FRED SAYS: (I didn't see him in the bus parade pic?)

Last Friday, I joined City and University leaders at a bus parade and street fair to celebrate the return of buses to the Portland Mall.

By all accounts, our months and years of preparation are paying off in a smooth return to the Mall. Customer service staff reports that more than half of our customers knew about the change ahead of time. We have received only two-dozen negative comments from customers - a fraction of what we received when we relocated to 3rd and 4th. Almost all of the concerns have to do with where the buses are running - not how they are running. Customers are seeing benefits of the new revitalized look and feel of the Mall that will further be enhanced in the next phase of this project, as we finish work on shelters and introduce MAX stations on 5th and 6th avenues.

Every day, operators -newer and higher seniority alike- are becoming more and more accustomed to using the knowledge they learned in their training class. What I have observed is bus operators navigating the new operating environment with care and skill; customer service staff and Ride Guides assisting customers who have questions about where to find their buses; managers and supervisors offering operators support onboard and on the street; and TPD officers and other employees from our partner organizations emphasizing that transit has returned to the Mall and it's time for all users to follow the new rules.

I cannot think of a group of employees who do not deserve a hearty "thank you" for bringing the vision of a revitalized Transit Mall to reality. Of course there have been challenges. Some have been quickly fixed, like the signal timing at SW 5th and Ankeny that threatened to stack buses up at 5th and Burnside. We noticed the problem on Sunday, and worked with the City of Portland to have it fixed by Tuesday morning.

Others involve more of a learning curve, such as motorists and bicyclists making illegal and unsafe right turns. On issues like these, we continue to work with our partners to educate and enforce. What we're seeing is that most people who travel downtown frequently are following the new rules. But there will always be newcomers to the Mall, which is why we continue to refine signage and other elements of this unique operating environment.

Sunday, May 24, was a landmark day for TriMet. The return of buses to the Portland Mall is a big step forward for our total transit system. Now, we are in the final planning stages of changes on the Mall, bringing the Yellow line onto the Mall at the end of August followed by the Green line in September.

Again, I want to thank each and every one of you for your role in making the return to the revitalized Mall a smooth transition and furthering our goal of making this region the most livable in the country.

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