In the parlance of our social media-crazed times, TriMet got ratioed on Twitter this week.

As The Oregonian reported Monday, TriMet would add nine fare enforcement officers, a move the agency said would result in less of a reliance on police officers to assist in fare enforcement missions on the light rail system.

The tri-county transit agency sent a series of tweets to its more than 63,000 followers on Tuesday explaining why it would be dramatically ramping up fare enforcement on MAX trains.

“We've all seen it: somebody not paying their fare,” TriMet tweeted from its account on Tuesday. “It's frustrating, especially when you've paid yours — complaints about people hopping on board without paying are among the most common we get.”

This is where the ratioing began, where replies to a tweet vastly outnumber the number of likes and retweets.

As of this morning, some 923 responses rolled in to TriMet’s proverbial social media station, voicing a virtual unanimous chorus of disapproval.

Respondents called for TriMet to focus on improving and expanding its own service, not targeting passengers who don’t pay their fare. Others called for making transit free altogether. There was a lot of disbelief that riders care at all if another passenger is riding for free.

“I ride TriMet seven days a week,” one Twitter user wrote. “I can state without a doubt the most frustrating thing I have experienced is fare inspectors harassing people of color and unhoused folks I mind my own business in re fares, which should be free anyway. I suggest the nosy Nellies do the same.”

“I have never once noticed or cared whether someone paid their fare but I *do* notice and care when I see people being harassed by the fare inspectors,” another wrote.

The Twitter imbroglio was the latest development in a story that dates back at least a year and a half, where a high-profile arrest of a David Douglas school board member plunged the agency into the spotlight. It subsequently clarified its fare enforcement powers and is now trying to rely less on uniformed police officers. Fare evasion is not a crime, rather it is treated as a citation, a move that advocates lauded in recent years as a much-needed step forward in transit equity.

Roberta Altstadt, TriMet’s communications manager, said the reaction to the fare enforcement increase “was expected,” because the agency has already heard similar comments at public meetings or out in the community.

“As far as hearing comments regarding the need for more fare enforcement, we hear those at the same community meetings, complaints sent into the agency and even online,” she said in an email.

TriMet officials say they take the comments of all riders into account as they make decisions – and they’re not all negative. Altstadt sent along a number of anonymous comments from riders she said have asked for more enforcement. “It would be better if you could require a paid ticket to get on the train,” one person wrote to TriMet. “Every time I have ridden the MAX there is someone panhandling for change on the train. I do not feel safe.”

Altstadt provided a link to the agency’s most recent rider survey, released in April. That phone poll surveyed 807 people in the tri-county area about TriMet overall.

According to that poll, 44% “strongly agree” TriMet should enforce fares “even if doing so sometimes feels intrusive or intimidating to some customers.” Another 22% “somewhat” agreed. Older riders were more likely to be pro-fare enforcement.

But most people aren’t concerned about security, according to that survey, because of a lack of fare enforcement. Just 2% of those polled said the lack of fare enforcement contributed to their security concerns. The overwhelming security worries came from “passenger behavior," with 12% citing “homeless passengers” as a concern.

Altstadt noted that the social media response on Facebook was more balanced. As of Wednesday, 183 people had liked the post, while 161 had submitted an angry emoji and 31 loved the agency’s focus on fare enforcement.

TriMet has an estimated fare evasion rate of 18%, which Altstadt said is significantly above the national average. And she disputes advocates’ claims that riders who don’t pay are financially unable to do it. “The number one reason people evade fare is they’re taking the chance they won’t get caught,” she said. “More fare enforcement will make their odds worse.” According to a TriMet survey of riders caught without a fare this year, 24% said they could pay but tried to risk it, 11% said they forgot to validate or tap their Hop card, and just 2% said they couldn’t afford to pay.

The agency also says it has 25,000 people enrolled in its new low-income fare program, which offer fares at half the cost of the full adult fare, which is currently $2.50. It also reduced the fine for fare evasion in recent years.

She also said a free system is “not that easily done as we do not currently have a funding source that would replace our current revenue stream from fares,” she said. Passenger fares comprise 16% of total revenue. “We constantly hear from the public that they want more service in more areas. Rather than reducing fares and cutting service, we are focused on expanding service and providing transit that is safe and reliable, helps build more livable communities, eases congestion and advances regional climate goals,” she said.

Shawn Fleek, communications director for the nonprofit transit advocacy group OPAL, said the agency is trying to spin the hires with “the laughable claim” that transit riders care this much about whether other riders are paying to ride the rails. “Transit riders want to stop the fare hikes and win truly public transit free of traffic and racial profiling,” he said, with a nod to potential fare hikes in upcoming budgets.

“All that wasted time, money, and bureaucracy, because a rider didn't have fare,” he said.

Fleek has another call to action. “If you see people evading fare, don’t write to TriMet and don’t complain to the driver. Just mind your own business and imagine a fareless transit system, where nobody is treated as if they were a criminal for moving freely in the world.”

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen

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