This issue of the Evergreen uses a technique that I've seen done rarely - stripping three stories horizontally on the page. With most papers favoring a vertical layout format, it's a bit refreshing. It's also done well, which is why it's worth singling out.
The centerpiece art here is a podium shot, but it's from a different angle that allows the reader to see some of the speaker's emotion. This worked much better than a head-on shot that's static. The horizontal nature of the photo lends itself well to the layout and I can see how the page was built around it.
Even though the main story is in the middle of the page, the heavy font drew my eye to it immediately and it worked well. From there, it went naturally to the top story and then the bottom. The thing I would watch out for is the headline sizes between the top story and the very bottom one. It looks like the bottom story has a bigger headline than the very top one. As the third story on the page, it's okay to go down on the point size some here.
I like the use of pull quotes for the stories. Another idea for breakouts could include details of what the new rises are for the transit service and who qualifies for them.
