Friday, February 27, 2009

JEFF FRANE VOWS REVENGE!


I am going to get you, al. Not sure how, yet. But you're going to get it.

HUGE DEAD SNAKE

CLICK ON BREAST CANCER SITE SO THEY CAN GET FUNDS

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

MERCURY

http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2009/02/26/trimet_bus_line_death_watch

MAKING THE SWITCH

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/02/making_the_switch_to_mass_tran.html

Where do bus drivers get those snazzy uniforms?

Tri-Met - Portland, Oregon Photo Galleries:

http://www.busdrawings.com/Transit/oregon/portland/index.htm

INDIA GIVES UP ON PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT

http://blip.tv/file/1824130

Huh?

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/27/america/NA-US-Transportation-Security.php

Here it comes!

http://trimet.org/news/releases/feb27_portlandmallchanges.htm

WES DEBACLE OVER-until the next one

http://trimet.org/news/releases/feb27_wes_service.htm

JACK BOG

http://bojack.org/2009/02/nos_divertiremos_con_esto.html

ON THE JOB WITH SUNSET BOB-2/27/09 (4 vids)

WES UPDATE


Enjoy riding in comfort in TRIMET'S 20 year old 1400 series gillig buses! Sorry about the Wifi.


Sunday, February 22, 2009

February 21, 2009

Mike Feldman poses a question

http://portlandoregontransitnews.blogspot.com/2009/02/michael-feldman.html

STEVE BANTA



On Friday afternoon in front of four television cameras, Operator Mel Meyers was formally introduced to Naomi Love--a regular rider on his 15-Belmont bus--and her two daughters, who thanked him for saving her life on Monday, Feb. 16. While riding the bus Love had suffered a serious stroke. Doctors told Meyers that his quick thinking and actions not only saved her life, but also saved the quality of her life. The stroke was particularly severe, the type that kills 50 percent of those who experience one like it. Love is expected to fully recover from the stroke.

Meyers noticed a commotion in the aisle on Monday afternoon, and carefully pulled the bus to a stop where he notified Dispatch of the emergency before going to the fallen customer to see what had happened. Meyers observed that there was something seriously wrong with the customer, who was conscious but unresponsive--important information that allowed medical responders to determine that she had suffered a stroke.

This story demonstrates the professionalism and dedication of our bus and rail operators, who truly are a lifeline for our customers. When Meyers spoke with the family, he praised the training that he received and said that his actions were simply what any TriMet operator would do in such a situation.

This is the kind of dedication that is representative of our frontline employees. I know that many operators have had similar situations in which their actions have helped to save a person's life. Many times, we do not learn what ultimately happens to a person after they are taken from the bus by medical responders. In this case, the customer and her family members were able to thank our operator in person, and let him know how his careful attention had impacted their lives.

Meyers humbly accepted their thanks on behalf of his fellow operators, and told Love that he looks forward to seeing her back on the bus.

I am pleased to announce that TriMet and the ATU have reached an agreement to consolidate the Fare Technician and Communications Technician classifications into a new classification, Field Technician.

In recent years we have had challenges with the reliability of our fare equipment. The Fare Equipment Maintenance department has recently transitioned from Finance into the Operations division. There will be changes in the way that the department is managed, including the allocation of resources and the prioritization of repair work. There is a commitment by management, the union and employees that this process will be transparent, inclusive and respectful.

There are a number of reasons for creating the new classification. Foremost is our commitment to our riding public that we will provide functioning fare vending equipment on our rail platforms. By merging the two classifications we will immediately increase the number of qualified technicians who can work on our machines. Increasing the number of technicians will significantly increase our ability to respond quickly to down machines and increase the overall reliability of the equipment.

The consolidation of the classifications will provide existing Fare Technicians with the opportunity to gain additional skills and experience working on a wider range of equipment. Additionally, existing Communications Technicians will benefit from the opportunity to work on equipment that is more closely tied to the customer experience, bringing them closer to the core mission of our organization. There will be refresher training provided immediately to the Communications Technicians on fare equipment, so that they may hit the ground running. We are working to build a robust training curriculum that is consistent with our existing apprenticeship programs, and will provide our employees with the tools and knowledge that they need to be successful in the new classification.

In the coming weeks, Roland Henson, manager of MOW, the Supervisors and all Field Technicians will be working closely to examine the work that is needed and create a deployment plan and shift structure that will allow us to provide customers with working machines and Operations employees with a well-functioning system. The input from employees in this process will be important and valued. Thank you in advance for your support.

Do you have questions or thoughts about the consolidation of the two classifications? Share them with me at



gang brawl at beaverton

Fight breaks out at Beaverton MAX station

Bogdanski has been reading one of my blogs

http://bojack.org/2009/02/destruction_at_trimet.html

occasionally he does make a lot of sense.

MEL MYERS TRIMET BUS DRIVER HERO

Friday, February 20, 2009

ITS THE WES!

DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR THE NEW BOY IN TOWN

This afternoon, four of the 16 WES trips will be provided by shuttle buses due to an electrical malfunction affecting one of the DMU trains. Riders traveling between Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville should expect to add about 10 minutes to their commute via the shuttle. Crews will be working through the weekend to repair the train, but may need to have shuttle buses provide some service during next week’s commute.

WES riders traveling northbound from Wilsonville at 4:26 p.m. and 5:56 p.m. and traveling southbound from Beaverton Transit Center at 5:03 p.m. and 6:33 p.m. will need to take shuttle buses. In Wilsonville, board shuttle across from the station platform. At other stops, board shuttle buses at Line 76-Beaverton/Tualatin bus stops. More

THREE DOOR BUS

NYC Transit tests three-door bus in Bronx

BIKE THIEFS ON THE LOOSE

High-performace bikes targeted by Pearl District thief

ANOTHER $756,000 DOWN THE DRAIN

Portland, TriMet will pay hotel for lost driveway

The buses of TRIMET

From a Powell Station Agent

http://alsinterestingstories.blogspot.com/2009/02/gary-lamourboy-2009.html

WOOPSY!

Two WES vehicles trains had electronic malfunctions overnight, and only two trains will run this morning. Shuttle buses will transport WES riders north from Wilsonville at 6:19 a.m. and 7:49 a.m. and southbound from Beaverton Transit Center for the 6:56 a.m. and 8:26 a.m. trips. TriMet personnel will be at the Tigard and Tualatin stations to direct riders to and from shuttle buses. Riders on the shuttle buses should expect some delays. For updates, visit trimet.org
.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

SUPERSTAR JASON MCHUFF describes the wes event

Gangs downtown

http://www.kptv.com/news/18749991/detail.html

Turn down the volume please!

TriMet tries slightly quieter horns on WES

FINAL TRACK LAID

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/02/the_final_i205_max_track_goes.html#preview

scenic ride on the wes-2 parts

Union Report-feb 09 part 1

BIKE PORTLAND-thanks terwilliger

http://bikeportland.org/2009/02/19/trimet-looks-to-add-more-bike-capacity-to-wes/

GREGORY DONOVAN TEACHES ME A LESSON I WILL NEVER FORGET

Public transit lost+founds; look for story from Mary Fetsch

http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/aptapt/issues/2008-09-08/11.html

Paycheck snafu with my response

FROM STATION MANAGER

I will send a note to the timekeeper which will result in the last two days of your floaters being applied to the days currently showing as "unexcused absence". At that time you will not have time loss associated with those days.

 Please take a few moments to read the front of the red "leave hours" book where it clearly states that mini-run operators are to make sure they designate which leave category they are using for time being taken; VAC, FH or BD.It is underlined and in a different color for emphasis. On Aug. 27th & 28th you listed VAC. Remember that since vacation weeks can be taken one day at a time, it is incumbent upon you, the operator, to know which categeory you are intending to use and whether you have enough time remaining in the chosen bank to meet your needs. Vacation hours, floating holiday and birthday hours are listed separately on paystubs to assist20you in this process of monitoring your available time in each category.

 

If you have any further questions in this area please feel free to contact me again.

MY RESPONSE

I found  out recently that it is now the operators responsibility to keep track of all this stuff but I AM 99%CERTAIN that my paycheck going into this sign up said 50 HOURS vacation time, which would make this an error not of my doing.

Unfortunately I don't keep my stubs around. Actually I don't even look at them. If my take home pay looks reasonable I just throw them out.

The 'floaters' and 'birthday' are not listed anywhere on the pay stub.

You just have to remember what you were doing up to a year ago.

Some of us are getting older and our memories are not what they used to be. Starting a whole new data base just to keep track of  days off  is not something I imagined would be required of me.

I just don't understand why this can't be an automatic adjustment in situation where the operator has put down the wrong category of time off, which is the way it used to be

It's  unfortunate that we now have to be BOOK KEEPERS in addition to our regular duties as bus operators.

 

Thanks again for your Help,

 

Sunday, February 15, 2009

road supervisors, station agents, dispatchers...

HEADLINES FROM GOOGLE

TriMet puts some bus routes on chopping block
Northwest Cable News - Portland,OR,USA
The economic recession has hit TriMet and public transit will be cut back in order to save cash even as ridership continues to increase. ...
See all stories on this topic
TriMet details proposed Hillsboro service cuts
Hillsboro Argus - OregonLive.com - Hillsboro,OR,USA
TriMet would stop running the 47 bus on Evergreen Parkway and Baseline Street on weekends, and stop running the 48 bus on Cornell Road on Sundays. ...
See all stories on this topic
KATU
Revenue drop hits TriMet, bus and MAX service to see cuts
KATU - Portland,OR,USA
A service cut is coming to TriMet riders because of the faltering economy, according to officials at the transit agency. Officials said some little-used ...
See all stories on this topic

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT TRIMET BUS DRIVER UP TO?

DENNY'S GIVES AWAY FREE BREAKFAST

DESTRUCTION OF TRIMET BUS SERVICE

http://portlandoregontransitnews.blogspot.com/2009/02/destruction-of-trimet-bus-service.html

WHAT CONSTITUTES A SAFETY HAZARD

CEDAR MILL SHUTTLE SONG

Saturday, February 14, 2009

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRESIDENT OBAMA AND FRED HANSEN



















So what did we learn during President Barack Obama's visit to Elkhart, IN on Monday?

Here's one thing:

When it comes to taking questions, it appears Obama is fair and balanced. In Elkhart, he made that point clear at the start, informing his audience that those who would be called upon to ask questions had not been pre-screened.

You might recall Obama's predecessor was so disinclined to hear from critics that a 2005 Fox News piece looked into "how far President Bush will go to ensure friendly, sympathetic audiences at his town hall-style forums.

Obama explained his philosophy on the matter this way: "We want to take questions from everybody."
So when the Elkhart crowd booed mildly at a woman who asked about Cabinet nomination controversies, Obama cut them off.
"No, no," he said. "Look, I think it was a perfectly legitimate question."

It was. And it was a reminder that all politicians should expect and welcome questions from those who perhaps didn't vote for them.

As far as Fred Hansen, when there is any sign of trouble, he hides under a rock and makes himself unavailable to the general public and the TriMet front line employees. President Obama inherited a big mess. Much of TriMet's problems are a result of Fred Hansen's tenure as General Manager. I would be embarrassed to face the public too.

(This post is strictly the opinion of Ross Wrede and not the owner of this blog.)

OREGONIAN

TriMet proposes to cut 12 bus lines and reduce MAX service

MARY FETSCH PLAYS TRIMET LEADER

CUTS.............

Economy Forces TriMet To Cut Services
 

KPTV.com - Portland,OR,USA

CUTS!!!!!!!!!!!! of course FRED is in hiding again.......

TriMet forced to cut back service to balance budget

kgw.com
- Portland,OR,USA

economist michael hudson explains obama financial plan

A DAY OF MOURNING

Friday, February 13, 2009

STEVE BANTA DISCUSSES THE IMPENDING DESTRUCTION OF TRIMET

Initial budget cut of 5 percent may not involve frontline employee layoffs. Feedback from employees will be important as we refine proposed service cuts.

2/13/09 What service reductions mean to Operations

Stephen R. Banta, Executive Director Operations

Earlier this week General Manager Fred Hansen announced that due to the economic recession, TriMet is making a 5 percent budget cut across the board for fiscal year 2010. This includes a reduction in service. Today, a detailed list of proposed service cuts was put on TriNET for employees to review and comment on. Please take a moment to look at it and send your feedback to servicechangefeedback@trimet.org.

An important question that is being asked by many employees is, "What does this mean for my job?" I want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to reach our new budget targets without laying off frontline employees. There are numerous variables at play that will impact our ability to achieve that goal, including the federal stimulus package, revenues from the payroll tax vs. projections, and natural employee attrition rates.

The proposed service reductions add up to approximately 70 fewer operator positions. That sounds alarming, but there are some important offsets that should help to ease your mind. We have stopped hiring classes of new operators. We will be hiring additional rail operators and controllers for Green Line, as well as additional rail and bus supervisors--all from the existing operator ranks. When you then figure in operator retirements, even if less retire than projected, we may be able to weather the 5 percent cut in service without laying off operators.

We are looking through every part of the Operations budget to make cuts strategically, including materials and services, allocations of overtime, and our management structure. Over the years, many efficiencies were gained through PIP such that there aren't many areas in our division where we are "fat." For example, in Bus Maintenance there are 33 fewer employees today than in 2001. This is extraordinary, given that they have successfully maintained and dramatically raised the reliability of a fleet of aging buses. Because the proposed reduction does not substantively change the number of vehicles we will be running, I cannot cut any more frontline positions from Bus or Rail Maintenance. Similarly, our need to keep up the state of good repair and cleanliness of our facilities, bus stops and rail platforms does not change, so I will not be cutting Facilities Maintenance frontline positions.

I want to emphasize that the work each and every one of you do is critically important to successfully delivering service to our customers. Please, take some time to look at the proposal and let us know what you think. Your input is important, and your comments will be read and taken seriously.

Thank you in advance for your support.





TRIMET DESTROYS TRIMET-uses shock and awe on its customers!

http://trimet.org/alerts/servicecuts.htm

FARE LESS SQUARE STAYS-all 4 options preserve it in some form

After a year-long review of Fareless Square policy objectives, alternatives and comments from the public, TriMet is seeking feedback on possible changes to Portland's fare-free zone. Four options have been proposed
  • No changes
  • Limit Fareless Square to rail only
  • Adjust the Lloyd District boundaries
  • Institute a $1 fare

You can help decide the future of Fareless Square.

Learn more about the proposed changes and share your comments

DRIVERS DISCUSS THE FARE LESS ISSUE

PART 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqVBZPux0Po
PART 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPq0KBw2bPI



This movie consists of two separate movies that will play sequentially.

NEW BUSES OF MERLO

BACK TO THE MALL

http://trimet.org/portlandmall/may24.htm

Riders get screwed

http://trimet.org/news/releases/feb12_ridership.htm

Make a comment i guess...

http://trimet.org/mailforms/projects_comments.html

Final scenes from the day from hell

FRED MAKES STATEMENT ON CUTS

http://portlandoregontransitnews.blogspot.com/2009/02/fred-makes-statement-on-cuts.html

EMPLOYEE EXPOSED TO TB!

http://portlandoregontransitnews.blogspot.com/2009/02/tuberculosis.html

LARRY NORTON-excellent article on cutbacks!

TriMet - hard to believe - Neighborhood: Old Town - OregonLive.com

Economy Forces TriMet To Cut Services - Portland News Story - KPTV ...

Economy Forces TriMet To Cut Services - Portland News Story - KPTV ...

RIDERSHIP PRODUCTIVITY-thanks erik!

http://portlandoregontransitnews.blogspot.com/2009/02/ridership-productivity-thanks-erik.html

Thursday, February 12, 2009

LET'S GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT

DAN THE BUS DRIVER MAN

Trimet Confidential: Bus Driver Kong VS Ms. Airportzilla

TRIMET GETS STIMULOUS-from portland transport

TriMet has posted a list of projects eligible for funding from the federal stimulous package.

IT'S A DAMN SHAME

GOOD ARTICLE ON RAIL

http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-will-san-antonio-go-for-light-rail-the-great-american-hoax

GREAT DOCUMENTARY

http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2009/02/12/carts_of_darkness

WES HORN NOT FUN


Train noise ticks off Tualatin-Tigard folks
Tualatin Times - Portland,OR,USA
WES horns blasting Tualatin residents
The Oregonian - OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USA

ERIK HALSTEAD EXPLAINS TRACK DETAILS

http://portlandoregontransitnews.blogspot.com/2009/02/erik-halstead-explains-track-details.html

HACK AWAY

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/02/trimet_may_cut_service_to_cope.html

LOST

part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Kj1rQ0fB0
part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3nzJBRM_u8
part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOwoFTJmTW0
part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL_TkdDJrSE

COMPLETE SERIES:

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Monday, February 9, 2009

Chris Novotny refuses interview

WES PROCESSION-a transit intelligence production

WARNING!! WARNING!!

Snow on the beaches today, Portland tomorrow
Anywhere from one to three inches of snow could hit the northern Willamette Valley tomorrow, forecasters said, with snow falling from about mid-morning to early afternoon. -- The Oregonian
Read the update

LIVE IN PORTLAND'S FINEST APARTMENT BUILDING!

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/apa/1027831893.html (apts/housing for rent)

STEVE BANTA RESPONDS TO EMAIL

I sent the following email to Steve Banta regarding the new 2900 series buses that are coming to Merlo:

Great news regarding the new 2900 buses assigned to Merlo garage. Having worked at Merlo my entire 12 year TriMet career, most of us operators feel that Merlo has been slighted in the past with bus assignments.

I have one favor to ask. Could it be possible to rotate at least temporarily some of the new buses into as many routes as practical? I drive a 62 line, and it normally gets the oldest of the oldest of the fleet. The passengers get really excited on those rare occasions when a low floor (usually a 10+ year old 2000 series) rolls into their stop.

Steve Banta's response:

Low floor buses are assigned to routes based on ridership and passenger needs. We will assess where they are best placed into the system. I do not know the make up of the Line 62 offhand, so we'll see. I will have a better idea of how they will be distributed later this week. Thanks for the suggestion.


FRED TALKING TO BOARD

NEW BUSES AT MERLO! (I'm still in shock)





FARELESS SQUARE PRESENTATION

Here's the presentation (PDF, 1.6M) given to TriMet's Board of Directors on the topic...

BUS NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

http://busemergencynewsarchive.blogspot.com/2009/02/2909.html

My pal Jeff viciously attacking me

Seattle Transit Blog

Sound Transit Wants Your Input - Seattle Transit Blog

2/8/09

ERIK IS WATCHING


DRIVER ORDERED TO PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION

http://daydreamer051.blogspot.com/2009/02/f-irst-thing-that-is-done-when-i.html

Saturday, February 7, 2009

ITS HERE!

FRED BASHING

I've been particularly hard on Fred lately and have been been unmerciful since I saw him during the storm sliding around in his loafers in NW Portland in the middle of the workweek. (It turns out Fred lives almost next door to me!)

The Oregonian also did a story where they stated for the record that "Fred Hansen was on vacation".

Well anyway I have been told by someone who works directly with Fred that he was indeed there during the storm and was just doing some errands at that time picking up gifts for the holiday. It's a reasonable enough explanation from a reliable source. I'm sure that the person relating this to me would not make it up just to defend Fred.

Apparently during the last storm Fred walked all the way to Center Street from the West side of the Ross Island bridge. (boy, I wish I could have seen that!)

OK, so I believe that Fred actually was at work at that time.

Question #1; Why was the Oregonian told that Fred was on vacation when they did the WES bailout story, which was during that storm.

Question #2; Why did FRED not make even one public statement during the storm.

Finally; this is from the staff person that works directly with Fred, someone we can believe:

I'm not a cheerleader for Fred, and I certainly don't always agree
with his strategies. On two issues, though, I have a lot of respect
for the man. He has a very strong work ethic and I have never seen
him make demands of employees that he's not willing to meet himself,
and he has made a commitment that layoffs are the last option in the
budget when times are bad. As a non-union employee, this is
particularly important to me personally, of course.

NEW BUSES TO ARRIVE-at merlo no less



















2/6/09 Pilot bus has arrived at Center Street

by Steve Banta — last modified Feb 06, 2009 04:37 PM

The first of 40 New Flyer buses was delivered today, more to arrive next week.

2/6/09 Pilot bus has arrived at Center Street

Stephen R. Banta, Operations Executive Director

I am pleased to let you know that we received the first of 40 new low-floor buses from the bus manufacturer today. The pilot bus, which was manufactured in St. Cloud, Minn., has been in Portland for a couple of weeks undergoing testing, and is almost ready to be put into service. This is exciting news, as it has been some time since we last received new buses. The 2900s will be the first low-floor buses to be based out of Merlo Garage, where all 40 will reside.

The pilot bus, #2901, will be on display at all three garages next week for employees to look at, and is expected to go into service within the next two weeks. The new buses have 2007 emission compliant engines, and to help with driver comfort they feature adjustable sets of brake/accelerator pedals and electric assist steering with a smaller diameter steering wheel. They also feature additional break lights for visibility to following motorists, additional exterior lights to enhance pedestrian safety, and rear-facing cameras on the driver's side.

Additional buses will begin arriving in the next week.

Pilot bus 2901Come and take a look at #2901 at:

Center Street: Monday, Feb. 9, Track 4

Powell: Tuesday, Feb. 10

Merlo: Thursday, Feb. 12

Do you have questions or thoughts about the new buses? Share them with me at stevemail@trimet.org.