And while TriMet is willing to pay for 36 transit police officers, some police agencies have opted out of the system. As of Friday, it will have 31 positions filled.

Managing competing constituencies is nothing new for an agency charged with covering three counties and a multitude of cities. For starters, getting the region to agree to the first light-rail line from Portland to Gresham was politically palatable in part because of promises that extensions west, south and north would follow.

The current transit police system calls for officers to come from the various cities in the system, but those resources may not match the needs within the system, Hansen said recently in an interview. For example, will Beaverton and Portland officials be dissatisfied if they contribute officers who are dispatched mainly to problem areas in other cities?

In recent weeks, TriMet has acknowledged that its 20-year-old transit platforms along Interstate 84 isolate travelers too much. A new line under construction along Interstate 205 and a renovation in downtown Portland will have brighter lights, less clutter and more visibility from passers-by --the latest in safety design features, Fetsch said.

"We'll still be looked at as the model for how you build it, but maybe we'll also be looked at as the model for how do you do safety and security in new and improved ways," she said.

Dylan Rivera: 503-221-8532; dylanrivera@news.oregonian.com For environment news, go to http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen