I would say Tri-Met is doing pretty good, at slowly lowering the operating cost, of its rail lines, however its buses steadily increases cost. I don’t work for Tri-met, but I’m going to guess that its due to increases in gas prices. Gas prices will go up.

An anecdote, I was talking to a cab driver the other day in Portland, who grew up here and told me, “in my day there was no need for cabs, there were streetcars rolling up and down these streets.” Streetcars were a sustainable mode of transportation, until cheap oil and privatized transportation (automobile) came into the picture. They are and will be sustainable in the future, when gas prices hit $5/ galleon within 2 years. Planning by definition is to organize something before hand. So I would argue very good planning.

I do agree that we do need to maintain our current infrastructure.

We need to maintain existing infrastructure before we build unsustainable pipe dreams.

Transit users only pay 20% of the operating costs when they pay to ride on the Tri-Met systeem and none of the capital construction costs . Or building the new streetcar and light rail lines. Then they need urban renewal tax breaks and special giveaways to attract businesses to the areas around the rail projects.

Street cars are not sustainable.