A RATIONAL APPROACH TO PLANNING: TRI-MET'S CRITERIA FOR SERVICE

In December 1974, the Tri-County Metropolitan District of Oregon (Portland) adopted a set of goals and objectives to guide service planning and development, to establish minimum levels of service, and to enable the district to respond rationally to the concerns of its constituents. Short term (five-year) district goals include the provision of efficient, effective and safe transit service throughout the county; an average annual ridership increase of 15%; a twofold increase in transit utilization for travel to the downtown area; recovery of a minimum of 40% of operating costs from the farebox; and support of the region's environmental and land use goals. Specific service criteria were developed to serve as a bridge between these goals and daily service decisions. Quantative standards were developed for accessibility, convenience, speed and route farebox recovery. These criteria are used to evaluate and prioritize proposed service changes, to guide decisions concerning fiscal and equipment utilization, and to respond to citizen requests for new or changed service.