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December 7, 2007

TriMet General Manager rolls out vision for transit & enhanced security plan

More transit expansions ahead; security plan includes increasing police officers & fare inspections

In a speech to the City Club of Portland today, TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen highlighted the benefits of transit to the region, as well as unveiling an enhanced safety and security plan.

Hansen said that integrating transit and land use has made this region a model for the nation and the world, citing frequent visitors from around the world touring the transit system.

"Recent studies have shown our direction has resulted in shorter commutes, less time spent in congestion, more transit riders and lower auto use per capita than other cities," said Hansen.

With the four-county region population projected to increase by one million over the next 25 years, TriMet is expanding transit options to keep people moving, including:

  • The 8.3-mile I-205/Portland Mall MAX Light Rail project now under construction
  • The 14.7-mile Washington County Commuter Rail project connecting Wilsonville to Beaverton opening next September
  • The 6.5-mile Portland to Milwaukie extension over a new Willamette River bridge crossing
  • A new Columbia River Crossing adding light rail over a new bridge to Washington state

Currently, TriMet reduces about 135,000 metric tons per year in greenhouse gas emissions because of auto trips not taken. Hansen said, "on a personal level when people choose TriMet over the use of their car, they reduce their household carbon footprint up to 25 percent. As our transit system grows and more people use it, these carbon reductions will continue to grow as our quality of life improves."

Also during the speech, Hansen unveiled an enhanced safety and security plan to respond to recent criminal attacks on the MAX system. He said TriMet needs to do more to make riders and potential riders feel safe and comfortable on the bus and MAX system all hours of the day.

"The safety and security of all our riders is of the utmost importance," said Hansen. "I am taking several steps to deal with issues of fare evasion, loud and intimidating behavior and criminal activity on the system. I am setting a standard of zero tolerance for fare evaders."

Hansen laid out the following plan to enhance safety and security on the system:

Increase police presence on MAX

The deployment of the Transit Police Division (TPD) officers will change to have more officers ride the trains and be more visible all hours. Hansen will increase the TPD officer ranks by 10 percent over the current budget, devoting about $500,000 to hire additional police officers. Another 10 percent increase in TPD officers will come with the opening of the I-205/Portland Mall MAX Light Rail Line in September 2009. Hansen will continually monitor to determine if additional officers are needed on the system.

Increase fare inspections

Last month, Hansen expanded the Wackenhut contracted security personnel by 15 for a total of 36. Hansen wants Wackenhut officers assigned to TriMet to have the authority to write tickets and exclude unruly people from the TriMet system. Hansen will work with the Amalgamated Transit Union to negotiate how to make the change as soon as possible. Hansen is also expanding the TriMet Code to better address disruptive behavior.

Ticket Vending Machines

Part of the fare evasion problem has stemmed from faulty Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs). Some of the machines are more than 20 years old and need constant maintenance. Hansen has committed that by the end of February 2008, reliable TVMs will be working at every platform. To reach that goal, Hansen has launched an aggressive program to increase preventive maintenance, complete major upgrades to the older machines, purchase new machines to be installed next summer and sell tickets at concessionaires located at major MAX platforms.

Early intervention

Some of the criminal or intimidating behavior on the system is among gang members or potential gang members. To help deal with some of the root causes of incidents on the transit system, Hansen is entering into a partnership with Victory Outreach Community Services Inc. The community-based Latino organization will ride the system and work with Latino youth to prevent gang activity on our MAX system. This complements the work already being done by the Rider Advocates, a group that has worked with TriMet since 1994 through the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods.

TriMet Code

Hansen is looking at ways to streamline the agency's exclusion policy by implementing new tools to more effectively respond to disruptive behavior. He also is expanding the Code of Conduct and making it enforceable.

Improve station areas

Hansen recently launched a campaign to increase lighting, especially on the Eastside MAX line where fixtures are more than 20 years old and not up to today's security standards. Nearly 700 light bulbs have been replaced with brighter lighting. Floodlights have been added to the NE 82nd Ave and Gresham Central MAX stations and landscaping has been trimmed to improve sightlines. Closed circuit security cameras are being added to stations. By the end of the year, 30 of 64 MAX platforms will have cameras.


Fareless Square

Issues about Fareless Square came up during the two safety summits, with concerns that it encouraged fare evasion, disruptive and intimidating behavior. When it was enacted 31 years ago, the primary purpose was air quality. Today, Portland no longer violates federal clean air standards for carbon monoxide. Hansen said it is time to reevaluate the public policy of fareless. No other city in the country has anything like Portland’s Fareless Square; Seattle has a much smaller fareless zone that limits free rides from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Hansen announced a two-step process: in January he will propose an ordinance to the TriMet Board of Directors that allows free rides in Fareless Square only between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

"I believe this will substantially reduce the type of undesirable behavior that gives riders and the public the impression that our system is not safe. The restrictions of hours specifically targets these types of behavior," said Hansen.

Hansen said it is necessary to maintain free rides to convention attendees. Without a convention hotel, it has been critical to the ability to recruit conventions to our area.

The second step regarding fareless is that Hansen will launch a public policy process to solicit input from the public, riders, business partners downtown and in the Lloyd District and from other stakeholders groups on potential future changes to Fareless Square.

"If there are any financial savings from changes to Fareless Square, my commitment is that 100 percent of those savings be devoted to increasing security and safety on our whole system," said Hansen.

In closing, Hansen said, "I will be monitoring these changes to ensure these steps truly target the problems on the system. As we implement these changes, I believe our riders and the public will see a difference."