New law undercuts TriMet's effort to boost revenue through fare-cheat fines

TriMet's effort to increase fare inspectors -- and gain revenue through more citations -- runs into a new law that diverts the money elsewhere. Read more ...

You may be sharing the car, but if you get a photo radar ticket, it's all yours

When Zipcar gets an infraction in the mail, its policy is to check the reservation records and happily rat out the driver to the Fuzz. Otherwise, the company's stuck with the bill. Read more ...

Commuting: A few more thoughts on hands-free texting with the iPhone's Siri on U.S. 26

My most recent Oregonian column on driving and texting hands-free with Apple’s Siri (or trying to anyway) elicited a great deal of reader response. “You're dumb,” wrote one Apple fan. “Just say ‘Text my wife 'How was your day?' Works for me.” If you watch the video, that's exactly what I did -- several times. Read more ...

Portland police find pickup, driver suspected in ODOT gate crash caught on video

“The vehicle was located and contact between ODOT and the owner resulted in a civil understanding using the truck owner's insurance to repair the gate damage,” said Sgt. Pete Simpson, a Portland police spokesman. Read more ...

Portland police looking for high-speed pickup driver who smashed through gates at ODOT facility (video)

“In winter, the East Portland yard is staffed 24/7,” said ODOT spokesman Don Hamilton. “On that night, crew members in the office heard a huge crash and ran outside. The driver, perhaps seeing ODOT personnel, immediately did a K-turn and sped back out the gate.” Read more ...

TriMet report shows major crackdown on fare cheats in December

Citations for fare evasion on TriMet jumped 10-fold in December, compared to the same period the year before, new enforcement statistics from Oregon's largest transit agency show. Read more ...

A fold-up bike helmet. A fold-up car. What next? A fold-up bus?

Is "fold-up" the commuting trend of the future? Read more ...

TriMet rider taken to hospital after SUV collides with bus

TriMet officials say they are investigating the crash, which happened shortly before 9 a.m. at Southwest Columbia Street and Sixth Avenue. One person was taken to the hospital, they said. "Somebody on the bus was complaining of injuries," said TriMet spokeswoman Roberta Altstadt. Read more ...

Portland Saab story continues: Out of the tow yard and back to getting tickets

The black Saab was spotted this afternoon, parked just a few spots away from where it was left for six days before being towed with about nine tickets stuffed under its wipers last week. Oh, and it had a new ticket under the wiper. Read more ...

Portland's Ross Island Bridge ramp closure; LeBron James bikes to 'work'; end of Canby-Wilsonville ferry?: Commuter roundup

View full sizeSteve Nehl/The OregonianThe southbound ramp to Oregon 99E from the Ross Island Bridge will be closed intermittently this week.Tough Monday commute? Well, be glad that you didn’t have to travel the Russian Federal Highway or the Trollstigen Highway... Read more ...

Hands-free texting on the iPhone not as easy as it looks

Several Portland area drivers using the world's most popular smartphone have contacted me to say Apple has deployed its famous "reality distortion field" on the commuting world when it comes to Siri and hands-free texting. Read more ...

Another day off for Ferris Bueller? Nope. It's a car ad. Dang it!

Automakers have officially moved on to Generation X. And they’re really toying with our teen nostalgia. Earlier this week, a clip of a greying Matthew Broderick recreating a well-known scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” popped up on YouTube. Ripping open his bedroom curtains on a sunny morning, he proclaims, “How can handle work on a day like today?” Read more ...

TriMet considering major fare changes, eliminating zones

According to documents obtained by The Oregonian, a behind-closed-doors budget task force has recommended that the transit agency switch to a systemwide $2.50 flat-rate adult fare. Read more ...

Portland road rage confrontation leads to jail and order to write apology

Shawn Mitchell Brockway was accused of following another motorist, arguing with him and then knocking the man onto his car hood and driving more than 100 feet before flinging him off. Read more ...

Portland aerial tram turns 5 Friday (with a birthday party planned Saturday)

It's hard to know if the controversies over the ballooning construction budget, $4 fare, the visual impact and concerns about corporate welfare will ever fade. But the city and Oregon Health and Science University are planning a birthday party for Jean and Walt, as the 12-ton silver tram capsules are named. Read more ...

For the dads of teen drivers: Kramer driving and listening to Skrillex

In the same vein as the “Hitler Reacts To ...” viral videos, YouTubers with way too much time on their hands are mashing up a classic “Seinfeld” driving scene with modern hip-hop and dubstep tunes. Read more ...

TriMet on reported assault of bus driver: Never mind

“This incident was not an assault,” said TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch. Read more ...

TriMet: Rider punched bus driver in face during fare fight in Tigard

The bus was near Southwest 121st Avenue and Walnut Street when the assault occurred. Police said. Read more ...