Working with a new Oregon law, TriMet has restructured the way it can resolve citations issued to its riders for incidents like fare evasion.
Before the change was implemented, fare evaders were required to resolve their infractions in the county criminal justice system, often resulting in a criminal record that would follow the violators the rest of their lives. This punishment didn't quite seem to fit the crime, TriMet officials said.
So, to help passengers avoid a life-long criminal record for something as innocuous as skipping a fare, TriMet established a fairer citation process to coincide with Oregon House Bill 2777, which gives transit districts more latitude when resolving those kinds of issues.
Read the complete article at https://patch.com/oregon/portland/trimet-changes-citation-process-fare-evaders
