·	The downtown economy is heavily subsidised with tax dollars from the rest of the city

·	The school enrollment in the Portland School District declines while the suburban districts can hardly keep up with enrollment growth

·	Over $20 million in property taxes are abated to encourage development? (Annual figure)

·	Over $60 million in urban renewal area property taxes are kept in the UR districts while the rest of the city has to pay for their basic services? (Annual figure)

·	Portland is starting to subsidize housing for people who make more than the median family income.

·	Portland is cutting back police due to lack of money.

·	Portland has one of the higher unemployment rates in the country?

·	Portland is losing housing afford ability.

·	Portland recently had the nation's worst increase in traffic congestion?

·	Portland almost had the shortest school year in the country.

·	light rail has a death rate 2 1/2 times higher than cars.

·	Streetcar costs are 6 1/2 times the cost of driving

·	selling land to developers below its real value?

·	major employers leaving the city?

·	Only where land is expensive, does higher density make economic sense. That is why Portland HAS to give subsidies

Trimet likes to brag about their tremendous increase in ridership, but compared to population growth, they gained only 1% over the last full decade for which census data is available (1990-2000). At that rate they will have half of us out of our cars in only 500 years. There is a strong correlation between income level and transit use (people tend to get a car as soon as they can afford one) and our strong surge in immigrants may be the sole reason for Trimet's market share gain

You should also note that their reported ridership numbers are deceptive. They are boardings, not people, so if you transfer to get to work, you count as two boardings each way for a total of four boardings in one round trip to work and back.