TRI MET PERFORMANCE DATA - ORIGINATING RIDES

Similarly, free rides directed to gain modal diversion help to accomplish desired goals but free rides which merely induce additional, possibly unnecessary, trips serve only to puff ridership statistics.

The following tables provide information for analyzing the performance of the Portland metropolitan area transit agency known as Tri Met. It should be used in conjunction with information contained in other articles and studies on this web site.

For people that are not transportation professionals, the following may be helpful to get a better understanding of the data. Ridership can be expressed as "boarding" rides or "originating" rides. Boarding rides includes every person that gets on a transit conveyor. Originating rides counts only the first boarding and excludes subsequent boardings by the same person on the same trip from original to destination. In other words, transfers are counted in boarding ride counts as separate rides. Originating rides, often called linked trips, more properly represent the number of riders.

The second table contains what we refer to as the "NOPES" index. This attempts to show the effect of free trips and "Fareless Square" on ridership. Fareless Square is an area comprising the central business district in which no fare is charged. While Fareless Square provides a convenience by allowing people to take transit for a few blocks at no charge, it inflates ridership data while doing nothing to reduce the use of single occupant automobiles or congestion.

TRI MET ORIGINATING RIDES PER CAPITA

FISCAL

YEAR

ORIGINATI NG

RIDES

PER CAPITA

% INC

COVERED *

TRI COUNTY

EMPLOYME NT

% INC

TRI COUNTY

POPULATI ON

% INC

1977

31.46

362,973

968,200

1978

32.21

2.38%

398,591

9.81%

1,013,050

4.63%

1979

32.08

-0.40%

422,956

6.11%

1,033,550

2.02%

1980

37.76

17.7 1%

425,451

0.59%

1,053,100

1.89%

1981

35.54

-5.88%

415,491

-2.34%

1,062,000

0.85%

1982

34.58

-2.70%

392,771

-5.47%

1,069,300

0.69%

1983

34.52

-0.17%

390,499

-0.58%

1,057,900

-1.07%

1984

34.36

-0.46%

411,795

5.45%

1,068,800

1.03%

1985

33.06

-3.78%

422,852

2.69%

1,078,000

0.86%

1986

31.01

-6.20%

434,908

2.85%

1,087,500

0.88%

1987

32.27

4.06%

450,690

3.63%

1,097,100

0.88%

1988

31.72

-1.70%

479,317

6.35%

1,119,700

2.06%

1989

32.8

3.40%

508,633

6.12%

1,141,500

1.95%

1990

33.53

2.23%

524,479

3.12%

1,183,000

3.64%

1991

34.76

3.67%

523,498

-0.19%

1,217,200

2.89%

1992

35.49

2.10%

528,286

0.91%

1,236,500

1.59%

1993

34.72

-2.17%

547,625

3.66%

1,268,000

2.55%

1994

35.5

2.25%

574,868

4.97%

1,285,000

1.34%

1995

36.15

1.83%

605,542

5.34%

1,305,100

1.56%

1996

37.15

2.77%

625,316

3.27%

1,325,700

1.58%

1997

38.33

3.18%

658,099

5.24%

1,346,868

1.60%

1998

38.96

1.64%

668,091

1.52%

1,366,457

1.45%

1999

43.27

11.0 6%

688,735

3.09%

1,378,450

0.88%

INCREASE 1977 TO 1999

37.5 4%

89.75%

42.37%

INCREASE 1986 TO 1999

39.5 4%

58.36%

26.75%

LIGHT RAIL OPERATIONS BEGAN IN 1986.

"COVERED" TRI COUNTY EMPLOYMENT IS EMPLOYMENT IN THE TRI MET DISTRICT.

POPULATION DATA FROM PSU POPULATION RESEARCH CENTER.

ORIGINATING RIDES PER CAPITA AND COVERED EMPLOYMENT FROM TRI MET.

TRI MET RIDERSHIP/FARE ANALYSIS

FISCAL

YEAR

ORIGINATI NG

RIDES

PER CAPITA

% INC

FIXED ROUTE

AVERAGE

FARE

FIXED ROUTE

BASE FARE

**

NOPES

INDEX

*

FARE INCREASE

AND OTHER

CHANGES

1971

16.25

0.32

0.35

8.60%

1972

18.78

15.5 7%

0.34

0.35

2.90%

1973

19.35

3.04%

0.34

0.35

2.90%

1974

22.07

14.0 6%

0.33

0.35

5.70%

1975

24.09

9.15%

0.32

0.35

8.60%

1976

29.5

22.4 6%

0.29

0.35

17.10%

F. SQ.

1977

31.46

6.64%

0.31

0.4

22.50%

F.I

1978

32.21

2.38%

0.32

0.45

28.90%

F.I

1979

32.08

-0.40%

0.36

0.45

20.00%

1980

37.76

17.7 1%

0.39

0.55

29.10%

F.I

1981

35.54

-5.88%

0.5

0.65

23.10%

F.I

1982

34.58

-2.70%

0.51

0.65

21.50%

1983

34.52

-0.17%

0.51

0.75

32.00%

F.I

1984

34.36

-0.46%

0.49

0.75

34.70%

1985

33.06

-3.78%

0.51

0.75

32.00%

1986

31.01

-6.20%

0.55

0.85

35.30%

F.I

1987

32.27

4.06%

0.55

0.85

35.30%

1988

31.72

-1.70%

0.6

0.85

29.40%

1989

32.8

3.40%

0.57

0.85

32.90%

Z.C.

1990

33.53

2.23%

0.56

0.85

34.10%

1991

34.76

3.67%

0.61

0.9

32.20%

F.I

1992

35.49

2.10%

0.6

0.9

33.30%

1993

34.72

-2.17%

0.62

0.95

34.70%

F.I

1994

35.5

2.25%

0.61

0.95

35.80%

1995

36.15

1.83%

0.64

1

36.00%

F.I

1996

37.15

2.77%

0.65

1

35.00%

1997

38.33

3.18%

0.67

1.05

36.19%

F.I

1998

38.96

1.64%

0.67

1.05

36.19%

1999

43.27

11.0 6%

0.68

1.1

38.18%

F.I

* NONPAYING AND DISCOUNT RIDES

** BASED ON 2 GROUP, THE LARGEST FARE ZONE

F.SQ. REPRESENTS FARELESS SQUARE INTRODUCTION

F.I. REPRESENTS FARE INCREASE.

Z.C. REPRESENTS FARE ZONE CHANGES.

DATA FROM TRI MET