The most likely scenario for fareless is for it to be limited to the MAX--now that MAX will be travelling up and down the transit mall.
How many times have drivers had to pass up paying customers at rush hour who wanted to go home because they had full loads of fareless passengers? It happens frequently on the 12 and 9. It happens in the a. m. on the 8, forcing drivers to pass up paying passengers needing to go to OHSU.
People travelling to downtown already have transfers or passes. The primary beneficiaries of fareless as it is now are people living in the Pearl who do not need a free ride, transients, and people boarding in fareless and remaining on the bus as it leaves the zone. No driver can keep track of every person who boards in fareless and drive safely at the same time.
Why should taxpaying passengers living outside of fareless, who may seldom travel downtown, subsidize the minority who live downtown? Service is being cut on outlying lines and elderly people without cars will be without transportation so that downtown Portlanders can have free rides. How logical is that?
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