I recently found a web site, who thinks MAX light rail. Should not be built over the new Columbia River crossing. Between Portland and Vancouver. The web site can be found at....

http://www.stoprailroadingourbridge.com/

It's silly to require a public vote on a construction project. Historically, the elected representative governments have decided these issues, not the voters. The only issues that have required votes are funding issues where bonds must be sold or taxes raised.

It would be stupid NOT to build a rail option into any new bridge over the Columbia River. Someday we may need some other train besides a MAX train going over the river, and it will be far more expensive to add later. Building the bridge with a rail option doesn't automatically mean a MAX extension to Vancouver, by the way...

Andrew

Our mayor came out in his state of the city address the other day Andrew and said that there WILL BE LIGHT RAIL OVER THE RIVER AND INTO VANCOUVER.

I am skeptical of Vancouver-ites voting it in, seeing as we have voted down a ton of C-Tran measures in the past, however ... and I am guessing that the funding would have to go to a vote.

I agree it max should not be extended across the river. I ride a bus across the river every day, and use max to get to work. But I am against any extension, unless a few things happen,
1. They get competent managers for max, there have been so many screw ups there, you'd think the mark brothers were running it.

2. cost per passenger mile has to drop a lot.

3. They have to improve the infrustructore, its stupid, the max speed across the steel bridge is something like 5 mph, they didnt design in capacity for express trains etc.

I'm a big proponent of mass transit and love trains but I agree that MAX has some serious design issues. If I lived in Vancouver, why would I want to give up my express C-Tran bus to take a MAX train that even in traffic would be slower and without traffic about 2X faster? A MAX train from Vancouver to Portland would stop too often; an express would definitely make sense.

MAX was not designed early on with much vision; when it dead-ended in downtown Portland from downtown Gresham, it met its basic design goals; but once you make it go THROUGH downtown, it's ridiculous to have to stop every other block when you aren't GOING to downtown. There should be an express through downtown or maybe just 1-2 stops. It can't be extended beyond two cars, because all trains must be no longer than a city block. All the stops are designed that way. It would be prohibitively expensive to expand the stops now.

Andrew

The quality of the ride can also be horrible, IE loud boom boxes, rowdy passengers, petition signers, people asking for spare change etc.

I ride max at least 5 days a week, and see a fare inspector maybe, once every other month. Every other train system I have ridden has a fare inspector/conductor on at least every other car.

At least once a month I'm on a train that breaks down. and when a train breaks doen, it pretty much brings the line to a halt.

They dont pass on problems to the radio stations, so you dont hear about problems in advance, and when they have problems they lie about how bad.

Nwokie, don't you think it would be a valuable for a radio station to start providing "MAX delays" as part of their traffic reports if they are that regular? Some cities' radio stations (e.g. Philly, KYW) do mention mass transit delays in their traffic updates. Maybe we should start a thread on the radio side...

Andrew

I've called and asked tri met to do exactly that, they won't do it.
Max wants the puplic to percieve it as a great alternative to your car, and dont want the general public to realize how many problems they have.

No no - don't even get TriMet involved. Get the radio stations to solicit this info from callers, as they do with traffic delays. Then TriMet will feel compelled to respond if there are numerous breakdowns and delays. I would be surprised if a right-wing station like KXL or even KPAM wouldn't jump at doing something like this.

Andrew

Look at he wonders it did for Interstate avenue in portland. What used to take 5 minutes to get from going st to delta park now takes 15 minutes. One lane each direction now instead of two.....what bridge and what lane of traffic dies to give that rolling turd access to Vancouver?

If they extend MAX to Vancouver COUNT on our taxes going up.

I sure hope they put it up for a vote. My policy is I will not vote FOR anything that raises my taxes. Nothing, nada, zip. I don't care what its for.

If they want it here, make it pay for itself. Same goes for C-Tran.

I'm not opposed to mass transit, but they need to run it like any other business. The fare should cover what it really costs to operate it. Of course if you are truly handicapped or absolutely can't drive then you can get either a free or reduced cost pass.

I pay a lot of money for my vehicles, their insurance and fuel. Joe worker who has a good paying job and a Lexus in the driveway at home should not be getting a subsidized ride to work on your and my tax dollar.

I say cut off all tax dollars to mass transit.

OK. I'm done ranting!

I at least say yes to school levi's! Hope you do so also even if you do not have kid's!

Look at the flying albatross the Tram. At $4.00 per round trip and thing cannot carry enough people each day to cover cost of operations let alone generate any revenue for the gross cost of that scenic eyesore! So by all means let Portland run the tram up to the Welcome to Washington sign and then stop, lift the bridge, and run the damn thing into the Columbia river!

Vent, Vent, Vent.

Vancouver does not need mass transit like that our roads are great....they need to spend that money improving the I-5 corridor through Portland instead! Our rush hour is going 60 instead of 70. Go to PDX and granny could walk faster than you can drive on most day's!

Darktemper, I have kids, they are both in Hockinson High School.

I used to vote for the school levy's but have since decided against voting yes.

I don't think throwing money at the schools will solve any of the issues they have until they do some house cleaning first.

Teachers need to be held accountable for the job they do. Just like any other position in the business world, if you do a good job, you get to keep your job and occasionally will get a raise. If you don't do a good job...see ya later!

To many kids graduate today with out having the basic skill set to make it out in the world.

All that being said, there are some very good teachers out there that really care about what the kids learn and how they perform. Those teachers are a credit to their profession.

I won't even get started on the traffic issue. Not because I disagree with what you've stated but because I get myself too worked up over it. I'm a very impatient driver, and firmly believe in the "Lead, Follow or get the #$%& out of the way" principal. If the speed limit is 60, then go 67-69 mph damnit!

I said I wasn't going to get started....Ommm, Ommm, Ommm, Ommm, breathe, breathe!!!!