A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
ADVERTISEMENTS
Transportation Commissioner Sam Adams is supporting a higher charge for riding the Portland Aerial Tram than previously proposed because of higher-than-expected construction and operating costs.
Adams is proposing the fee be $4 for a round-trip, $10 for a monthly pass and $100 for an annual pass.
That is considerably higher than the $1.70 fee in a report accepted by the City Council on June 10, 2004. The higher fee is prompting complaints from Southwest neighborhood leaders.
“People were beginning to come around to support the tram, but now that’s changing because the city’s changing the deal,” said Homestead Neighborhood Association President Anton Vetterlien, who plans to testify against the $4 fee before the council Wednesday.
Under Adams’ proposal, tram passes will not be interchangeable with TriMet and Portland Streetcar passes. That also is different than the operating assumptions in the report accepted by the council, which called for the tram to be part of the regional transit system.
According to Adams, since the recommendations were accepted, the construction budget increased from $28 million to $57 million and the annual operating budget grew from $915,000 to $1.7 million.
“I am committed to making the tram a seamless part of the transit system, but we just can’t take money from any other part of the transportation budget to do that at this time,” Adams said.
An executive management committee consisting primarily of city and Oregon Health & Science University officials is scheduled to consider Adams’ proposal Wednesday morning. The tram is set to begin regular operations in two weeks.
Whinney.
Tri-Mets costs same for a day, much more for month, year.
If you go in 2 zones that is $3.40 / 2 - 2 hrs passes - ( you buy one in the morning another in the evening -- $4 if you need all zones ie Beaverton to Downtown )
Monthly is ~70
Annual is ~ 700
Depending upon number of zones.
http://trimet.org/fares/
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 01:20 AM
yes, but at least with tri-met you go more than a few hundred feet for your $4. per mile traveled, this is the most expensive public transportation system in the world.
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 01:26 AM
Hey, the people vote these bureaucrats knowing they'll do these things. The people of Portland got what they deserved. Walk through Pioneer Place and see all the unoccupied shops...........the people of Portland get what they deserve...
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 02:45 AM
Please,
The correct name is Pill Hill Area Rapid Transit. (PHART)
Thanks
JK
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 03:12 AM
Remember,
Portland is a city of "Artists". TThey would have been better off Painting a Tram on a mural than getting into trouble by building one.
Leave that to a city of engineers, not artists!
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 03:14 AM
Portland residents shouldn't be penalized for the city's roomy budget afforded this project. Let's scrap the $4 ticket, shall we? Utterly ridiculous.
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 04:49 AM
The thing that boils my blood is the tram doesn't even go anywhere cool, like Council Crest or a little Swedish Village. It goes to a research hospital, and not even anywhere near the best in the country.
I plan on taking my kids on it once, then never riding it again.
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 08:00 AM
Bret,
To expand on your math, I figure it is 5592 full capacity (76) people runs per year, or 15.3 full capacity runs per day. And, like you said, all at the full four bucks.
Not likely.
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 08:15 AM
Oregon loves dreamers, but the dreamers in our city council are more like fugitives from the laws of reason.
What's next? May I suggest a submarine ride to link MAX to Vancouver. A plexiglass tunnel will allow us to watch the little fishies. Oooh, how cool!
We are competing with Disneyland, apparently. At least Walt could turn a profit.
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 08:16 AM
There is no "Magic" in this Kingdom.
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 08:46 AM
for the $57 million, i bet ohsu could have built a parking garage like nothing else on earth and still had a few bucks left over.
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 02:14 PM
'parking garage like nothing else on earth'
Yes, but then the doctors would have still had to take a shuttle bus (oh the horror of living like common folk) and not had their shiny new tram. Couldn't have that now could we?
Maybe if we built that clear tube in the Willamette near Burnside, we could watch the turds floating in the river when the sewer overflows? That might be fun?!
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 09:31 PM
Browse archive
The Portland Tribune
News feed
Find a paper
Enter a street name
or a 5 digit zip code
Our Portland website design and marketing company created custom websites for these top providers of Portland pest control services, Portland cleaning services and Portland florists.
Search engine marketing, website templates, portland web design and website promotion by Webfu // 503.381.5553
New down and fleece north face jackets. The largest selection of North Face Jackets available online. Free shipping on orders over $40.00
See the latest styles of ski jackets and backpacks from The North Face.
Bastyr University Open House, Spring 2010. Discover a career in natural health, Tour campus & clinic, meet faculty & students. Check the dates & RSVP >>
Facebook
Digg
Del.icio.us
Newsvine
Stumbleupon
Reddit
Re: $4 ticket has tram watchers crying foul
This whole project has had cost overruns since its start. Its amazing that the city and OHSU can't use a calculator.
So here is a calculation for them:
At 1,700,000 dollars per year cost to run, and a 4 dollar ticket, there needs to be 425,000 riders per year just to break even (that's if each pay a per ride fee not the monthly/yearly). That is over 1100 riders per day, 365 days a year!
How likely do you think that's going to occur?
"Bret"
(email verified)
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 at 12:51 AM