With continuing investments in safety and security, cleanliness, service improvements, system reliability, workforce development and climate action, TriMet looks to sustain and grow ridership into the future

As we head into our next budget year, TriMet is thinking big for our agency and our region. We’ve put a priority on ridership and getting more people on board our buses and trains. Why? Because the more people ride, the more our region benefits. Whether it is better access to schools, jobs and healthcare; helping to ease traffic congestion or doing your part for the environment, this is bigger than transit alone. It’s about connecting people with opportunities and making our communities and the Portland region a better place to live. We need you on board to make it happen. 

Our proposed, $1.75 billion budget for the 2025 Fiscal Year provides the financial framework to grow ridership, improve the customer experience and add service, as staffing allows. It includes nearly $849 million for daily operations; $201 million for capital investments; and about $58 million in pass-through and contingency funds. It also includes $642 million in ending fund balance totals, which are unappropriated and unavailable for spending in FY25. TriMet’s FY25 fiscal year begins on July 1, 2024, and runs through June 30, 2025.

TriMet’s mission – our purpose –  is to connect people with transportation that is safe, clean, convenient, reliable, accessible and welcoming for all. A robust transit system that is well-used by the community supports our regional climate action goals, helps ease congestion, improves freight movement and supports the economy. But most of all, it increases access to opportunities throughout our region. 

What’s inside our FY25 budget? A lot more for you.

The proposed budget continues investments that are critical to improving the experience of every rider who uses our transit system, so they’ll feel comfortable and confident each time they come on board.

Transit Service

As Oregon’s largest public transportation provider, our proposed FY25 budget focuses on providing exceptional transit service and proposes service improvements guided by our Forward Together service concept. In addition to continuing to run a robust network of buses and trains across our 533-square mile service district, in FY25, we would like to:

• Add four new Frequent Service bus lines.
• Add new bus lines in East Portland, Sellwood and West Linn.
• Extend service in East Multnomah County and I-205 between Tualatin and Oregon City.
• Add more buses to well-used lines that do not currently have Frequent Service.
• Continue to streamline routes and discontinue service with less ridership and demand.  

TriMet’s service improvement and expansion plans must be supported by the appropriate staffing levels to be successful and sustainable. Hiring and training additional operators and maintenance staff will continue to be an important emphasis in FY25, as will efforts to increase retention of both new and long-time employees. 

In addition to their focus on the safe operation of vehicles, the maintenance team also heads up a key initiative to increasing ridership, and that’s the cleanliness of our buses, trains and the overall transit system. The FY25 budget includes more resources for ongoing spot cleaning, deep cleaning, graffiti cleanup and aesthetic repairs that make the system feel more desirable and welcoming overall.

Safety & Security

The proposed Safety & Security budget for FY25 is quadruple what it was in FY22. TriMet more than doubled the number of security personnel on our transit system in the last year, as we continue to adopt a comprehensive and layered approach to safety and security. Today, there are more than 350 unarmed security personnel providing presence, assistance and resources to riders – more than ever before. Among them, is our innovative Safety Response Team, whose members carry Narcan, a life-saving, FDA-approved nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The Safety Response Team, increased personnel and a number of other efforts were the result of our Reimagining Public Safety on Transit initiatives, which grew out of the social justice movement of 2020. In addition to the increased presence on board our buses and trains and across our transit system, TriMet has established a Safety Operations Center, which helps coordinate our response to non-emergency security concerns that occur on our system. Riders can reach the team 24 hours per day by texting or calling 503-238-7433 (RIDE) or by using the security button on our homepage, trimet.org. 

Capital investments

Our capital projects are focused on making our transit system safe, comfortable, reliable and convenient. We’ll complete A Better Red in FY25. That’s a project that brought over $100 million in federal investments to our region, creating jobs and modernizing our light rail system to create a better experience for all riders. The project, set for completion in late August, has already improved train movement at key sections of the system near Portland International Airport and Gateway Transit Center. It will also extend the MAX Red Line an additional 10 stations into Hillsboro, helping to provide more capacity in a growing job center of Washington County. We’re also replacing our oldest light rail vehicles with our new Type 6 models, expanding the SE Park Avenue Park & Ride as originally planned and developing our Columbia Operations Facility, which is pivotal for testing and expansion of our Zero-Emissions Bus Program.

Climate action

In response to global warming and the ongoing climate crisis, we are continuing our transition to a zero-emissions bus fleet, with the expansion of electric bus charging infrastructure at our Merlo and Powell Operations facilities. We currently have buses arriving from our first bulk purchase of 24 battery-electric buses (BEBs). When the delivery is complete, TriMet will have 34 BEBs operating throughout our transit system, making up about 5% of our total bus fleet. In FY25, TriMet will continue to build capacity for our goal to transition to a full zero-emissions fixed-route fleet by 2040. 

Understanding our funding

TriMet’s FY25 is estimated at 1.75 billion. About 91% of funding for FY25 operating resources comes from three sources: payroll tax revenues, passenger revenues and federal funds. For FY25, TriMet expects to receive about $540 million in payroll taxes; $62 million in passenger fares; and about $139 million from federal operating grants. We also receive a small portion of our funding from accessible transportation and service contracts and advertising. The FY25 budget includes the first full year of revenues from our 2024 fare increase.

Let us know what you think!

We want to hear your thoughts on the proposed budget. We’ll be accepting comments and feedback through Wednesday, March 27, online and through our Customer Service channels including phone and text at 503-238-74333 (RIDE) as well as X (formerly known as Twitter) at @trimethelp. The public can also provide testimony at upcoming TriMet Board Meetings on March 27, April 24 and May 22. The Board is scheduled to consider adopting the budget at the May meeting. TriMet must adopt a Final Budget by July 1, to stay in compliance with Oregon Budget Law and to begin spending funds allocated for FY25.