FX2-Division launches Sunday, Sept. 18, bringing better, faster bus service to the Division Street corridor, between Gresham and Downtown Portland
You planned your trip. You have your fare. Are you ready to ride TriMet FX®? TriMet’s faster, new, higher-tier bus service launches Sunday, Sept. 18, and we can’t wait to see you on board! While there are many similarities between FX and the fixed-route bus service that TriMet has been providing for more than 50 years, there are also some key differences, when it comes to finding your stop, boarding the bus, paying your fare and how our big new green buses will move you faster. FX works best when everyone does their part to keep things moving. Here’s what you need to know before you go!
Plan your trip: We’ve updated our website, trimet.org, with new schedules for FX2-Division. Plan a trip for Sept. 18 or later to see where you’ll catch FX and how your trip will improve. FX2-Division buses will arrive every 12 minutes for most of the day, every day, with service from about 4:30 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. and easy transfers to MAX and many other bus lines.
Find your bus stop station: We placed 42 pairs of bus stop stations for FX2-Division in areas where ridership and demand are highest. That means many riders will be using a new bus stop station as of Sept. 18. The stations feature weather protection, lighting, TransitTracker™ real-time arrival displays and other amenities, such as garbage cans.
Choose the best door for boarding: The longer, bendy buses that will serve riders on FX2-Division have three doors for faster boarding. Riders using a mobility device or needing the ramp deployed, as well as those paying fare with cash should always use the front door. Riders traveling with a bicycle must use the rear door. FX buses have bike storage on board rather than on the front of the bus, as another time-saving feature. Other riders can use any of the three doors.
Pay your fare: With most of our riders now using Hop Fastpass® to pay their fare, we’ve placed Hop readers at all three doors for ease and convenience. Tap your phone, Hop card, or contactless credit or debit card to the reader as you enter the bus. Pay with cash at the first door only. Unlike MAX light rail, Hop readers are located on board the vehicle and not at the station. As all fare payment is processed on board, there are no ticket vending machines at FX bus stop stations.
Select your seat: FX buses have plenty of room, with space on board for more than 100 people. Priority seating for seniors and people with disabilities is located near the front of the bus, behind the operator. Riders using a mobility device have the option to choose a traditional or contactless self-securement system. FX has forward-facing and side-by-side parlor seats throughout the bus. Riders in the very back may appreciate the rear window, which is a unique feature for our FX buses!
Enjoy the ride! Trips on FX will be faster, likely reducing the amount of time that you spend on board. While you’re with us, enjoy 60% more space that’s available on FX. Read a book, scroll your phone or just relax! Remember to press the yellow cord or red stop button near the doors to request a stop. Thank you for riding!
FX2-Division Grand Opening
TriMet is inviting the community to celebrate the launch of the new FX2-Division line on Saturday, Sept. 17. We’re hosting a huge party, with three festival event sites at the OMSI Bridge Lot, Portland Community College (PCC) Southeast and the Gresham Farmers’ Market. In addition to local food and live entertainment at each site, we will also have free rides on our new big, green bendy buses! Come See. Ride Free. Learn more!
FX – Fast, frequent, efficient
The $175 million Division Transit Project laid the foundation for TriMet FX® — Frequent Express — a faster, higher-tier, high-capacity bus service for the 15-mile Division Street corridor between Gresham, East Portland, Southeast Portland and Downtown Portland.
Service opens on Sunday, Sept. 18, with TriMet’s new, 60-foot, articulated buses serving dozens of newly constructed stations throughout the route. The buses will travel faster, helped by special lanes that give buses priority and signals that give buses green lights as autos wait nearby.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded TriMet $87.4 million in federal funding for the Division Transit Project, with local funding also being instrumental. The money didn’t just lay the foundation for better bus service, it helped increase safety across all modes of travel along Division Street, which is a high-crash corridor.
The project, along with coordinated infrastructure improvements planned by the cities of Portland and Gresham, including the City of Portland’s Outer Division Safety Project, will make Division Street safer, whether traveling by bus, car, foot and bike.
The Division Transit Project is also on track to achieve record-setting involvement by businesses owned by minorities, women and other historically disadvantaged groups. Led by prime contractor Raimore Construction, a certified disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) and minority-owned business itself, the project to date has achieved 84 percent DBE participation, setting a TriMet record for major projects.
