Not only did the bill never move out of committee, it never got a floor hearing, a vote...it was dead, and it is dead.
What's most damning, is TriMet has finally admitted (within its testimony) that WES directly pulled resources away from bus service (its testimony directly states that had TriMet not been saddled with WES operating costs, it would have tens of millions of dollars that would specifically be reallocated to, and only to, bus service, and even identified specific minority-majority population areas that would receive the benefit), AND also that TriMet wants out of WES.
There are lots and lots of glowing pieces of testimony of people who want an expanded WES (and some that basically want all bus service dead) - but one thing is absolutely, positively certain that doesn't require half a million dollars in taxpayer dollars to be squandered:
1. TriMet does not want to pay for it.
2. Cherriots does not want to pay for it.
3. SMART (City of Wilsonville) does not want to pay for it.
4. Washington County does not want to pay for it.
5. Clackamas County does not want to pay for it.
6. Marion County does not want to pay for it.
7. The City of Wilsonville does not want to pay for it.
8. The City of Keizer does not want to pay for it.
9. The City of Salem does not want to pay for it.
10. ODOT does not want any involvement in it other than being a pass-through agency for federal grants. It does not want to own it, operate it, be involved day-to-day, etc.
11. THE SUPPORTERS DO NOT WANT TO PAY A FARE THAT WOULD COVER EVEN A REASONABLE MINORITY SHARE OF ITS COSTS.
Bottom line: Let this damned idea just die already. If one does not want to ride the 1X, that's a personal problem - not one that government, nor its citizens and taxpayers, have any moral, legal, or ethical obligation to cater to.
