Blue Bus lines (Oregon)
Encyclopedia
The “Blue Bus” lines was a group of four affiliated privately owned
public transport
ation companies that provided bus transit service
in the Portland, Oregon
metropolitan area
in the 1950s and 1960s. The name was unofficial but was in common use in the 1960s, and variations included "Blue Bus lines", "Blue Lines", "blue bus" lines (or companies) and "blue buses". The Blue Bus companies provided service only between Portland and suburb
s outside the city, or within such suburbs, as transit service within the city of Portland was the exclusive franchise
of the Portland Traction Company or, after 1956, the Rose City Transit Company
(RCT). The "blue buses" were prohibited from making stops inside the city except to pick up passengers destined for points outside RCT's service area (or to drop off such passengers when inbound to Portland). The "blue" name was a reference to the paint scheme worn by most buses of the consortium
. By contrast, city transit operator Rose City's buses wore a primarily red paint scheme.
All public transit operations of the Blue Bus lines were taken over by Tri-Met
, a new regional public transit authority, in 1970, nine months after Tri-Met took over the Rose City Transit Company's service.
of common carriers: Estacada-Molalla Stages, Inc.; Intercity Buses, Inc.; Portland Stages, Inc.; and Tualatin Valley Buses, Inc. The start-up dates for the individual companies ranged from 1938 to 1955. All were owned and operated by George Fourier and his brother-in-law, E. G. Larson. Combined, they served parts of four different counties. Two served areas in Multnomah County
, two Clackamas County
and one served Washington County
and parts of Multnomah and Yamhill
counties.
(PUC) to carry passengers on May 24, 1938. The company's main service area was the Multnomah County
suburbs east of Portland, including Gresham
, Troutdale
and Sandy
, with routes between them and a main route connecting Gresham to Portland. Its buses were operated out of a garage
in Gresham. In the post-World War II years, the company also introduced bus service to suburbs west and southwest of Portland, in Washington County
, with a division or subsidiary named Tualatin Valley Stages, Inc. (sometimes referred to as Tualatin Stages). It was reorganized as a separate company, Tualatin Valley Busses (see below), in 1953.
and Molalla
, via Oregon City. Its small garage was in Estacada. By at least 1966, service to Molalla had been discontinued, but the company did not revise its name.
In 1953, its routes served Beaverton
, Cedar Mill
, Garden Home
, Tigard
and Tualatin
, among other places. By the end of the decade its service reached Hillsboro
and Forest Grove
, and also extended as far as McMinnville
, in Yamhill County
. Service to McMinnville and Forest Grove was introduced when Greyhound
received PUC permission to abandon its (intercity-type) service on those routes, in 1959.
Tualatin Valley Stages/Buses also provided school bus
service under contract
with school districts in Washington County, as did Portland Stages for some schools in suburban parts of Multnomah County.
with suburbs located to the south, in Clackamas County
, including to Oregon City
via Oswego
(now Lake Oswego) and West Linn
, and to Oregon City via Milwaukie
and Gladstone
. Service also extended west from Oswego to Lake Grove
. Intercity's service on both sides of the Willamette River
followed the same routes as had been operated by Oregon Motor Stages, Inc., until that company ceased all operation, in September 1954, following a drivers strike
and financial problems. Those areas were without any public transportation until Intercity Buses inaugurated its service in February 1955.
After adding a new route along River Road in April 1959, Intercity had four Portland–Oregon City routes, following four different roads: Highway 43, River Road, McLoughlin Blvd. and Oatfield Road. Service west of Oswego (renamed Lake Oswego in 1960) included the "North Shore" and "South Shore" routes, connecting neighborhoods on both sides of Oswego Lake with downtown Oswego and continuing through to downtown Portland, as with the company's four Oregon City routes.
, the "Blue Bus" companies did not have a franchise agreement
with the city of Portland
, because their service came under the authority of the state Public Utilities Commission
. The companies were required to obtain the PUC's permission for any fare increases on routes primarily serving areas more than 3 miles outside the Portland city limits. The employees of the four Blue Blue companies shared a common union, Local
1055 of the Amalgamated Transit Union
's "Motor Coach Employees Division", and negotiations
over labor contracts were undertaken jointly for all four companies. In addition to passengers, the Blue Bus companies carried freight
, under a PUC-issued permit, but only on certain routes, and only some of their buses were equipped to accommodate goods.
In 1964–1965, the Blue Bus lines negotiated with Rose City Transit Company on their possible acquisition by RCT, but the two parties were far apart on a price, and never reached an agreement. In 1965, the Blue Bus consortium argued against a request by RCT for city council permission to extend certain of its routes into areas southwest of Portland that were outside the city limits, in areas served by Tualatin Valley Buses. However, the city council approved the extensions, which among other places included service in the Hillsdale
, Vermont Hills
, Maplewood
and Multnomah districts and to Lewis & Clark College
. The following year, after the city council approved another expansion of RCT service into areas then served only by "blue bus" routes – this time including extension east of the city, to Hazelwood
and adjacent suburbs, as well as additional extensions in the southwest – the consortium said it would file a lawsuit
against RCT and the city, to try to stop the expansion. The case was heard in Multnomah County circuit court in December 1966, and in January the court ruled in favor of the city and RCT.
, as private car usage greatly expanded, while labor costs were rising. Their shrinking profits made it all the more difficult for them to afford to add service to newly developed suburban neighborhoods. Net annual operating revenue (excluding revenue from carriage of goods) of $47,000 in 1964 turned into a net loss of $118,000 in 1969. Some elected officials said that a public takeover of Portland-area transit was inevitable, in order to ensure that an acceptable level of service would be maintained.
Following a period of intense disagreement between Rose City Transit and the Portland city council
, and the threat of a strike
and possible suspension of all service, the council took action in late 1969 which facilitated the takeover of the RCT system by Tri-Met
on December 1 of that year. Tri-Met, or formally the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, was a new regional transit agency created under provisions of new legislation passed by the 1969 Oregon Legislature
.
established to help finance creation of the new regional transit district. The drivers union was also frustrated and called for a strike on July 1 if the process did not move more quickly, but later pushed back its strike deadline. The Blue Bus companies' owners wanted to sell to Tri-Met, but the two sides were far apart on price, the same situation as had existed during negotiations preceding the RCT takeover. In early August, both sides agreed to proceed with a takeover condemnation
, under which process the final value for compensation to the sellers would be determined later by a court. Another delay followed, as Tri-Met waited for approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation
, a "Letter of No Prejudice" assuring the agency that a takeover in this manner would not make Tri-Met ineligible for federal grants it was counting on, to help fund the acquisition, a delay which again brought a strike very near. Federal approval was received on September 1, and later the same day Tri-Met announced that the takeover would proceed the following Sunday, September 6, 1970. Following a two-day period without service, to allow for relocating vehicles to Tri-Met's garage
(and with most Blue Bus routes having had no service on Sundays and holidays, anyway), the first day of Tri-Met operation of the former Blue Bus service was the day after Labor Day
, September 8, 1970.
At the time of the takeover by Tri-Met, average daily ridership
on all Blue Bus service was only about 8,000. About 100 drivers and maintenance personnel were transferred to Tri-Met, along with 23 routes and 85 buses. With most of the Blue Lines' buses deemed by Tri-Met to be in very poor condition, the agency was already making plans to purchase 75 new buses as soon as possible.
Privately held company
A privately held company or close corporation is a business company owned either by non-governmental organizations or by a relatively small number of shareholders or company members which does not offer or trade its company stock to the general public on the stock market exchanges, but rather the...
public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
ation companies that provided bus transit service
Public transport bus service
Bus services play a major role in the provision of public transport. These services can take many forms, varying in distance covered and types of vehicle used, and can operate with fixed or flexible routes and schedules...
in the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
metropolitan area
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
in the 1950s and 1960s. The name was unofficial but was in common use in the 1960s, and variations included "Blue Bus lines", "Blue Lines", "blue bus" lines (or companies) and "blue buses". The Blue Bus companies provided service only between Portland and suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s outside the city, or within such suburbs, as transit service within the city of Portland was the exclusive franchise
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
of the Portland Traction Company or, after 1956, the Rose City Transit Company
Rose City Transit
The Rose City Transit Company was a private company that operated most mass transit service in the city of Portland, Oregon, from 1956 to 1969. It operated only within the city proper...
(RCT). The "blue buses" were prohibited from making stops inside the city except to pick up passengers destined for points outside RCT's service area (or to drop off such passengers when inbound to Portland). The "blue" name was a reference to the paint scheme worn by most buses of the consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
. By contrast, city transit operator Rose City's buses wore a primarily red paint scheme.
All public transit operations of the Blue Bus lines were taken over by Tri-Met
TriMet
TriMet, more formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon...
, a new regional public transit authority, in 1970, nine months after Tri-Met took over the Rose City Transit Company's service.
Companies
Four companies comprised the Blue Bus consortiumConsortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
of common carriers: Estacada-Molalla Stages, Inc.; Intercity Buses, Inc.; Portland Stages, Inc.; and Tualatin Valley Buses, Inc. The start-up dates for the individual companies ranged from 1938 to 1955. All were owned and operated by George Fourier and his brother-in-law, E. G. Larson. Combined, they served parts of four different counties. Two served areas in Multnomah County
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
, two Clackamas County
Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...
and one served Washington County
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
and parts of Multnomah and Yamhill
Yamhill County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...
counties.
Portland Stages
The first of the four companies that would later come to be known collectively as the "blue bus lines" was Portland Stages, Inc., which first received permission from the Oregon Public Utilities CommissionOregon Public Utility Commission
The Oregon Public Utility Commission is the chief electric, gas and telephone utility regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. It sets rates and establishes rules of operation for the state's investor-owned utility companies...
(PUC) to carry passengers on May 24, 1938. The company's main service area was the Multnomah County
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
suburbs east of Portland, including Gresham
Gresham, Oregon
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 90,205 people, 33,327 households, and 22,695 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,071.6 people per square mile . There were 35,309 housing units at an average density of 1,593.8 per square mile...
, Troutdale
Troutdale, Oregon
Troutdale is a city in Multnomah County, Oregon, north of Gresham and east of Wood Village. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,962....
and Sandy
Sandy, Oregon
Sandy is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, and named after the nearby Sandy River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 5,385, however the 2006 estimate shows 7,070 people....
, with routes between them and a main route connecting Gresham to Portland. Its buses were operated out of a garage
Bus garage
A bus garage or bus depot is a building where buses are stored and maintained. In many conurbations, bus garages are on the site of former car barns or tram sheds, where Streetcars or Trams were stored, and the operation transferred to buses...
in Gresham. In the post-World War II years, the company also introduced bus service to suburbs west and southwest of Portland, in Washington County
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
, with a division or subsidiary named Tualatin Valley Stages, Inc. (sometimes referred to as Tualatin Stages). It was reorganized as a separate company, Tualatin Valley Busses (see below), in 1953.
Estacada-Molalla Stages
This company began operation on October 29, 1941. Its service was more interurban than suburban, as there were long stretches of rural areas in the middle of its routes, which connected Portland with EstacadaEstacada, Oregon
Estacada is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, about 30 miles southeast of Portland. The population was 2,695 at the 2010 census. -History:The Estacada post office opened in February 1904 and the city was incorporated in May 1905...
and Molalla
Molalla, Oregon
Molalla is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 5,647 at the 2000 census.-History:Molalla was named after the Molalla River, which in turn was named for the Molala, a Native American tribe that inhabited the area. William H. Vaughan took up a donation land claim in...
, via Oregon City. Its small garage was in Estacada. By at least 1966, service to Molalla had been discontinued, but the company did not revise its name.
Tualatin Valley Buses
Tualatin Valley Buses, Inc. (which originally used the spelling "Busses" in its name) was formed in 1953, but it had effectively already been operating since the 1930s, as a division or subsidiary of Portland Stages, under the name Tualatin Valley Stages (see earlier section).In 1953, its routes served Beaverton
Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, seven miles west of Portland in the Tualatin River Valley.As of the 2010 census, the population is 90,267. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon's sixth-largest city...
, Cedar Mill
Cedar Mill, Oregon
Cedar Mill is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community in Washington County, Oregon, mostly north of U.S. Route 26 and west of the Willamette Stone...
, Garden Home
Garden Home-Whitford, Oregon
Garden Home-Whitford is a census-designated place consisting of the neighborhoods of Garden Home and the smaller Whitford area in Washington County, Oregon, United States. They are located in the southwest hills of Portland, near Beaverton. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 6,931.-...
, Tigard
Tigard, Oregon
Tigard is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. The population was 48,035 at the 2010 census. As of 2007, Tigard was the state's 12th largest city. Incorporated in 1961, the city is located south of Beaverton and north of Tualatin, and is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
and Tualatin
Tualatin, Oregon
Tualatin is a city located primarily in Washington County in the U.S. state of Oregon. A small portion of the city is also located in neighboring Clackamas County. It is a southwestern suburb in the Portland Metropolitan Area that is located south of Tigard...
, among other places. By the end of the decade its service reached Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
and Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
, and also extended as far as McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
, in Yamhill County
Yamhill County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...
. Service to McMinnville and Forest Grove was introduced when Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
received PUC permission to abandon its (intercity-type) service on those routes, in 1959.
Tualatin Valley Stages/Buses also provided school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
service under contract
School bus contractor
A school bus contractor is a private company or proprietorship that provides student transport services to a school district or non-public school. Of the 450,000 school buses operating in the United States, it is estimated that approximately 39% are operated by school bus contractors...
with school districts in Washington County, as did Portland Stages for some schools in suburban parts of Multnomah County.
Intercity Buses
The fourth company, Intercity Buses, Inc. (alternatively written as Inter-City Buses), was formed in late 1954 and began providing its service in 1955. Its routes connected downtown PortlandDowntown Portland
Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located on the west bank of the Willamette River. It is in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and is where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found....
with suburbs located to the south, in Clackamas County
Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...
, including to Oregon City
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
via Oswego
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Lake Oswego is a city located primarily in Clackamas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Small portions of the city are also located in neighboring Multnomah and Washington counties. Located south of Portland surrounding the Oswego Lake, the town was founded in 1847 and incorporated as Oswego in...
(now Lake Oswego) and West Linn
West Linn, Oregon
West Linn is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. Now a prosperous southern suburb of Portland, West Linn has a history of early development, prompted by the opportunity to harvest energy from nearby Willamette Falls. It was named after Senator Dr. Lewis Fields Linn of Ste...
, and to Oregon City via Milwaukie
Milwaukie, Oregon
Milwaukie is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A very small portion of the city extends into Multnomah County. The population was 20,291 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1848 on the banks of the Willamette River, the city, known as the Dogwood City of the West, was incorporated in...
and Gladstone
Gladstone, Oregon
Gladstone is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,438. The 2007 estimate is 12,200 residents. Gladstone is a four-square-mile suburban community twelve miles south of Portland at the confluence of the Clackamas and...
. Service also extended west from Oswego to Lake Grove
Lake Grove, Oregon
Lake Grove is a neighborhood of Lake Oswego, Oregon, United States, located west of Oswego Lake, south of Mountain Park , east of Interstate 5, and north of Rivergrove....
. Intercity's service on both sides of the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
followed the same routes as had been operated by Oregon Motor Stages, Inc., until that company ceased all operation, in September 1954, following a drivers strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
and financial problems. Those areas were without any public transportation until Intercity Buses inaugurated its service in February 1955.
After adding a new route along River Road in April 1959, Intercity had four Portland–Oregon City routes, following four different roads: Highway 43, River Road, McLoughlin Blvd. and Oatfield Road. Service west of Oswego (renamed Lake Oswego in 1960) included the "North Shore" and "South Shore" routes, connecting neighborhoods on both sides of Oswego Lake with downtown Oswego and continuing through to downtown Portland, as with the company's four Oregon City routes.
General information and history
Unlike Rose City TransitRose City Transit
The Rose City Transit Company was a private company that operated most mass transit service in the city of Portland, Oregon, from 1956 to 1969. It operated only within the city proper...
, the "Blue Bus" companies did not have a franchise agreement
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
with the city of Portland
Government of Portland, Oregon
The Government of Portland, Oregon, a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include a Mayor, a City Council, and a City Auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that...
, because their service came under the authority of the state Public Utilities Commission
Oregon Public Utility Commission
The Oregon Public Utility Commission is the chief electric, gas and telephone utility regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. It sets rates and establishes rules of operation for the state's investor-owned utility companies...
. The companies were required to obtain the PUC's permission for any fare increases on routes primarily serving areas more than 3 miles outside the Portland city limits. The employees of the four Blue Blue companies shared a common union, Local
Local union
A local union, often shortened to local, in North America, or a union branch in the United Kingdom and other countries is a locally-based trade union organization which forms part of a larger, usually national, union.Local branches are organized to represent the union's members from a particular...
1055 of the Amalgamated Transit Union
Amalgamated Transit Union
The Amalgamated Transit Union is a labor union in the United States and The Amalgamated Transit Union Canadian Council in Canada, representing workers in the transit system and other industries...
's "Motor Coach Employees Division", and negotiations
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
over labor contracts were undertaken jointly for all four companies. In addition to passengers, the Blue Bus companies carried freight
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
, under a PUC-issued permit, but only on certain routes, and only some of their buses were equipped to accommodate goods.
In 1964–1965, the Blue Bus lines negotiated with Rose City Transit Company on their possible acquisition by RCT, but the two parties were far apart on a price, and never reached an agreement. In 1965, the Blue Bus consortium argued against a request by RCT for city council permission to extend certain of its routes into areas southwest of Portland that were outside the city limits, in areas served by Tualatin Valley Buses. However, the city council approved the extensions, which among other places included service in the Hillsdale
Hillsdale, Portland, Oregon
The Hillsdale district is a neighborhood in the southwest section of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is centered around the Hillsdale retail and business area, a series of strip malls on SW Capitol Highway between SW Sunset Boulevard and SW Bertha Boulevard...
, Vermont Hills
Hayhurst, Portland, Oregon
Hayhurst is a neighborhood in the Southwest section of Portland, Oregon, on the border with Washington County...
, Maplewood
Maplewood, Portland, Oregon
Maplewood is a suburban neighborhood in Southwest Portland, Oregon, United States.-Location:Maplewood is on Portland's western border with Garden Home, and on Multnomah County's western border with Washington County. The neighborhood is defined as the area west of SW 45th Ave...
and Multnomah districts and to Lewis & Clark College
Lewis & Clark College
Lewis & Clark College is a private institution of higher learning located in Portland, Oregon. Made up of an undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences, a School of Law, and a Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Lewis & Clark is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges with athletic...
. The following year, after the city council approved another expansion of RCT service into areas then served only by "blue bus" routes – this time including extension east of the city, to Hazelwood
Hazelwood, Portland, Oregon
Hazelwood is a neighborhood in the Northeast and Southeast sections of Portland, Oregon. Prior being annexed by Portland, the community was enumerated as a "Census-designated place". The community recorded a population of 25,541 in 1980 and 11,480 in 1990....
and adjacent suburbs, as well as additional extensions in the southwest – the consortium said it would file a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against RCT and the city, to try to stop the expansion. The case was heard in Multnomah County circuit court in December 1966, and in January the court ruled in favor of the city and RCT.
Final years
In its last years, the consortium's financial situation shifted sharply. As happened with Portland's Rose City Transit and transit systems in many other U.S. cities, the 1960s were a time in which the Blue Bus lines experienced declining patronagePatronage (transportation)
In public transportation, patronage or ridership is a type of forecasting or statistic for studying the average quantity of passengers carried per certain time in a mode of public transit system. The concept should not be confused with the maximum loading capacity of one particular vehicle or the...
, as private car usage greatly expanded, while labor costs were rising. Their shrinking profits made it all the more difficult for them to afford to add service to newly developed suburban neighborhoods. Net annual operating revenue (excluding revenue from carriage of goods) of $47,000 in 1964 turned into a net loss of $118,000 in 1969. Some elected officials said that a public takeover of Portland-area transit was inevitable, in order to ensure that an acceptable level of service would be maintained.
Following a period of intense disagreement between Rose City Transit and the Portland city council
Government of Portland, Oregon
The Government of Portland, Oregon, a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include a Mayor, a City Council, and a City Auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that...
, and the threat of a strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
and possible suspension of all service, the council took action in late 1969 which facilitated the takeover of the RCT system by Tri-Met
TriMet
TriMet, more formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon...
on December 1 of that year. Tri-Met, or formally the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, was a new regional transit agency created under provisions of new legislation passed by the 1969 Oregon Legislature
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
.
Takeover by Tri-Met
Soon after the takeover of RCT, negotiations for Tri-Met to take over the Blue Bus lines began. The pace of negotiations was very slow, frustrating the Blue Bus owners, who, starting in January 1970, had been obliged to begin paying Tri-Met's 0.5% employer-payroll taxPayroll tax
Payroll tax generally refers to two different kinds of similar taxes. The first kind is a tax that employers are required to withhold from employees' wages, also known as withholding tax, pay-as-you-earn tax , or pay-as-you-go tax...
established to help finance creation of the new regional transit district. The drivers union was also frustrated and called for a strike on July 1 if the process did not move more quickly, but later pushed back its strike deadline. The Blue Bus companies' owners wanted to sell to Tri-Met, but the two sides were far apart on price, the same situation as had existed during negotiations preceding the RCT takeover. In early August, both sides agreed to proceed with a takeover condemnation
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
, under which process the final value for compensation to the sellers would be determined later by a court. Another delay followed, as Tri-Met waited for approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
, a "Letter of No Prejudice" assuring the agency that a takeover in this manner would not make Tri-Met ineligible for federal grants it was counting on, to help fund the acquisition, a delay which again brought a strike very near. Federal approval was received on September 1, and later the same day Tri-Met announced that the takeover would proceed the following Sunday, September 6, 1970. Following a two-day period without service, to allow for relocating vehicles to Tri-Met's garage
Bus garage
A bus garage or bus depot is a building where buses are stored and maintained. In many conurbations, bus garages are on the site of former car barns or tram sheds, where Streetcars or Trams were stored, and the operation transferred to buses...
(and with most Blue Bus routes having had no service on Sundays and holidays, anyway), the first day of Tri-Met operation of the former Blue Bus service was the day after Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
, September 8, 1970.
At the time of the takeover by Tri-Met, average daily ridership
Patronage (transportation)
In public transportation, patronage or ridership is a type of forecasting or statistic for studying the average quantity of passengers carried per certain time in a mode of public transit system. The concept should not be confused with the maximum loading capacity of one particular vehicle or the...
on all Blue Bus service was only about 8,000. About 100 drivers and maintenance personnel were transferred to Tri-Met, along with 23 routes and 85 buses. With most of the Blue Lines' buses deemed by Tri-Met to be in very poor condition, the agency was already making plans to purchase 75 new buses as soon as possible.