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TriMet weighs lower fines, alternative sentences for those who dodge fares

Transit agency forms internal committee to examine issue

By Elliot Njus, The Oregonian
Published: July 15, 2016, 5:34pm

Fare dodgers caught on a TriMet bus or train these days get hit with a $175 fine, but the agency is quietly exploring alternatives that could ease the sting.

TriMet has made no decisions. It’s formed an internal committee to take a broad look at its fare enforcement policies, including an examination of whether it’s unfairly targeting riders based on race, age or other factors.

But in a presentation to its equity advisory panel, TriMet officials floated a list of possible alternatives to the $175 fine. They could include community service, a reduced fee if the fine is paid within 30 days or 60 days and in-house administrative appeal processes.

“TriMet legal staff have looked at what other agencies do when it comes to enforcement and have identified a number of ideas worth further exploration, but these are ideas only at this point,” TriMet spokeswoman Roberta Altstadt said in an email.

TriMet has issued nearly 21,000 citations for fare violations in the past year and excluded 2,500 alleged fare-dodgers from TriMet property for at least 30 days. It also issued 2,300 warnings.

Many of the agencies TriMet considers to be peers have already adopted lower presumptive fines or internal administrative processes:

• Dallas Area Rapid Transit riders can pay a $50 administrative fee with no declaration of guilt if they act within 30 days.

• The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency decriminalized fare evasion in 2008, creating a $112 administrative fine.

• The Utah Transit Authority in January reduced fare-evasion fines to $100, with smaller fines for infractions like smoking on rail platforms.

Portland previously handled fare evasion through community court. On so-called “TriMet Tuesday,” people cited for fare evasion could have their fine reduced, or they could agree to complete eight hours of community service, after which the charge was dismissed.

Now TriMet cases are handled in traffic court, and community service is no longer an option.

Many first-time offenders who bother to take the ticket to court see their fine pleaded down to a lesser amount.

Low-paid workers who aren’t able to get time off work might end up paying higher fines, said Orlando Lopez, an organizer transit advocacy group OPAL Environmental Justice.

He said the group, which describes transportation as a human right and has pushed for a fare-free system, expects to see fare evasion citations drop if TriMet adopts a reduced fare for low-income riders.

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