with bikes can take their bike and ride on the MAX.

Guide dogs & TriMet - you see an occasional rider with one.  The dogs, themselves, are always obedient and not distracted (which every guide dog SHOULD be).

Read a story over at the Courageous Heart about a woman and her guide dog… and it’s written as a day in the life of an individual with a guide dog riding the bus & MAX.  And I have to say, seems like it’s always a fun (yet eventful) adventure.

My fiancee’s sister trains dogs… and downtown Portland, Oregon is a popular training ground for guide-dogs.  There’s even a guide dog campus located in Boring.

Definitely worth a read - it’s a really well-written story.

Eric Norberg, editor of THE BEE (Portland’s Inner Southeast neighborhood newspaper since 1906), wrote a heartfelt & informative letter addressing getting the Harold Station back into TriMet’s Inner Southeast light rail plans. Simply put, the Inner Southeast light rail plans have been on again off again so much in the last 10 years that it puts typical celeb couples to shame. Unfortunately, when plans were being brought to the table, the Westmoreland neighborhood rezoned itself back in the 90’s to accommodate these new light rail plans.

Well, fast forward nearly ten years from then and the Inner Southeast light rail plans are apparently ‘on’ again… with the north end of Westmoreland /Harold Street Station nowhere to be seen. Eric has an idea why the station was mysteriously not included in the updated plans:

“It is our (THE BEE’s) suspicion that this planned station vanished from the plan because of the cost of building the long and high footbridge over six lanes of McLoughlin Boulevard at that point.”

Eric goes on about how the light rail plans - after making sure TriMet knew that a station was planned for that area way back when they first were made - now include a station in the area.. but with an twist. He states:

“So now, the Harold light rail station IS back on the map — with an asterisk. It is not yet safe from disappearing from the plan again. We understand a final decision on whether or not it will be included “will be made in June”. So now, it is again time for us to make our case for it.”

The main point that he hammers home is that TriMet shouldn’t think of this as ‘adding’ a station on Harold Street… it is “it is simply restoring what was planned there from the beginning.” Eric ends with a very well-written summary of the letter & some requests:

“So, since apparently it is still officially uncertain, THE BEE now once again politely demands that the Harold Street station be made a permanent part of the Inner Southeast light rail plans as they go forward. A 1-1/2 mile gap between stations at that particular point is contrary to the neighborhood zoning, and would preclude the north end of Westmoreland, the Reed neighborhood, and Reed College from having practical access to a vital transportation link.

Attention TriMet and the City of Portland: Please include the Harold Station, build the footbridge over the Union Pacific tracks at Reedway, and upgrade the Harold Street light for responsiveness to pedestrians and vehicles and to for improved safety.”

Reading through the letter and seeing the kinds of things the Westmoreland area has done to accomondate light rail near their area… and seeing as how plans to include a station were originally in the light rail plans that were made back in the 20th century… I think not putting a station with an included walkway / footbridge and upgrading the Harold Street light would be a major disservice to Inner Southeast Portland and a missed opportunity of expanding affordable public transportation throughout Portland.

I’ve already written a post about TriMet & their involvement with the Cinco de Mayo festival going on at the Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park May 1 - 4… but I saw a little tidbit of NEW news in a new press release put out by TriMet.

Apparently, when the festival is up and running, MAX light rail trains will be running near the waterfront every 10 - 15 minutes. If you’re planning on going, paying your fare and taking the MAX would be a great way to get there this weekend.

Justin over at neverbeencool wrote a long blog post about breaking his streak of 49 days without coffee, Kashi goLEAN & the width of a TriMet max seat. Turns out the width is probably around the average for a plane’s seat… which ranges from 17 - 18 inches wide. He goes on:

“Or rather, on me. Because that’s really all there’s room for. If you’re the same size as me or wider, and you aren’t willing to spill out into the aisle, you will not fit without crushing me against the wall or sitting my lap. And either of those are likely to make me wanna shank a bitch.”

Gotta say, I lawled when I read that section 

Smear has pictures of an side advertisement gone awry on the red line MAX.  I’ve seen this particular advertisement and never really noticed that peculiarity about it before.

Hey!  In my “birds & the bees” talks I had with my Mem Mem & Pep Pep when growing up, they never taught me about anything called a “jacking point”! 

Good observation!

Hey, you didn’t know?  MAX operators need to go to the bathroom too!  But when they’re transporting us from Gresham to Beaverton or Beaverton to Gresham (or anywhere in between), when are they able to go to the bathroom?

Well, a TriMet light rail operator has an interesting story about her most recent journey of having to hold it in.  And I gotta say, it’s a pretty funny story.  And honestly, not something I really thought of before… at work, I have the luxury to go ‘relieve’ when I feel the need to.  When you’re commandeering a light rail train… that’s a different story.

Anyway, too funny and definitely a blog I’ll be keeping an eye out on.  She has a nice writing narrative and, judging by how much I enjoyed a story about her putting her bladder “to the ultimate test”, I’ll probably enjoy more of her stories.