TriMet shuttle buses, seen April 20, 2009, on the homebound commute.

I looked out the window as we pulled out of the bus stop on SW Morrison and noticed folks boarding buses at the MAX stop across the street from what was then called PGE Park, now known as Providence Park, where the Timbers play MLS soccer. Since something must be blocking the east/west MAX line and it was right after work, I knew lots of folks headed home towards Washington County would be impacted by taking shuttle buses rather than MAX trains .



I got off the bus and walked around to take a look at the shuttle buses as commuters boarded, impressed with their resigned calm demeanors. I wonder if those people had walked from the sight of whatever the problem was on the MAX line? Or if they had been shuttled from Pioneer Courthouse Square, the MAX stop prior to this one? At least it wasn't raining.

A primary color, yellow, lots and lots of yellow

I've had fun with Picnik's Exposure, Local Contrast, on these photos unless otherwise noted.


"Facing the Crowd," with a yellow van behind it, at PGE Park in downtown Portland, Oregon


Earl Scheib rooster car, at Talladega Super Speedway


1933 Ford Roadster Utility, from Australia, shown at the Olympia Street Rod Association Car Show at the Lucky Eagle Casino, Rochester, Washington, August 14, 2010


No Picnik here, just as photographed on the tailgate of the ute.


The bed


The steering wheel


A wheel


The hood ornament


The hood ornament, un-Picniked


The entire ute, un-Picnicked

July 2, 2008 ... ABC Wednesday - X is for X to the Nth

OK, so I didn't plan to have that bottle of Dos Equis hanging there on the left side of the photo. In fact I had absolutely no idea that it was there when I went looking for X photos a little while ago. It was the metal bands that make up the big head, criss-crossing themselves into a plethora of Xs that I wanted to find among my thousands of phot. I mean, I took these photos last October, knowing that sooner or later I'd find a use for them, and here they are!


I shot this, too, so we'd all know what the sculptor's intentions were, for the big heads--there's one on each corner, a block apart. I got off the bus early that sunny afternoon and walked to the south side of West Burnside on purpose, just to take big head pix.


See, here's the other one.


And here's the first one again, with PGE Park in the background.

I'm kinda tickled with my ABC Wednesday X post--hope y'all are, too!

If you're of a mind to, please go to Mrs. Nesbitt's Place for loads of other ABC Wednesday blogs! Look at the list of links per Mr. Linky.

TriMet PGE Park MAX Station, Stop ID 9758

PGE Park MAX Station in Portland going east Stop ID 9758

Served by

MAX Blue Line
MAX Red Line

Amenities - shelter

In this close up you can see the storage lockers where people lock their bikes and then take the MAX, or maybe store them there and live in a nearby apartment. I decided to leave the photos in color because I think you'll get more out of the photos.

The workmen are just one of the crews I've noticed at TriMet stops, taking care of business. Considering how many people use the mass transit system (and the sidewalks) around here, the lack of litter and general tidiness I see where I go is impressive.

Here's some info on the numbers TriMet say in April--I got it in an e-mail. I left in the info on how to plan your trip on TriMet, just in case you're coming to Portland!

TriMet scores record ridership in April
Nearly 69,000 more transit trips each week!

TriMet MAX and bus ridership breaks new records in April 2008:

* More than two million trips were taken on MAX and buses each week, the first time TriMet has topped two million trips for weekly ridership.
* Nearly 69,000 more trips were taken weekly during April 2008, as compared to April 2007.
* 5,400 additional daily trips were taken on transit during the morning rush hour (7-9 a.m.), as compared to April 2007. This adds up to an 11.6 percent increase over April 2007.

"These record ridership increases show that riders are choosing transit to help offset high fuel prices," said TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen. "Our transit system provides an alternative to getting around without always having to drive."
Transit Trip Tools

To plan your next transit trip, use our online trip planner or call 503-238-RIDE (7433) weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Find out when your bus or MAX train will arrive by checking TransitTracker online or by calling 503-238-RIDE (7433) and entering the stop ID number. Real-time arrival information is available for all 7,600 bus stops and 64 MAX stations.

A warmish Saturday afternoon in April ...

... looked like this, folks seated outdoors, enjoying friends, food, fun at the Kingston Bar & Grill, near PGE Park. And it was maybe 70 degrees and overcast. Can you even imagine how the city looked today when the temperature made it into the mid to high 80s, the skies clear and blue? Take my word for it, I saw full tables at every available spot on my bus ride home. And that was only a half hour ride. It'll be like that until well after dark, on every single nice day from now on.

The sunshine and warm breezes enticed Mama all day, making her want to get outside. She walked a little ways with Duncan and me, on his after-work walk. Then, somehow, by the skin of her teeth and utter determination, with her cane to prop on, Mama walked a very long-seeming block from our apartment to a corner restaurant. We took Duncan, too, but there were no outdoor tables left, so she was seated indoors to wait while I took the little guy back to the apartment and his kennel. We had a nice meal and a slow walk home. Mama thoroughly enjoyed herself and is now taking a nap in her recliner, Duncan right beside her, asleep.

Mini mass transit, the skateboard, and a sports report

Lots and lots of folks travel Portland's streets and sidewalks on skateboards. During the warm months when we keep our windows open, Mama and I hear them all hours of the day and night, clickety clacking at each expansion joint of the sidewalk or just zipping along on the street in front of or beside our building. I'm glad they make noise because I doubt I'll step out in front of one when I'm waiting on Duncan to come out from beneath the shrubs.

This particular guy skates along in front of three parked Portland Police Bureau cars. The lot is across the street from PGE Park, and at this particular moment on Saturday, April 26, the Portland Timbers were about half an hour away from playing the Seattle Sounders in a USL First Division soccer game. Heated rivalry, hence the security. I had witnessed a bus load of Sounders' supporters loudly and profanely disembark at another nearby corner earlier, then saw a family taking their small son to the gate. "How will they explain the rowdiness and the profanity," I wondered. Portland won 2-0.

Do you see people commuting by skateboard in your city?

All together now, we go, too.

The vanity license plate on the convertible caught my eye--I GO TO. I picked up the camera from beside me on the bus seat and snapped away Friday afternoon on my way home from work.

Later that night when I downloaded the photo I realized straight away that I had captured something that I've grown to dearly love about Portland. Look out the windshield of the bus with me. You see a MAX light rail train turning from left to right, heading towards the eastbound PGE Park MAX Station on SW Yamhill, Stop ID 9758. You see the Mercedes convertible. You see a bicyclist. I'm on the #18 bus. It's 5:25 p.m., and the car, bike and bus waited calmly as the MAX glided through the corner. With the MAX out of sight, the traffic signal changed to green. We three continued our progress.

Within a quarter of a block, four types of transportation side by side. I love this coexistence, the sort of application of the multi-use concept that I believe to be one of the aspects that makes Portland a healthy city.

Below I included a Google map of the area for your enjoyment. If you zoom in and move the map around, you can get close enough to see the MAX tracks as they make the curve. The red A is pointed at PGE Park. The intersection is immediately to the right of it, SW 18th at SW Yamhill.




View Larger Map

PGE Park MAX Station

While I hardly ever ride the MAX, I am nevertheless fascinated by it, the smoothness with which it moves along its tracks, its almost silent motion whether you're inside or outside, how packed with people the cars can be after work. I ride by the PGE Park station on my way home most every day. I took this shot of it through my bus window Wednesday. See the park's red-neon-lettered sign reflected in the bus window? It's almost dead center in the photo, at the left end of the shelter. See how the sign at the front of the MAX car has a blue background? It's part of the Blue Line, which goes east and west. This particular one is headed west to Hillsboro. There's another sign of spring in this photo, too, those huge concrete tubs filled with daffodils. I wonder if anyone has time to notice them?

My favorite neighborhood neon sign, from a new perspective

There it is--the brilliant Volvo sign at Jim Fisher, on the corner of NW 21st and West Burnside. We're looking at if from the front window of a 15 bus, heading west on SW Morrison, last Friday night. Another great neon sign hides in the tree limbs to the left--the red letters of PGE Park at SW 18th and Morrison.

Do you have any of these in your city?

I've noticed several of these lately. This on is on SW 18th Avenue, beside PGE Park, a sports venue a few blocks from our apartment. Some days I walk by it on my way to SW 3rd and Salmon, to catch the bus that takes me across the Willamette River. I walk or ride by another one down NW Everett, at NW 4th Avenue, I think.

Right now I don't know one thing about these signs, other than that they're intriguing. I don't recall seeing a bicycle chained to one, but surely that could be a use for them. I don't know if they designate some sort of trail, an idea that seems implausible at best. If they were to call attention to something specific, why isn't there more information there?

I'm curious. If I learn more, I'll update you.