Avoid the parking hassles in downtown Portland and take TriMet to the kickoff of the 2013 Portland Rose Festival tonight and to the upcoming parades. But if you take MAX to the festivities don’t forget fares are required. This is the first Rose Festival since the Free Rail Zone was eliminated so we will likely see some riders who haven’t ridden the MAX since the change last September.

If you’re heading to a parade or planning to spend more than two hours enjoying the food, rides and fun at the CityFair on the Portland waterfront, buy a Day Pass. It’s the same prices as two 2-hour tickets.

Day Pass Fares
Adults:                        $5
Youth:                         $3.30
Honored citizens:       $2

You can also plan ahead for parade days or other Rose Festival festivities by purchasing tickets online at trimet.org or picking up tickets when you’re at the grocery store. More than 100 neighborhood retail outlets including most grocery stores and the TriMet Ticket Office at Pioneer Courthouse Square sell TriMet fares.

Rose Festival Opening Celebration and Fireworks – Friday, May 24 at 9:30 p.m.

Extra MAX service will be added as needed following the fireworks tonight. The Hawthorne Bridge will be closed during the fireworks, detouring four bus lines – 4, 6, 14 and 33 – from 9:30 p.m. through about 10:30 p.m.

Tips for taking TriMet to Rose Festival parades

• Ridership on Rose Festival parade days is higher than typical Saturdays. All bus and MAX lines will run on Saturday schedules, but extra service will be added as needed.
• Buy Day Passes when heading to the parades to avoid long lines afterwards. TriMet staff will be at several MAX and bus stops to provide help and sell tickets.
• Expect long waits for MAX trains following the parades, especially the Starlight Parade as everyone attempts to head home at the same time.
• Take regular bus service, the Lloyd Center express bus or a different MAX line to leave downtown. For example, riders can catch a Green Line train on 6th Avenue and transfer to the Blue Line at Gateway Transit Center.
• Avoid bringing big strollers on MAX. With huge crowds expected, those with a big stroller may have to wait longer to find space on the trains.

Starlight Run and Parade – Saturday, June 1 at 7:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

MAX service
Extra MAX trains will run as needed before and after the parade. Riders should plan to add 15 to 30 minutes to their trips through downtown during the event because trains will be stopped periodically for the parade and run.

Lloyd Center express bus service before and after parade
Starting about 5:30 p.m., express buses will pick up riders at NE 13th and Holladay, then travel to SW 2nd, stopping at Taylor, Morrison, Oak and Ankeny streets. After the parade through about 12:30 a.m., the buses will pick up riders at those four locations on 2nd Avenue before dropping of in the Lloyd District.

Bus detours
Thirteen bus lines—4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 17, 19, 20, 33, 35, 44 and 54/56—intersect the parade route and will be detoured.

Grand Floral Parade – Saturday, June 8 at 10 a.m.

MAX service
Extra MAX trains will run as needed before and after the parade. Riders should plan to add 15 to 30 minutes to their trips through downtown during the event because trains will be stopped periodically for the parade.

Bus detours
Eleven bus lines—4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 17, 19, 20, 35, 44 and 54/56—intersect the parade route and will be detoured during the event.

Plan ahead

TriMet’s online trip planner makes it easy to plan your trip during the Rose Festival, with information on travel and walk times, transfers and cost. Visit trimet.org, or m.trimet.org for smartphones.

The TriMet Board of Directors today unanimously adopted the Fiscal Year 2014 budget following more than two months of broad community outreach, and budget review and approval from Multnomah County’s Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission (TSCC). The $485 million operating budget, which will take effect July 1, 2013, touts budget priorities aimed at providing better service for our riders, upgrading the bus fleet, and safety and maintenance improvements.

Budget Priorities
• Accelerate new bus purchases, eliminating all older high floor buses and reducing the average age of the fleet to the industry standard of eight years by 2017; $8.8 million for three years.
• Increase bus service on 14 lines to address schedule reliability and rush hour overcrowding; $2.1 million annually.
• Continue the Access Transit Fare Programs (previously called the Low-Income Mitigation Program); $1.3 million annually.
• Hire eleven operators to comply with the Hours of Service policy for bus operators; $1 million a year.
• Increase the contribution to union unfunded defined benefit pension fund; $7 million in FY14.
• Increase light rail vehicle and track maintenance, plus improve lighting and station renewal along the MAX system; $9.5 million.
• Improvements to portable restroom locations for operators, construction of a new restroom facility, and acquire property for a new layover/ restroom location $1.2 million.
• No fare increase (a loss of $2 million in revenue) or service cuts planned.

“We are committed to reinvesting in our transit system; updating our aging fleet; and make targeted improvements for both our riders and employees, to ensure long-term reliability, safety and comfort,” said TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane.

The operating budget is contingent upon the arbitration award for the expired contract with the Amalgamated Transit Union being upheld and TriMet’s new contract offer is agreed upon. TriMet looks forward to upcoming negotiations and remains committed to having these bargaining sessions covered by the mainstream media so the public can be informed about the process.

The Portland Rock ‘n’ Roll ½ Marathon gets the annual Rose Festival season rolling this weekend and TriMet plans to get people to and around the race. The run kicks off at 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 19 and should last until about 3 p.m.  All MAX lines and more than a dozen bus lines serve the downtown area and come within seven blocks of the start and finish lines. Unlike last year, fares are now required to take MAX to the start/finish line of the race in downtown Portland.

Getting to the Rock ‘n’ Roll ½ Marathon on MAX

Those heading to the race from the west side should deboard Blue/Red Line trains at the Yamhill District Station and walk toward Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Customers coming from the eastside should get off the trains at the Morrison/SW 3^rd Ave Station. Riders taking the Green/Yellow trains at Pioneer Place/SW 5^th Ave should deboard and head toward the river.

Getting around the Rock ‘n’ Roll ½ Marathon

The run does not cross MAX tracks so trains will not be blocked during the event.

Ten bus lines will be detoured in downtown, southeast and northeast Portland
on Sunday: 4, 6, 8, 14, 15, 33, 35, 44, 70 and 77.

• Eastbound service on the five bus lines that use the Steel Bridge will be rerouted to the Broadway Bridge beginning at 4 a.m. through about 1:30 p.m.
• Other bus routes will detour beginning at 7a.m. through
  about 1:30 p.m.

Due to the detours, more than 150 bus stops, mostly in Downtown Portland and on the inner east side, will be closed. Buses on other lines may face minor delays as traffic is held for runners to pass so riders should plan extra time if traveling in the area of the run. Riders can find out if their bus line will be impacted by visiting trimet.org/alerts on the morning of the event. To view the course of the Rock ‘n’ Roll ½ Marathon, go to http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/portland/course.

Plan ahead

TriMet customer service staff will be at the event’s Health & Fitness Expo, being held at the Portland Expo Center today and Saturday, pre-selling fares for Sunday as well as providing service information.

TriMet’s online trip planner makes it easy to plan your trip to the Expo Center or the run. Visit trimet.org, m.trimet.org for smartphones for information on travel and walk times and cost.

TriMet has stated its desire to have the news media attend and report on the sessions as part of a comprehensive media negotiations ground rule. The ATU and TriMet have not reached agreement on this issue.

“Having the news media report on the sessions will be a first for us, and will provide the transparency we desire in negotiating a new contract that is fair to our employees, our riders and taxpayers,” said TriMet Executive Director of Labor Relations and Human Resources Randy Stedman.

Background

After 2.5 years, the 2009-2012 contract was settled through interest arbitration 4-1/2 months before it expired on Nov. 30, 2012. For the subsequent contract, the ATU sent notice in September demanding to bargain, with three sessions agreed to in November and December 2012.

However, the ATU did not show up for any of the sessions after demanding that the sessions be treated as Public Meetings. The ruling today affirms that the Oregon Public Meetings Law does not apply to these negotiation sessions.

TriMet also filed an Unfair Labor Practice Complaint with the Oregon Employment Relations Board (ERB) on January 2 to require the ATU to come to the bargaining table and begin bargaining in good faith. The Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) complaint also asked ERB to establish November 30 as the 150-day trigger for negotiations as required by state statute. ERB has not ruled on this ULP.

TriMet’s contract proposal all other information related to contract negotiations is posted on the agency’s website: trimet.org/newcontract.

TriMet’s proposal

The agency’s top issue for the next contract is to reduce the costs of one of the most generous health care benefits in the country. The current contract resulted in minimal changes to health care benefits, but the costs remain unsustainable and keep the agency at risk to continue service cuts and fare increases to balance its budget. TriMet’s proposal related to health care calls for moving the current preferred provider plan from a 90/10 share to an 80/20 plan that includes employees paying six percent of the cost of the service provided. This change would match what TriMet administrative employees pay for the preferred provider plan.

• Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, May 17, Powell Boulevard will be closed between 13th and 21st avenues. Lanes will be narrowed beginning at 8 p.m.
• Through traffic will be detoured to SE Holgate Boulevard via Cesar Chavez and McLoughlin boulevards. Local access to Powell businesses will be provided but no through access will be available between 21st and 13th avenues.
• Bus Line 9-Powell/Broadway will use Holgate via 26th and Milwaukie avenues (including 17th Ave and Center St inbound only). Three bus stops on Powell in each direction will be closed between 21st and 26th.
• Powell Boulevard will be fully open by 5 a.m. Monday, May 20.
• The new overpass for northbound SE 17^th Avenue is scheduled to open this fall.

Economic benefits of the project – creating jobs

• 384 firms are/have worked on the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Project, 107 of which are minority/women-owned and emerging firms (DBEs).
• 2,914 direct jobs as of April 10 (1,981 on-site construction; 933 professional and technical).

About the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Project

The 7.3-mile project is the region’s sixth MAX construction project to be built and extends from the terminus of the MAX Green and Yellow lines at Portland State University in Downtown Portland to South Waterfront, SE Portland, Milwaukie and North Clackamas County. About the project:

• 7.3 miles
• 10 stations
• The first of its kind multi-modal bridge will carry light rail, buses, bikes, pedestrians and a future Portland Streetcar extension over the Willamette River, but no private vehicles.
• TriMet’s share of the $1.49 billion project is less than 5 percent.
• Opens in September 2015
• Expands the MAX system to 60 miles and 97 stations

Project partners

The Federal Transit Administration, State of Oregon, Clackamas County, Metro, City of Milwaukie, Multnomah County, City of Oregon City, Oregon Department of Transportation, City of Portland, Portland Development Commission and TriMet.

The beta testers represent a cross section of riders based on demographics, type of mobile device and operating system, credit/debit card type, trip purpose, fare type, frequency of transit use and use of buses, trains or both. They will be testing the app for about a month, providing feedback through surveys. Some will take part in focus groups. Once the beta test is completed and feedback incorporated, we expect to launch the mobile ticketing app to all our riders later this summer.

TriMet Tickets to make riding buses, MAX and WES even easier

When the mobile app becomes available this summer, riders will be able to:

1. Download the free app
2. Register a debit or credit card in the secure system
3. Purchase tickets and passes instantly
4. Tap “use”

Mobile fares system reduces operating cost

The TriMet Tickets mobile ticketing app is being developed by local software startup GlobeSherpa. It will save the agency money by reducing the operating cost associated with printed and cash fares. It also brings TriMet one step closer to a state-of-the-art electronic fare collection system that will eventually provide all riders – not just those with smartphones – with easy and convenient ways to pay their fare.

Learn more about mobile ticketing at trimet.org/mobiletickets.

Bus Operator of the Year

Willie Jack, who lives in Northeast Portland, was the first Gold Master Operator at TriMet, meaning the first in the history of the agency to complete Master Operator requirements three consecutive times. He has also accrued 34 years of Safe Driving Awards and has earned 31 Superior Performance Awards in his 36 years at TriMet. He has been inducted into the Million Miles of Safety Club and was TriMet’s Operator of the Year in 1985. Jack currently drives out of TriMet’s Center Street Garage in Portland.

Recently a customer called and said, “I take this particular bus to dialysis about three times a week and I have had him for about 4-5 months now. I am in a wheelchair and I had to ride the LIFT for a few months because I had to have surgery. When I got back to regular service he realized that I had surgery and he started dropping me off not at the stop, but in front of the actual building where I need to go for dialysis. Then yesterday the 17 was late getting to my connecting stop, and the 17 (operator) honked the horn, and this operator waited for me to get off and to get to his bus to get me on. I am very appreciative, and I would have missed my dialysis had he not waited. I thought that was just great and he is a wonderful driver.”

Jack is a true asset to the agency, exemplifying TriMet’s commitment to safety and mission to provide transit service that is safe, dependable and easy to use.

MAX Operator of the Year

Ivan Semenyuk, from Happy Valley, is now a two-time winner of Rail Operator of the Year. Semenyuk won the award for the first time in 2008 and then again this year. He is a Master Operator who started his career at TriMet in 1996. He has accrued 26 years of Safe Driving Awards and 18 Superior Performance Awards. Semenyuk has been a rail operator since 2001 and has been awarded Operator of the Quarter multiple times. Semenyuk operates the Blue, Green and Yellow Lines out of TriMet’s Ruby facility.

Semenyuk has received many commendations, including, “I received a bag turned into lost and found for a customer, who did not speak English. This operator talked to them on the phone and translated for me, and helped get the bag to them, as they were elderly.”

Semenyuk furthers TriMet’s values of doing the right thing, by being responsive inclusive and accountable. He is a strong representative for light rail and the agency.

Part-time Operator of the Year

Terrie Sweet, from Beaverton, became a Senior Operator in 2011 and has nine years of Safe Driving Awards. Sweet joined TriMet is 2003 and was awarded her sixth Superior Performance Award in 2012. She has qualified for Mini-Run Operator of the Quarter multiple times. Sweet operates out of the Merlo garage in Beaverton.

A customer who used to ride with this operator from Multnomah Village to downtown Portland in the morning says he “wishes to commend this operator. She is consistently a very good driver, very conscientious, skilled, calls out all bus stops and is very nice to the customers.”

TriMet operators are the backbone of this agency and Sweet’s dedication and commitment helps further TriMet’s vision to do our part in making our community the best place to live in the country.

Dedication to safety and customer service

“TriMet is lucky to have such dedicated operators who strive for excellence in safety and customer service day in and day out,” said McFarlane. “Today we honor and thank Willie Jack, Terrie Sweet, and Ivan Semenyuk for their commitment to excellence and for providing outstanding service to the region.”

Operators qualify for the Operator of the Year program by meeting safety, customer service and attendance standards. The winners are determined by a vote of their peers.

Awards and Recognition

TriMet’s Master Operator Program recognizes bus and rail operators who achieve overall excellence in their duties as professional drivers.

Operators earn Superior Performance Awards (SPAs) each time they go 1,960 hours of work without any preventable accidents, warnings, reprimands or suspensions.

The National Safety Council (NSC) recognizes professional drivers by presenting them with Safe Driving Awards for each year they drive without a preventable accident. The NSC defines a preventable collision as one in which the driver failed to do everything that reasonably could have been done to avoid it.

This is no small achievement. TriMet estimates that it takes at least 29 years of safe driving to reach the million mile milestone. That’s the equivalent of driving 182,000 one-way trips on Line 25-Glisan/Rockwood; 15,000 roundtrips on the MAX Blue Line; or two trips to the moon and back. Million Mile Club operators must earn 29 annual Safe Driver Awards from the National Safety Council. .

The National Safety Council (NSC) recognizes professional drivers by presenting them with Safe Driver Awards for each year they drive without a preventable accident. The NSC defines a preventable collision as one in which the driver failed to do everything that reasonably could have been done to avoid it.

Executive Director of Operations Shelly Lomax recognized the nine operators. “This is a select group of operators who exemplify our commitment to safety,” Lomax said. “They have certainly earned our respect and gratitude.”

The ninth honoree, a 33-year veteran bus operator who lives and works in SE Portland, requested no media attention. All of the honorees currently operate buses, except for Operators Butler and Withrow, who both began operating MAX trains in 2003.

Some of the operators accumulated safe driving awards before starting their work at TriMet. Today’s nine inductees join 10 other active TriMet operators who have reached this celebrated safety distinctions.

Safe Driver Awards

More than 945 TriMet operators earned a Safe Driver Award this year – that’s roughly 90% of operators. Ed Frey, a TriMet operator for 36 years, has earned a TriMet record total of 42 years of Safe Driver Awards over the course of his transportation career.

TriMet was awarded the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Certificate of Merit for Safety on Sunday, May 5, for the “Be Seen. Be Safe” safety outreach campaign. The campaign took an active approach to improving safety messages and communicating safety information to pedestrians and cyclists, especially around TriMet’s buses and trains.

APTA announced the winners of the 2013 Bus Safety and Security Excellence Awards at the opening sessions of the annual APTA Bus and Paratransit Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. The awards recognize public transportation organizations for their innovative and proactive safety and security programs dedicated to improving safety for their employees, passengers and the public.

“This is a huge honor and reflects TriMet’s core value of safety not just for our operators and our riders, but everyone in communities we serve.” said TriMet’s Safety and Security Executive, Harry Saporta.

More than 30 percent of incidents occurred in low-light hours
TriMet studied data from systemwide incidents involving pedestrians and cyclists. The analysis showed that 31 percent of incidents occurred during dusk or dark hours. TriMet initiated several measures, and worked with community partners and media to address the safety challenge.

Be Seen. Be Safe focused on outreach, education
Michael Smith, APTA’s safety and security senior specialist mentioned that TriMet’s award is one of the first in North America to be exclusively focused on outreach. Several other agencies have included outreach components but none as specific as TriMet’s campaign.

“The ‘Be Seen. Be Safe’ campaign brought together our employees, our partners, our riders and local media to educate people with simple steps we can all take to stay safe when walking and biking during nighttime and early morning hours” said Drew Blevins, TriMet’s director of marketing & customer information services. He added that about 17 community partners participated in the 2012 effort.

The 2012 “Be Seen. Be Safe” campaign featured street teams distributing reflective safety items during the first commute after daylight-saving-time went away last fall, a live television remote, news coverage, television ads, print ads, social media and a rider contest.

Metro, Drive Less Save More and KGW were sponsors of the 2012 campaign; helping establish “Be Seen. Be Safe” as one of the Portland metro area’s most visible safety outreach efforts.

APTA honorees were broken out into bus system size; systems with fewer than 4 million trips annually, systems between 4 million and 20 million trips annually and systems with 20 million or more trips annually. TriMet is in the 20 million or more trips category.

Enjoy all the popular attractions that Washington Park has to offer by hopping on TriMet’s popular Line 83-Washington Park Loop. The seasonal bus line begins weekend service Saturday, May 4, with daily service starting on Memorial Day, May 27. This is the 15th year the bus line has served Washington Park, making it easy and convenient for visitors to take in the park’s well-known attractions:

• Oregon Zoo
• Portland Children’s Museum
• International Rose Test Garden
• Children’s Play Park
• Japanese Garden
• Hoyt Arboretum
• World Forestry Center Discovery Museum
• Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial
• Oregon Holocaust Memorial
• Hiking trails

Line 83 runs about every 20 minutes from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. From August 1 through 10, service will be extended for evening concerts being held in the park. The Washington Park Loop connects with MAX and other bus service in downtown Portland. It returns to weekend-only service after Labor Day through October 27.

MAX Blue and Red line riders can catch the 83-Washington Park Loop across from the JELD-WEN Field station or at the Washington Park station. During Portland Timbers matches, the Line 83 will not serve the stop near JELD-WEN Field due to street closures.

Plan ahead

TriMet’s online trip planner makes it easy to plan your trip, with information on travel and walk times and cost. Visit trimet.org, m.trimet.org for smartphones.