I was delighted to read Editorial Page Editor Greg Kesich’s Dec. 16 column on the difficulty of ditching his vehicle for his commute. I found myself nodding along, agreeing with his desire to find a more enjoyable way to move around the city but finding it ultimately not worth the effort.
I stopped agreeing, however, when I read the line, “There’s nothing Metro could do about that.” Sure, Metro cannot provide door-to-door service to the sprawling industrial parts of Portland, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.
The majority of people who use Metro are those who do not own vehicles and depend on it for transit. Increasing the frequency of the buses would encourage more ridership and allow for car-free commuting in the Portland area. If missing the bus means you’ll be 30 or more minutes late to work or an appointment, or that you must arrange child care to catch a bus that is much earlier than you need to leave, taking the bus is not going to be a priority for those who have another option: their car.
Portland is growing faster than it can keep up in terms of housing and parking. Organizations like Live and Work in Maine are working hard to recruit people to move here by using statements like “there is no traffic!” I grew up in Northern Virginia, so I agree, in comparison, there is “no” traffic. But it is getting noticeably worse.
The city must prioritize working with Metro to increase the frequency of buses. Adding satellite parking in the suburbs like Gorham, Windham, Scarborough and Falmouth would encourage commuters to ditch their cars before they get within the city limits and reduce congestion. If Metro does not increase its frequency, people will continue to commute by car, and exacerbate our traffic, parking and pollution problems.
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