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street roots
June 22, 2012
EDITORIAL
Making change, every day
P
Goodbye free rail zone, and
everything you stood fo r
he free rail zone, once known as Fareless Square is
gone.
T
In a city that prides itself on being green,
innovative and equity driven, it seems odd that besides a
few organizations and voices in the wilderness, losing the
free-rail zone didn’t seem to matter much.
It sure wasn’t all that important to Tri-Met. Didn’t hear
much from the city, or other government institutions on
the issue. The business community didn’t seem to mind,
and why would they. Most out-of-town visitors, especially
those attending
conventions,
will have
It is one more component
their ride subsidized
in a long line of missteps
with revenue from a
over the past two decades
visitors tax.
that have tilted Portland's
When Fareless Square
urban core further away
began in 1975, and
from being a diverse and
throughout the years, it
innovative downtown for
was held up as a beacon
the future.
in the movement of
progressive economic
development, helping
curb air pollution and encouraging people not to drive.
Fareless Square helped divert car congestion, gave
people an opportunity to ride freely to sporting and other
cultural events downtown. And it allowed people to travel
from one part of the city’s concentrated core to another -
to shop, enjoy lunch and generate a vibrant commercial
center — unencumbered by additional charges.
In neighborhoods like Old Town, it allowed downtown
citizens, many elderly and low-income to travel outside of
its food desert to buy groceries and other goods. It
allowed service workers who can’t afford to live or park
downtown to travel freely to their jobs from outside the
downtown core.
It’s all gone. The reality is that new charges applied to
rail service downtown — on lines that already cut through
the heart of the city - will nickel and dime the students,
the elderly, and the service class who rely on the zone to
enable their already limited livelihood.
Of course, time will pass and the city will adjust.
Gentrification will continue and Portland’s downtown
demographics will continue to trend toward wealthy,
white individuals and families, while middle-class and poor
people will be pushed toward the city’s outer rings. That’s
not to say that abandoning the free rail zone is at fault for
this sweeping reality. But it is one more component in a
long line of missteps over the past two decades that have
tilted Portland’s urban core further away from being a
diverse and innovative downtown for the future.
We get it: Times are tough and revenues are down.
Portland is still thriving, compared to many cities. We are
one of the leading cities for alternative transportation
modes in the country, and banking our investments on
streetcars and cycling programs will lead us into the
future.
That’s not enough. Having a free rail zone coupled with
these investments would uphold true innovation, ensuring
a hub for commerce, entertainment and an equity in
mobility that will never return.
TriMet, its union, local government, and the business
community could have saved the free-rail zone. They
didn’t. We will all pay the price, literally, and Portland will
suffer for it.
Once a vendor goes through orientation,
eople tell me all the time how great
we ask that they abide by some simple rules
the vendors are in the community
when out on turf. Beyond the basics, like
and what a community asset they are
for local neighborhoods. They also tell me, not smoking or being intoxicated, we ask
vendors to not be aggressive in any way. It’s
often with
pretty simple. Does it always work? Of
bewilderment, that
course not, but for the vast majority of the
the vast amount of
vendors represent people selling SR and the community
IRECTOB'S the
at-large, it’s a great fit.
themselves very well.
DESK
Part of what makes SR great is allowing
Yes, people
people to find their own voice, either
experiencing poverty
By Israel Bayer
through the sales of the newspaper or being
do have manners.
published. Making money is the goal, but
We also take our
allowing for people to build self-confidence
fair share of incident
and community is something that makes
reports on vendor altercations and other
the vendor program special.
random inquiries about individuals and
We work hard so that vendors can thrive
families selling the newspaper. We want to
make sure that readers know that we have a in different environments. Mostly though,
Vendor Incident and Feedback form on the
it’s readers like you that make it possible.
SR website at www.streetroots.org.
Being able to create community on street
Individuals go through an hour
corners and in front of businesses
orientation before becoming a vendor that
throughout the Portland area is something
includes a 35-minute video about SR and
that we can all appreciate.
selling the newspaper, along with a time for
One vendor recently told me that she
questions and answers. Vendors receive 10
enjoys the conversation that naturally
free papers, tips on turf, and are out the
unfolds with readers as much as making
door. It’s no easy task to sell a newspaper.
money when selling Street Roots. Thank
It’s even harder when faced with the needs
you, Portland, for taking the time and
of survival and being constantly exposed to
helping change people’s lives, one
the elements.
conversation and one newspaper at a time.
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f
Street Roots. You can
reach him a t israel@
streetroots.org
City Scape by Ed Gould
Executive Director Israel Bayer
members of the North American Street
Newspaper Association and the international
Network of Street Papers.
Street Roots
211 NW Davis St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-228-5657
Fax: 503-227-3117
www.streetroots.org
www.streetroots.wordpress.com
israel@stfeetroots,org
Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl
joanne@streetroots.org
Operations Birector Sarah Beecroft
Program Assistant Cole Merkel, Jesuit Volunteer
AmeriCorps Member
cole@streetroots.org
Grant Writer Sarah Cloud
Accountant Heather Stadick
Reporters Amanda Waldroupe, Jake Thomas,
Devan Schwartz, Robert Britt, Sue Zalokar
Photographers Leah Nash, Ken Hawkins, Kristina
Wright
Valunteers
Mary Pacios, Leo Rhodes, Jan Bayer, Eliese Baker,
Sue Zalokar, Michael Moore, Robert Britt, Cynthia
Kiehl, Hannah Schultz, Robyn Wirkes, Shannon
Lattin
our vendors, we receive additional support from
donations and in-kind contributions.
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Street Roots Rose City Resource
Street Roots publishes the Rose City Resource, a
comprehensive booklet of services for people
experiencing homelessness and poverty.
To inquire about getting an order of the Rose City
Resource for distribution, please write to
pdxrosecityresource@gmail.com. Resources are also
available online at www.rosecityresource.org.
Vendor orientations are at 1 p.m. every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office.