Friday, January 30, 2009

Amtrak 516

SUNSET BOB INTERVIEWED ON CHANNEL SIX DURING STORM!

MY CHAT WITH ADRON HALL REGARDING THE WES AND FARELESS SQUARE

http://www.box.net/shared/static/ki58xnh1ut.doc

THEY ARE ATTACHED TO GETTING SOMETHING FOR NOTHING..while everybody else pays through the nose

http://blog.oregonlive.com/foster-powell/2009/01/an_ethos_for_a_fareless_city.html#preview

BOB ON THE JOB

BOB EXPLAINS THE BIKE LOCKERS TO CUSTOMER

NEW MONUMENT IN IRAQ UNVIELED

CURRENT VISUAL OF 6TH AVE TRANSIT MALL-via I 5 and Market

MORE NEWS REPORTS ON FARE LESS SQUARE

TriMet: Free Downtown Bus Rides May End - Portland News Story ...

NORTH TERMINAL FLOODED



PORTLAND, Ore. - A large water main ruptured in northwest Portland on Thursday, forcing the closure of a portion of Northwest Hoyt Street.

The water main broke under Northwest Hoyt Street between Northwest 3rd and 4th Avenues, spilling a significant amount of water onto the roadway.

Portland Water Bureau crews quickly shut the main down and closed the immediate area due to the amount of standing water.

Two buildings are without water service - a TriMet Operator Building and a vacant USPS building.

The cause of the rupture has not yet been determined.

For further updates, check the Portland Water Bureau's Water Blog.

STEVE BANTA EXPLAINS CRUTCHES AND COMMENTS ON THE OPERATOR REPORT

Hi Al.....You info is immediate. I have a tear in the medial meniscus and will follow up with an orthopedic visit on Monday morning to discuss treatment options. Your "man" on the spot discussed with me the operators dislike for the elimination of the "operators report". I'm surprised that so many miss it, based on the number that were left behind at the payday stations every other week.
Steve

>it is true that many reports were just left behind, but one report could end up being read by numerous people as they were left in buses or in break rooms<

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE-From Portland Transport

Continue reading "Construction Update"

UNREAL ART

http://www.guzer.com/videos/needle-art.php

Thursday, January 29, 2009

THE STRIPPER-watch to end

CHECK OUT THESE PICS!

ACTUAL FLIGHT PATHS OF 911 FLIGHTS-2 actually crossed paths!

http://www.kerman94.com/911-Flights.HTM

BUILD THE DAMN BRIDGE RIGHT!

Columbia River Crossing

AH HA! DEVELOPERS DREAMS COME TRUE WITH WES

As Trimet's WES Commuter Rail Opens, Transit-Oriented Villebois ...

GET RID OF FARE LESS SQUARE

RECESSION? NOT IF YOU WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT

City's top managers rake in the big bucks

PORTLAND TRANSPORTS DREAMS COME TRUE!

Changes in D.C. could brighten streetcar plans

TIME TO CHANGE THE FARELESS SQUARE

Next stop: Not-So-Fareless Square?

Unleash Your Inner Duck

Unleash Your Inner Duck

MERLO STATION EXEC ATTENDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING?

JASON MCHUFF OFFERS SIMPLE EXPLANATION FOR 89

TRANSIT ENTHUSIAST AND ALL AROUND NICE GUY JASON BARBOUR


ATTENDING THE TRIMET BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

OTHER REASONS TO NOT LIKE SAM

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2009/01/385731.shtml

MASS TRANSIT STRUGGLING

Mass Transits Report Hike In Riders, Fund Decline

SUNSET BOB UPDATE-01/27/09

15 Creative, Innovative & Hilarious Parking Solutions

From Portland Transport:
15 Creative, Innovative & Hilarious Parking Solutions

ONLY IN AMERICA-parts fall off and kill people in this video

INSTANT REPLAY! MY FAVORITE GLOBAL WARMING MOVIE

TRIMET BOARD OF USELESS BODIES WIMPS OUT AGAIN

The TriMet Board of Directors meeting is Wednesday, January 28, at 9 a.m. The revised agenda does not include Ordinance 306 (updating regulations governing service animals, transport of pets and shopping carts) which will be considered at a later date. More

LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW


Tualatin Times
Look outside: Yeah, that’s more snow
Tualatin Times - Portland,OR,USA
TriMet is taking the threat of snow seriously, chaining up 20 buses and dispatching four "ice-cutter" MAX trains to keep the train's overhead electric lines ...


Roads jammed as snow falls and sticks
The Oregonian - OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USA
So can transit commuters: TriMet has 20 buses chained up and ready to be dispatched to cover Mt. Tabor, Mt. Scott and the West Hills, as needed. ...

some stuff+FRED DOES MAGIC TRICKS!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

1/24/09

SAM SHOOTS/SAM SCORES/ OREGONIAN HAS THE BALL

Report: Sam Adams will stay as Portland Mayor
City Commissioner Randy Leonard says the embattled mayor left a message for him Sunday morning. -- The Oregonian
Read the update

BOB FOSTER AS SANTA BUS DRIVER

THEY LOVE HIM/THEY HATE HIM

TOP TEN TECHOLOGIES TO HELP COMMUTERS

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,482565,00.html

MORE ON THE MAX ACCIDENT

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/accident_disrupts_max_service.html

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/january252009/tri_met_crash_1-25-09.php

ARE CYCLISTS EVIL?

http://marvol19.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/cyclists-are-evil/

CAN ADAMS BE PROSECUTED?

http://isaac.blogs.com/isaac_laquedem/2009/01/isaac-provides-an-election-law-primer-to-kate-brown.html

THE STICKY DETAILS! oh boy....the porno pictures should be coming!

Beau Breedlove tells of his romance as a 17-year-old with Sam Adams
The former legislative intern at the center of the controversy involving Portland Mayor Sam Adams says Adams kissed him twice when he was 17 and that their relationship had "crossed the line" toward romance earlier than Adams has acknowledged. -- The Oregonian
Read the update

TRANSIT SLEUTH RIDES THE WES!

http://adronbhall.com/blogs/my_transportation_obsession/post/2009/01/24/WES-Time-Rolling-on-the-Flange-Wheel.aspx

TRIMETIQUETTE WES STORY

http://www.trimetiquette.com/wes-and-me-westside-express-service/

TRIMET BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Local meetings for Jan. 24

MAX CRASH


MAX service has been restored in Hillsboro after an accident blocked the tracks between Washington/12th Ave and Hatfield Government Center stations Saturday night.

Friday, January 23, 2009

I RIDE THE WES-PART 1

JASON SAYS HI TO SAM+RIDES THE WES!!

SAM'S PROBLEMS

FOREST GROVE WANTS RAIL

FINAL LIVE REPORT

MORE LIVE REPORTS

LIVE REPORT FROM WES

STEVE BANTA


Tony Bryant and Bruce Miller

I have two important announcements to make regarding changes in the Operations division. Tony Bryant and Bruce Miller have decided to retire from TriMet. I want to thank them for their outstanding commitment to the agency and for their excellent service to their community. Their impacts on TriMet are notable, and I would like to take a moment to remind you of some of their impressive achievements.

Tony began working with TriMet in 1973 as a cleaner. During his 35 ½ years here he worked as a helper, a mechanic, a training manager, a garage manager and finally as the director of bus maintenance. Among his many accomplishments includes leading the agency towards new bus technologies for reducing fuel emissions and increasing fuel economy. Because of Tony’s willingness to seek out and test new bus technologies, TriMet is an innovative and respected leader for its environmental stewardship. TriMet’s mean distance between road calls on the bus fleet increased dramatically under Tony’s direction, to numbers that other transit agencies do envy.

Bruce began working at TriMet in 1975 as a mechanic helper. During his almost-34 years of employment here, Bruce had many achievements, including: his commitment to implementing and providing leadership in the Productivity Improvement Process, development of the preventative maintenance program, creation of the bus apprenticeship program, and recently his excellent work mentoring the members of the Operations Leadership Development Program. Bruce worked in a variety of departments during his tenure, including Bus Maintenance, Rail Maintenance and Transportation Training, and was closely involved in the successful opening of three MAX extensions.

from our General Manager, we are facing significant budget challenges in the coming year. With this in mind, I will be combining the bus and rail maintenance departments under one director, who will work closely with me to ensure that we are looking at the maintenance of our vehicles and MOW systems as a unified, total transit system.

Until this position is filled, I will work directly with Mark Grove, Dan Blair and Roland Henson to oversee the activities of the Rail Maintenance Department. I will also work directly with Tom Nielson, Mike Grove, Bob Johnson and Greg Haley to oversee bus maintenance activities.

Thank you for your continued support.

Document Actions

SAM SAM SAM......

Adams stays home as support crumbles
Adams says to expect decision 'within days'
Supporters to make statement today for Portland Mayor Sam Adams

NEW TRANSIT MALL GUIDE





Click to enlarge.


TriMet promises that downtown Portland's new transit mall will mean a better commute for bus and light-rail riders.

But with daily changes on Fifth and Sixth avenues, including test runs in freshly striped bus lanes, there's no lack of confusion. Is it OK to drive on the MAX tracks? What's up with those new signals? Where's the best place to get information?

This handy-dandy graphic and map should help. As a bonus, we offer five things every commuter should know to prepare for the $220 million transit mall's opening in September:

Most intersections on Fifth and Sixth will no longer allow right turns because they would cross new light-rail tracks and bus lanes. But signal-controlled right turns will be allowed at Fifth and Jackson, Sixth and Harrison and Sixth and Irving. Vehicles will be able to turn left every other block.

MAX signals are about to go live. The upper horizontal bar tells the train to stop or stay at a station. The lower vertical bar means go. When a train has the right of way at an intersection, a regular red light will hold back bus and car traffic.

Tracks and bus lanes eventually will be off-limits to cars. Left-hand traffic lanes are for motorists, delivery trucks, taxis and cyclists. Buses are allowed in left lanes when necessary (to get around a stopped MAX train, for example). So be prepared to share the road.

The city is in the process of removing parking spots placed on the mall during construction, which began in January 2007. All but a few short-term metered spaces will be gone by March 2 and possibly earlier, since cyclists have started to raise safety concerns about parked cars giving them little room to ride.

Go to portlandmall.org to learn more. To see a computer-animated movie of how the mall will look and work, visit The Oregonian's Hard Drive commuting blog at oregonlive.com/harddrive

--Joseph Rose

from the desk of a wes supporter

route99west.com | addendum

NEW ITEM AVAILABLE

http://www.zazzle.com/robustoman/gifts?cg=196822861486191079

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

CRASH INTO HUDSON

WES TRAIN ROLLS OUT FOR INAUGURAL RUN


One of TriMet's new Westside Express Service trains departs the Beaverton Transit Center for a ceremonial opening ride for dignitaries, journalists and others Wednesday. Full service begins Feb. 2.

BEAVERTON -- TriMet showed off its new commuter train Wednesday at a "first ride" for westside community leaders, the first public passengers on its route between Beaverton and Wilsonville.

The Westside Express Service started as a proposal to ease congestion along the Interstate 5 corridor. After 14 years of planning and troubles with its manufacturers, full service will begin Feb. 2. Trains will run about every 30 minutes Monday through Friday during morning and evening rush hours.

WES video

To see a video from Wednesday's run of the Westside Express Service commuter train, go to the Hard Drive commuter blog.

"This is not the silver bullet for congestion," Tom Brian, chairman of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, said. "But it's silver buckshot: part of the transportation solution, in a way."

Transit officials estimate that WES will have 2,400 riders a day as soon as service begins. They expect it to reach 4,600 by 2020. Three self-propelled cars and one trailer will complete 32 round trips a day. Each car has about 80 seats, along with standing room and space for bicycles and wheelchairs.

In addition, WES will have free Wi-Fi onboard and interactive public art at each of its five stops. Parking for cars and bicycles will be available at most of the stops.

WES conductors Tad Johnson (left) and Matt Koon check the time just before the train leaves the Beaverton center for Wilsonville.

"(We will provide) daily, reliable service and superior customer service," said Jeff Lowe, TriMet's director of commuter rail.

WES was supposed to start running last fall but was delayed because of trouble with the company contracted to build the train. TriMet had to take control of the company, Colorado Railcar Manufacturing, after it ran out of money to complete the vehicles.

Still, Brian said the final cost of the train would be comparable to building a new highway.

"It's another good day in Washington County," he said.


-- Megan Crepeau;
megancrepeau@news.oregonian.com


LIAR SAM

IRAQI SHOESTORE

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/bf2211325e/iraq-shoe-throwing-store-from-fod-team

GET BUSES OUT OF BUS LANES!

http://notagay.blogspot.com/2009/01/cyclists-campaign-to-get-buses-out-of.html

What Mechanical Engineers Do

What Mechanical Engineers Do
When They Retire.....

SAM ADAMS RETIREMENT BLOG

http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/new-column/Content?oid=1071137

HARRY TALKS ABOUT ELECTION

FORMER ATU TREASURER SENTENCED FOR THEFT

by The Oregonian
Wednesday January 21, 2009, 3:19 PM

A former TriMet labor leader was sentenced to a year in prison today for stealing more than $450,000 in union benefit funds.

Thomas V. Wallace, 50, of Wamic, admitted in May 2007 to forging checks drawn on bank accounts controlled by Local 757 of the Amalgamated Transit Union.

During the sentencing hearing, Wallace's attorneys asked the court for leniency, noting that Wallace had repaid about $140,000 to the union. They also claimed that the thefts were the result of a gambling addiction and other personal and health related circumstances.

U.S. District Court Judge Garr King ordered that he could remain working and repaying his debt until July, when he must report to prison. He will be allowed to leave his home only for work, medical appointments or as permitted by his probation officer.

Wallace served as the elected financial secretary and treasurer of the union since 1997. The union represents transit workers in Oregon and southwest Washington, including about 2,100 of TriMet's 2,500 employee

ITS WES TIME

It’s WES Time! TriMet’s new WES Commuter Rail service, connecting Wilsonville, Tualatin, Tigard and Beaverton, opens Monday, February 2, 2009. We’d like to invite you to celebrate with us:

January 30: Free WES preview rides
Come out for a free ride on Friday, January 30, 2009, between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (Space is limited. Rides will be on a first come, first served basis.) Learn more

February 2-6: WES Week
Join us for activities and giveaways at every station as WES opens for service. Learn more

Learn more about WES at trimet.org/wes.

We’ll see you there!

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!

In addition to free WES rides on January 30 as part of the WES Commuter Rail Grand Opening Celebration, we're now offering a limited number of preview rides on January 23, 26, 27 and 28 between 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Space is limited, so act quickly to reserve your ride! RSVP now by calling 503-962-6474 or email hupperid@trimet.org.

SAM HIRES AMY RUIZ TO SHUT HER UP!

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/01/adams_says_reporters_hiring_no.html

Friday, January 16, 2009

JASON MCHUFF'S TIME LAPSE WEB CAM-2 DAYS IN 2 MINUTES

SUNSET TRANSIT COMMITTEE MAKES RECCOMENDATIONS

WORLD ECONOMY EXPLAINED IN COW CURRENCY

SAFETY FENCE

WES

TriMet will stage the WES (Westside Express Service) systemwide grand opening at the Tigard Transit Center, 8960 S.W. Commercial St., the morning of Friday, Jan. 30. After the opening ceremonies, the agency will give free rides to the public from about 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

MISC VLOG 1/14/09

ROGER WEIDNER DEMANDS JUSTICE!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Oregon cuts have severe impact on Multnomah County's budget

Oregon cuts have severe impact on Multnomah County's budget

DIGNATARIES TO ATTEND WES OPENING

DRIVER BLACKS OUT!

TriMet driver blacks out and rear-ends vehicle at red light

09:58 AM PST on Wednesday, January 14, 2009

By KGW Staff

PORTLAND – A Tri-Met bus driver reportedly blacked out and rear-ended a vehicle in front of him in Southeast Portland Wednesday morning but no one was seriously injured.

TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetch said the bus operator called dispatch just after 8 a.m. and said he was dizzy and blacked out while the bus was stopped at a red light on SE 17th Avenue.

Fetch said the driver realized he had lifted his foot from the brake and hit the vehicle in front of him. That caused that vehicle to hit the vehicle in front of it as well.

The driver of the bus was transported to a local hospital by ambulance but no one else had any injuries or medical problems.

SPONSER AN EXECUTIVE

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x80vlj_sponsoranexecutive_fun

Monday, January 12, 2009

TONY BRYANT-rumors circulate about this guy

STEVE BANTA BLOG?

STEVE BANTA RESPONDS TO ONE OF THE FARE EVASION STORIES!

1/12/09 Recent story on fare inspection

by Steve Banta last modified Jan 12, 2009 03:58 PM

There is more to the story than you might think.

Last week there was an article in The Oregonian about a customer who was issued a citation for not paying her fare on MAX. The article took issue with one of our supervisors issuing a citation to a customer who had intended to pay her fare, but was unable to because she allegedly could not locate a functioning ticket vending machine.

No doubt we have challenges with our fare equipment, and we are doing a number of things to improve this. I am very aware of the frustration that this has caused the riding public, and also to our employees in the field who have the challenging job of enforcing our fare policies.

What you didn't read in the article was the fact that this was not the first time the customer had been in this situation. The incident that was reported on last week followed two written warnings and a previous citation—all for the same offense.

I think it is important to know that there are at least two sides to any story. The perception was that our employee was overly aggressive in her enforcement of fare policy; the reality is that some people may believe that paying their fare on TriMet vehicles is optional. In this case, neither could be further from the truth.

STEVE BANTA STARTS HIS BLOG!

NO COMMENTS ACCEPTED YET BUT THIS IS PRETTY EXCITING AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED!

1/7/09 Thank you for rising to the challenge

by Steve Banta last modified Jan 09, 2009 02:03 PM

I want to thank each and every operator for your tremendous response to the snow and ice challenges of the last few weeks. While there will continue to be debate about whether or not TriMet made the right decisions for our customers, there is no doubt that the men and women who operate and maintain our system on the front line went to heroic efforts to keep the service moving.

This was a forty-year storm. Throughout the series of events, bus and rail operators acted as the face of TriMet, serving record numbers of customers and showing them what it means to be a true professional. Be assured that we are looking very closely at how our response can be improved in the future. I understand that the decision to dramatically reduce bus service on December 22 was painful for operators and your customers, and that you had very little time to prepare. It was not an easy decision to make. With more than 130 buses stuck that morning and our maintenance and bus rescue crews spread across the region, we were facing an even greater breakdown of the bus system. Again, the decision was not made lightly, and there are many lessons learned from the process.

We have received many comments from customers about the efforts of operators. This only confirms what I already know to be true: Regardless of the challenge, our operators are committed to their customers and the important work that they do every single day. You should all be commended.