Cascade Policy Institute Asks the Federal Transit Administration to Enforce Light Rail Contracts with TriMet

Cascade Policy Institute ^ | March 9, 2020 | John A. Charles, Jr.

[Twotone]

Portland, OR – Cascade Policy Institute has submitted a letter to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requesting that the agency enforce contracts with TriMet for three light rail projects: the Yellow Line, the Green Line, and the Orange Line. Each project received substantial federal funding, which came with contractual obligations to provide minimum levels of service. TriMet has not met those obligations.

For both the Yellow and Green Lines, TriMet is supposed to be providing 8 trains per hour during peak periods. Current service on those lines is 4 trains per hour.

For the Orange Line, TriMet is supposed to be providing 6 trains per peak-hour. Current service provides only 4.6 trains per hour.

All three lines are also traveling at slower speeds than promised, and ridership projections have been missed by large margins.

Under FTA policy, the agency is empowered to demand repayment of federal funding if grant recipients fail to meet the terms of funding contracts. In its letter, Cascade Policy Institute is asking that FTA require TriMet to begin operating light rail lines in accordance with grant agreements within six months or begin paying back the federal funding.

Cascade is also requesting that FTA embargo any future funding for the Southwest Corridor Project, until such time as previous light rail projects are in compliance with contracts.

According to John A. Charles, Jr., President of Cascade Policy Institute, “TriMet’s under-performance is not an aberration, it’s a pattern. Since FTA has funded more than half the cost of the total MAX system, FTA should hold TriMet accountable by requiring the district to provide the service that was promised.”

The letter can be read here.

[Da Coyote]

Portland is only slightly behind Seattle in its corruption and unalterable vector in the doomed direction. Being led by Dimbulbcrats, it’s gubmit is naturally corrupt and will never provide the promised services.

Nothing to see here, folks. Move along. Move along.

[PAR35]

Question: would doubling the service double the number of empty trains, or are the riders there?

[Twotone]

I doubt that ridership would increase. I think this is more along the lines of forcing the Dems to live up to their own commitments. The left has been using lawfare against us for a long time. Now they can get a taste of it.

[bjglad12]

The Portland metro light rail sucks. 95% of the people will not ride it, it’s nick name is the CRIME TRAIN !!!!Where ever it goes it brings crime . The whole thing was a BIG waste of BILLIONS of dollars .

[Spktyr]

What Twotone says, plus the below line, are the real goal - make the local idiot Dems live up to their commitments, make the idiots have to *fund* their commitments, and if they refuse, shut off the money faucet.

“Cascade is also requesting that FTA embargo any future funding for the Southwest Corridor Project, until such time as previous light rail projects are in compliance with contracts.”