Portland Going Nowhere

[Geee]

American Spectator:

Last October, Portland, Oregon, played host to an event immodestly called "Rail-Volution." Portland is widely touted as a public transportation mecca and model "green" city, and more than a thousand public transport enthusiasts descended on this burg of about 580,000 to gush and gawk at the sights. When they weren't riding demo trips on the light rail, they attended seminars with names like "Bikeways and Green Streets," "High-Speed-Rail and Development Paradigm Shifts," and "Sustainable Communities for the New Economy." Portland's mayor presided over one of the seminars, and Earl Blumenauer, the left-wing congressman who represents Portland's east side, was a featured speaker. The event, one local wag noted, had the air of a religious revival.

Yet even the most zealous Jacobins of the Rail-Volution would have been hard-pressed to ignore the protest that occurred just outside its doors as the seminars were under way. More than 200 employees of TriMet, Portland's public transit agency, picketed the event, protesting proposed changes to their health care plan.

Like many public transport agencies nationwide, TriMet is in a deep financial hole. For its current fiscal year, TriMet is facing a $27 million deficit, and there is no relief in sight. As the rail-volutionaries celebrated in the face of financial catastrophe, it was hard not to think of an old story about fires and fiddles.

[nickydog]

Here's what I like about the MAX -- it is fun to take my grandsons for a ride downtown to look around and have lunch and then ride the train back home. They consider it a big adventure. One of the best parts is that grandma forgets from one visit to the next how to buy her ticket from the little machine at the train stop and there is always a couple moments of panic, plus sometimes she almost gets on the wrong line for the return trip home. However, I don't think our little excursions are going to help pay the bills.

[Pepper]

Geee!

 

Sustainable Communities for the New Economy

 

In Leftist economic math, this is only true if these communities have an inexhaustible source of taxes because it sure isn't coming from the users of these wondrous services.

[NCTexan]

NC has some "High Speed Rail Devotees"... unfortunately, most proposals have the smell of the Alaskan Bridge to Nowhere.

 

We have rail service from Raleigh to Charlotte that can't compete with a three hour drive once you drive downtown to the station, park, board etc... and do the reverse on the other end. It still would compete if the train went twice as fast.

 

It's laughable to be stopped at a crossing when the current train (consisting of an engine a couple half empty cars) goes by... and it's almost not enough of a train to trip the crossing signal.

 

I understand that the "high speed local rail" in Charlotte is facing massive budget shortfalls... and yet the Raleigh "devotees" continue to beat their drums and gnash their teeth.

 

BTW, I loved the rail connections in Europe where almost of the cities are still "city centered" versus our suburban oriented areas. You'd step off the train and actually be at the heart of your destination.

[clearvision]

Yes. In most places in the US you step off the train and fear for your life.