September 4, 2013
3j3ortlanh (Observer
Page 5
Sole ful Strutters, Sole ful Brothers and Soleful Masters bask in the limelight on the be
Relay teams shine at Portland to Coast
Soleful Strutters, Soleful Brothers and
Congratulations to the Soleful Brothers
Soleful Masters were all part of a “Soleful who scored first place in the Men’s Walking
Family scoring big victories in the Portland division; the Soleful Masters who took first
to Coast Walk Relay.
place in the Men’s Master Walking division;
T rip le t's Expensive "Dead A ir" D ecision
iert purchases have been repeatedly called into question. The effects of such unwise decisions ripple
ystem, impacting safety, health, service and finances.
s new $35 million radio dispatch system that was rolled out in 2012. Months later, the system remains
Consequently, dispatchers must simultaneously monitor both the old and the new systems. Here is a
nber of problems this pricey new system has caused ...
RISKS TO SAFETY
Like air traffic controllers, TriMet
dispatchers are responsible for the moment-to-moment safety
of thousands of passengers, as well as fellow workers and the
public. This job is now incredibly challenging in the face of:
• Emergency calls to dispatch that not only automatically
"time out" after two minutes - even in the middle of an
emergency - but also force operators to wait another
two minutes before they can reconnect
• Dead zones throughout the system where none of the
new radios work at all and instances where the entire
system has gone dead for more than 45 minutes.
COMPROMISES TO PASSENGERS SAFETY AND SERVICE
Forced to rely on a flawed
communications system and unable to respond to problems and emergencies, dispatchers operate in non-stop
crisis mode. Passengers are put in dangerous situations, missing connections and experiencing late arrivals. Service
is worsening. TriMet fares are already higher than fares in other West Coast cities. System expansion, $30 million
vending machines and $35 million dispatching systems cut deep into TriMets operations budget. To get more money,
TriMet cuts service and raises fares—both of which lower ridership and revenue.
THREATS TO WORKERS HEALTH: As a consequence o f the chronic dispatch problems, workplace
stress is taking an increased physical toll on dispatchers. They are experiencing more repetitive injuries and sick days.
This results in staffing shortages, skipped breaks,
in c re a s e d o v e r t im e a n d n a n ^ » ii„z i
t v
.,
,__ i._
• Frequent failure of GPS tracking devices such that they
misidentify where a bus is actually located
• An unworkable emergency phone procedure that delays
police response times.
VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR PHOTOS OF THE DISPATCH SYSTEM -TRANSITVOICE.ORG
LOOK FOR US
ON FACEBOOK
LET YOUR VOICE COUNT!
LEARN MORE AT
TRANSITVOICE.ORG
j
. .