Joseph Rose of The Oregonian reports that TriMet will no longer allow passengers to travel to and from the Rose Garden stop on MAX for Portland Trail Blazers games without paying a fee.
Four months after TriMet eliminated the free zone to help balance its budget, the agency said that it plans to start a full-court press on sports fans without a valid transit fare starting Monday.
"For the first part of the winter sports season," said agency spokeswoman Rober Altstadt, "TriMet staff has been reminding MAX riders heading to the Rose Quarter that they need a valid fare. During this education phase, we allowed most riders without fares to purchase them after de-boarding trains."
No more. Beginning Monday, "fare enforcement efforts will be stepped up and riders should expect to present a valid fare at the Rose Quarter or face a citation," Altstadt said.
That means a $175 citation or, for repeat offenders, an exclusion from the system for up to 90 days.
Roundtrip tickets reportedly cost $5.
Photo via TriMet.org.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter