Quote:
Originally Posted by rsbear
If you can't afford a newly-built apartment in the central city it's not because you're an "Oregonian", it's because you don't make enough money.
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In the last three years, I've seen the apartment next door to mine go from $995/mo to $1605. I can't even count the number of people I know who have been priced out of their neighborhoods. It's not just new apartments - I only mentioned new apartments because the streetcar has prioritized new neighborhoods over existing ones. And when I talk about housing, I'm not talking about me. I have a place and all is well... but holy cow, I worry. I worry for my friends. I worry for the people who work at the stores I shop in and the pubs I go to. I think we all should worry - or at least care. How do we keep Portland a place where the people who work here - the people who don't have swanky condos and high paying tech gigs - how do we keep Portland a place they can afford? Or are we just gonna shrug and be cool with the idea of it being a city for the rich and to heck with the rest.
The streetcar price hikes from $100 to $200 to $400 strike a nerve for me because the system still prioritizes the wants of developers over the transportation needs of the rest of the city. I think it's time for that to change.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rsbear
Why would one expect one form of public transit to charge a different fare than the others? A (highly-subsidized) ride is a ride, is a ride, is a ride.
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As I said, I don't. I'm fine with the streetcar bumping prices all the way up to regular Trimet bus & MAX fares. My gripe is that the system has increased from $100 a year to $400 a year so quickly, yet it still prioritizes developers over the needs of the rest of the city.