So I don't know if you've been following the ongoing problem that Portland's Tri-Met bus/MAX overlord is facing. Here's the basic idea: they want to shut down Fareless Square, and the process isn't going well. Based on Amy Ruiz' excellent reporting for the Mercury, it's easy to see how the problem has evolved: Tri-Met has rushed to move forward on closing down Fareless Square without adequate public input, and everyone involved on the public side feeling a bit used and disgusted. Why do they want to close it down? Because there are ongoing public safety issues. "Undesirable behavior" happens late at night amongst those who hitch a ride in Fareless Square.

But here's the biggest rub: Tri-Met doesn't have any evidence that there's any real danger in Fareless Square. The case is knee-jerk, purely anecdotal, and may represent a disconnect between reality and policy. According to Ruiz's interview with Mary Fetsch of Tri-Met, they "have seen complaints... from our riders, and the police have made comments" about "the undesirable behavior happens later in the evening in Fareless Square.”

Hold on a minute! Stop the bus, I want off! The public was right to ask Tri-Met for data to back up its claims; as we all learned in school, an argument without support is flim-flam at best. Anecdotal evidence is a start; that can be used to clue Tri-Met into a problem. But to base their Fareless Square decision purely on anecdote demonstrates a strange rush to judgment. The program has existed as long as I've known Portland, and to quickly and dramatically change it due to recent anecdote is wrong.

Here's what should be happening: Tri-Met receives complaints, and should cite those as grounds to commission a study on whether Fareless Square is, in fact, dangerous. Then it should seriously engage the public, laying out the results of its study and asking for ideas and input on what should be done, while at the same time offering potential ideas for moving forward. Then, and only then, should a decision begin to be talked about.

Personally I find Fareless Square to be a fantastic idea. If it is indeed creating a threat to public safety, then I'd like to have a discussion about what can be done about it. But I don't want to sweet Fareless Square under the rug without a significant discussion that everyone has a say in.

If you want to chime in, please head on over to Amy's latest blog post on the subject, where she lays out how you can get in touch with Tri-Met. Also, I'd encourage reading back over her entries, so you can get a full sense of what's happened (and especially what the public has said).