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A new streetcar made in Clackamas by United Streetcar went into service for the first time June. Assembly took two years but according to Kevin W. Clark president of United Streetcar they can now build one in six months. Portland now has 12 streetcars in its fleet.

(The Oregonian)

It's probably the worst-kept secret in Portland commuting: Freeloaders can hop on the Portland Streetcar without having to worry about getting slapped with a ticket for fare evasion.

That's right: After 12 years of service (as of this month), streetcar officials have yet to issue a single citation for riding without a valid fare.

Hopefully, no one expected the free ride to last forever.

A year after the city eliminated free-ride zones to correspond with the opening of service east of the Willamette River, Portland Streetcar is about to begin writing $175 tickets to riders caught without the $1 toll.

"We're within days of issuing citations," said Julie Gustafson, a Portland Streetcar spokeswoman.

For years, streetcar staff have randomly asked riders to present valid fares. If he or she didn't have one, they would receive a warning. The city has also used a mannerly "concierge" approach, where someone caught without a ticket gets a quick lesson on how to use the on-board fare box.

Without "certification training," Gustafson said, the system's single enforcer and a handful of supervisors weren't allowed to do anything but issue a warning.

Gustafson said getting the eastside extension up and running was deemed more important than fare-enforcement training. Meanwhile, earlier this year, it became apparent that the system was collecting only half of its projected fares.

Now, months of training -- which covered everything from streetcar policies to the "judicial processes" of transit citations -- is wrapping up, Gustafson said. No more Mr. Nice Guys: The basic fare for all violations on the Portland Streetcar will be 175 bones.

The chain-link fence is down and the "Evolved" sculpture at the Portland Streetcar stop east of the Burnside Bridge is finished.

"We wanted (the amount) to be the same as TriMet to keep it seamless with all transit systems," Gustafson said.

Even without the threat of fines, the system's inspector and supervisors have reported that more than 90 percent of Portland Streetcar riders show valid fare when asked for it.

There are also now three ways to purchase fare on the streetcar – at station, via machines on the vehicles and a newly launched mobile app.

Meanwhile, Gustafson said the city is planning an event to celebrate the recent completion of the multi-colored "Evolved" metal sculpture at the stop just east of the Broadway Bridge, which has benches built into the structure.

Although the Portland Streetcar has long been credited with spurring urban renewal, The Atlantic Cities blog on Tuesday morning reported that bus rapid transit, currently being discussed by TriMet for different corridors, goes further toward that goal.

"While the Portland streetcar was the anchor or at least the featured element of this growth, it wasn't responsible for this boom by itself. Rather, it was part of a broader development plan in which zoning, public-private investment, street upgrades, and other renewal efforts also played considerable roles," The Atlantic Cities reported. "So for now, the research advantage clearly goes to BRT."



-- Joseph Rose