Trying the TriMet

We have know that we live in a metropolitan city with way above average public transportation. Yesterday, we decided to use that system, not only for the simple experience, but also to test it for use in the future.

We left our apartment in the Sellwood suburb, walked two blocks to the Tacoma/13th bus stop, and five minutes later boarded Bus #40 which was on time to the minute. The Portland TriMet metropolitan transportation network includes PDXBuses, MAX Light Rail, and the Streetcar, fully integrated under one system. Popular routes run every 15 minutes in the day, less frequently in the late evening hours. The bus was spotless, and the ride comfortable.  The people were behaved and mostly friendly. There were dedicated seats for “Honored Citizens” as well as handicapped. 

With our “Honored Citizens” (Portland’s moniker for seniors), the cost for a ride of any distance is $1.40. It’s cheaper for frequent riders. On this first bus the card reader was not working, so our ride was free.

In only 24 minutes we were in downtown. It would have taken 13-14 min by car in normal traffic, but then there would be the time and $$ to find and pay for parking.

At each stop the bus "kneels down" for easy entry/exit. If there is a rider in a wheelchair or using a walker, the driver extends a simple ramp to the surface level so the chair can roll right off onto the platform or sidewalk.

 We walked a block to Pioneer Square in the heart of the retail/business district to begin our otherwise unstructured day, which was as beautiful as it looks. 75F with a light breeze and blue skys.

The Weather Machine is a whimsical, 30-foot tall art installation in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square that forecasts the weather. At noon each day, it performs a two-minute sequence involving a trumpet fanfare, mist, and flashing lights, revealing a metal symbol that predicts the weather for the next 24 hours. The symbols are a sun for clear skies, a blue heron for drizzle, and a dragon for rain

(I had a short movie here originally, but Blogger never finished 'processing' it.)

Everything grows easily and quickly in Portland. (That basket would have looked great on our balcony.)

We wandered into a Japanese store with both old and new things for sale. The robe hanging from the ceiling was georgeous, but the $8K+ price saved it for the next customer.

We moved on to a larger Japanese dry goods store we had visited previously. There was no one at the coffee counter, but this robotic barista taking orders via your phone served virtually any coffee concoction you would desire.

The street car system is a direct descent of the original horse-drawn cars of the late 1800s. They are smaller than the MAX and can make tighter turns onto smaller streets.

The MAX. Bigger cars and somewhat faster. They reach further into the burbs as well.

The Nines Hotel host The Urban Farmer restaurant. We had a dinner here several years ago, and stopped in for lunch this day. We originally were headed for their rooftop Departures Lounge for a snack, but that didn't open until 4pm.

 

Pioneer Place is an urban indoor mall occupying a full city block. Like many other urban retail outlets, customers were sparse. There is a multiscreen movie theater on the top level.

The sidewalks around the US Court of Appeals is lined with sculpture fountains holding all sorts of animals from the Pacific Northwest.

The Tiny Little Cuppa coffee shop is exactly that. Matt took me here for coffee some years ago.

At the end of the day it was time to head home. The meter-reader was working, so we oppened our apple wallet and used our virtual cards (Note the 'Honored Citizen' identification) for the $1.40 ride home.  We had probably saved enough in gas and parking to pay for the desert at the Urban Farmer.

Screen capture of my virtual TriMet card. It was an enjoyable and informative day. 

We had stopped at the huge Apple store during our walk, and I made an appointment to replace the battery in my iPhone. It's likely I'll ride there rather than drive, as I'm retired and can easily adopt my life to the bus schedule.

I originally set up this "Blips in the Cosmos" a couple of decade ago. It seems to still be working. Let me know - JLF