Metro
November 14, 2013 4:30 PM
Citizens step into TriMet's shoes at community planning forum
If you had a budget, a marker in hand, and a map of the region before you, where would you draw transit lines, and how often would you want them to run?
At a community planning forum in Tigard last week, TriMet and Metro asked community members this question, putting them into a transportation planner's world through a participatory planning exercise.
While high capacity transit is a topic that's been vocally discussed lately, it was not part of the exercise. All transit lines drawn by participants represented local bus service.
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USC: Your faithful Sucker Creek reporter attended this event but did not stay to do the "interactive exercise." -- I can't sit still at these hypothetical games. (Why don't they allow individuals to do their own planning rather than do it as a group?) Everyone knows that Trimet has been operating in the red for years, so I presume the "budget" attendees had to work with was just for people to prioritize.
Since the exercise was mainly for Tigard residents and property owners, you will be happy to know that Metro will host another event in Lake Oswego in early January. You should go if only to hear the into talk about how the SW Corridor Plan impacts LO. Councilor Skip O'Neill is on the steering committee for the Plan.
Upcoming events
For individuals who would like to try their hand at transportation planning, TriMet will be hosting another series of forums in January during which they will conduct the same exercise. Attendees will get the chance to literally put their ideas about transit service on paper.
- Thursday, Jan. 9: Lake Oswego, West End Bldg., Santiam Room, 4101 SW Kruse Way
- Wednesday, Jan. 15: West Linn, Bolton Fire Station #58, 6050 SW Failing St.
- Thursday, Jan. 16: Sherwood, City Council Chambers, 22560 SW Pine St.
- Thursday, Jan 23: Portland, Multnomah Arts Center Auditorium, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy.
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METRO: The forum, hosted by TriMet and Metro's Southwest Corridor project team, was one of a series of events kicking off TriMet's Service Enhancement Plans in the southwest part of the region.
Service Enhancement Plans are a multi-year effort to plan for new and improved transit service. TriMet planners are looking at growth and engaging local communities to determine where new service should be located and how to improve existing transit lines.
"Communities, particularly outside of Portland and in the suburbs, have been asking for transit service improvements for some time," Mills said. "I couldn't tell you the last time there was an effort this widespread and comprehensive from TriMet to fully evaluate the service we're providing."
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USC: Do you think this is really about bus service? When was the last time Trimet ran buses to Lake Oswego in the evenings or on weekends? Maybe we don't need new routes, we just need more service! Or are they merely looking at where to put BRT or rail systems, or service the "last mile"? I am cynical enough to believe that Metro and Trimet will go wherever Metro plans to develop a "station community", and not necessarily where existing citizens want. After all, transit is the primary driver for high-density developments.
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