BEAVERTON, Ore. - A new train is a time saver for some, but not everyone is onboard with TriMet's Westside Express Service.
Cascade policy Research group President John Charles says the system is a financial train wreck that translates into TriMet losing about a half million dollars a month on the service.
"It's not heavily travelled, with fewer than 600 passengers a day," Charles said. "The costs in the last three months have skyrocketed and ridership has gone down. In a city that prides itself on sustainability, how is that a sustainable model?"
Conductors told KGW that on an average weekday, the morning trains had about 30 riders on them.
"I take it two or three times a week, at least sometimes twice a day," rider Allana Morgan said. "I really like it - it shaves a whole lot of time off of my day."
TriMet says a lot of it has to do with the state of the economy.
"With fewer people working, double digit unemployment and in this recession - we think ridership is going just slower than we had anticiapated but this is a line for our future," TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said.
According to TriMet's own data on WES' performance for the month of May, the operating cost is almost $33 per passenger on average. The average fare was $1.15.
"Obviously, this is an expensive transit option - but it's an investment in our future," Fetsch said.
"That's what all the apologists for rural transit say and there's no evidence to support that that's true," according to Charles.
TriMet said since WES is regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration and that it operates on tracks that were already in place makes it more costly to operate than the MAX light rail or the bus.
KGW Reporter Erica Heartquist contributed to this report.
