Editor’s note: The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board compiles the best and worst news stories in local and state politics. Periodically, Peaks and Valleys publishes. To read the editorial valley for this week, visit regonlive.com/opinion.
In the Portland metro region, it doesn’t take much snow to make commuting impossible. In past years, severe storms have caused individuals to walk miles in the bitter cold to get home, TriMet MAX light-rail trains to remain idle due to ice, and drivers to abandon their automobiles on the highway.
However, TriMet deserves praise for being more equipped to assist the public when snow and frigid conditions fell earlier this month. TriMet maintained MAX trains, ran buses on snow routes, and improved information about what passengers may anticipate despite a few hiccups.
To be sure, the storm did not cause nearly as much damage as the one that occurred in January 2024, when the land was frozen and trees were uprooted by persistent snow, ice, and winds. However, it caused some dangerous driving for a population that does not often see snow, and it still closed businesses and schools. The stakes for public transportation’s dependability, safety, and ability to transport passengers to their destinations are at their highest under these circumstances. Additionally, it’s a chance to demonstrate to infrequent TriMet customers how simple an option it could be on other days.
What, then, was distinctive about TriMet?
A consultant suggested installing ice tractors—which can remove snow, ice, and other debris from the tracks without the need for human labor—after last year’s disaster, which caused TriMet trains to be out of commission for days. In order to keep trains running, the agency paid $190,000 each for two from the Edmonton Transit System in Alberta, Canada, which has had more than two feet of snow since November, according to spokeswoman Tia York.
To help keep overhead wires free, TriMet also operated trains overnight. Additionally, electronic messaging boards at bus stops have recently been updated to tell passengers how many miles away the next bus was, rather than how many minutes away—an estimate that becomes extremely inaccurate and annoying in the winter.
Of course, just because everything went smoothly doesn’t mean that TriMet has perfected the art of running public transportation in cold weather. York pointed out that this time, the response, preparations, and weather all went according to plan. That does not certain that future storms will proceed without incident.
And there is still work to be done by other government entities. Despite temperatures at or below freezing, Multnomah County did not open emergency shelters in January or in the run-up to this month’s snowstorm. According to the county, at least one individual passed away from hypothermia during that period. At different times during January and a few days before to Multnomah County’s opening this month, Washington and Clackamas counties also launched emergency shelters.
The criteria for opening emergency shelters, which currently open if temperatures fall below 25 degrees, if temperatures drop below freezing with at least one inch of precipitation and sustained winds exceeding 10 mph, or if there is a forecast of one inch of snow accumulation over a 24-hour period, should be reexamined by Multnomah officials in addition to adding more year-round shelter beds. At the very least, the county has relaxed its requirements for emergency volunteers to watch training films.
To better prepare for the future, agencies need to learn from their previous mistakes. Portland can’t afford to wait it out since it seems like ice storms, heat waves, and other extreme weather events happen every year. TriMet should be commended for accepting the necessity of change.
-The Editorial Board of Oregonian/OregonLive
