Black TriMet Riders More Likely to be Banned Than Whites Says Study

A study done at TriMet's request found that black riders are more likely to be banned by the transit agency for fare evasion than white riders. The study was presented to the agency's board of directors Wednesday.

The study, by Portland State University Professor Brian Renauer, examined TriMet data for the past two years including ridership data, fare enforcement data, and demographics information.

Renauer told TriMet that while the numbers show a disparity for the races when it comes to exclusions - which can last as much as 90 days - the reasons for that are not quite clear and the issue needs more study.

The study does suggest one possible answer - that black people stopped for fare evasion were more likely than whites to be a repeat offender.

The study also found a few other things that TriMet had not anticipated, including the fact that recidivism is more common than they knew - nearly 25 percent of all people stopped for fare evasion were repeat offenders.