As a Timbers season ticket holder, my first hand experience is that the way Trimet is handling these events does a grave disservice to the fans experience and overall class of the city. It makes me not want to spend my money in support of the events because of the bad taste Trimet delivers entering and exiting games. I've used public transport around the world (at major sporting events) and never seen anything like it. They would rather write you a $175 ticket than help you pay the fare, or even try and make it easier for the users. It's really amateur, and par for the course it seems. Wish there was something we could do. http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2013/01/trimet_to_trail_blazers_fans_n.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Seems fair to me. They let people slide for four months, but now they are going to require riders to have a trimet ticket. I don't see the issue. Seems like it was already very nice of them have a grace period. Stop acting like a spoiled brat.
When I work the Timbers games I will park in Hollywood or Lloyd Center and take MAX downtown. Jeld-Win is 1 stop past the end of what used to be fareless square. I knew I was rolling and extra stop without paying and would not have bitched had I got caught. People with common sense will be able to handle this. Just know gowing in that it's a $5 round trip.
Tri-Met got their original funding by promising the taxpayers Fareless Square would be a permanent piece of their fare system. No way they'd even exist had they not promised it. I root for their demise.
Got proof on that? (not challenging, just curious). Also, what do you expect from corporations? 2% payroll tax increase, trimet fareless square over, what is the world coming too!
I went to a Blazers game just a month ago and a trimet employee approached us and asked if we'd like to purchase tickets from her. Seems like she wasn't trying to ticket us to me.
There's no way in hell Tri-Met is going anywhere, regardless of whatever piss-poor PR they receive from Blazer fans.
Park at the Smart Park at 4th and Yamhill for $5, then spend the $3 or whatever for the fare to the game. It used to be free to ride, sure, but I'm guessing the same people whining about paying for the Max were loving it when people were taxed to build it, and they were getting the downtown corridor for free.
Why not just walk? Its a 10m walk from Lloyd to the RG, thats what I do everytime. I have a bus pass and I still dont' bother riding the Max to or from if I park around LLoyd.
Put ticket machines on the train you fucking cheapskates trimet, the ones on the platforms are so slow its impossible to get a ticket if you arrive just when the train does.
I agree ... it's a nice walk and a good chance to discuss the game with whoever you attended it with.
I went to a game when I was in PDX a few weeks ago and took the max. The machines don't accept cash? WTF. I bought mine from the lady in the trimet jacket instead. BTW, do many cities offer ticket machines inside the trains? NY for sure doesn't. Neither does PHL.
Went up to Portland with a buddy of mine to watch the game opening night. We had no idea the max wasn't free anymore. When we got off we were herded into a cattle guard, didn't have a ticket, so they sold us one. If the grace period is now over, and we hadn't had that previous experience, and if we went to the game tomorrow without knowing anything about this, we'd have gotten ticketed? I don't know if there is signage, but we saw no indication when we got on the train we had to buy a ticket first. I think the free zone was awesome. I think this sucks. Public transportation benefits everyone.
