Adding more bus service where our riders say they need it

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At TriMet, we’re improving some of our most popular lines starting next month

Line 8-Jackson Park/NE 15th bus in Downtown Portland.

TriMet riders say they want more service on our most popular, high-demand bus lines.

We’re listening — and taking action! Four of our Frequent Service bus lines will soon see more buses arriving every 15 minutes or better earlier and later on weekdays, with more improvements on the way to make riding TriMet faster, easier and better.

The improvements starting Sunday, June 2, are part of TriMet’s Forward Together service concept. Through Forward Together, we’re making bus service better for the riders who count on it every day — and a better option for more people throughout our service district. Forward Together is increasing ridership and connecting our region by taking what the community tells us they want and putting it into practice.

Bolstering the bus

We’re speeding up bus arrivals on the following lines on weekday mornings and evenings:

These lines have among the highest ridership of all of TriMet’s more than 75 bus lines, with a combined average weekly ridership of about 102,000. All four number among our 18 Frequent Service bus lines. Buses on our Frequent Service lines arrive every 15 minutes or better for most of the day, every day.

We’ll also add more service on weekday mornings along Line 21-Sandy Blvd/223rd. That improvement means workers on the early shift at the Amazon warehouse in Fairview can get to their jobs by bus.

Several other bus lines will see schedule adjustments to keep buses running on time and help riders make their connections. Schedules could change by up to 12 minutes. Riders can always check their bus schedule and plan their trip at trimet.org. Make sure to set the date for June 2 or later!

TriMet buses connect riders to jobs and school, as well as health care and other services. We know how important those opportunities are, and we are always working to improve the experience for commuters and other riders who depend on TriMet.

Looking ahead

With Forward Together, TriMet is taking the long view. We want to increase ridership and expand access to transit, especially for historically marginalized communities. We’re considering all of the resources at our disposal and deciding how to use them for the greatest benefit. We also know that we’re building a better bus system to serve people now, five years from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now, and well beyond.

We always envisioned Forward Together as a multiyear program. However, we haven’t yet been able to implement many of the service improvements we had hoped to make by now.

To add service, we need the staff to support it. TriMet is offering a $7,500 hiring bonus for new operators, as well as a $2,500 hiring bonus for many maintenance positions. These are vital positions for us to fill so we can meet the needs of our community and continue to move Forward Together.

Come join us! Visit trimet.org/careers to learn more about the opportunities at TriMet.

We have many more improvements yet to come — some in the second half of this year, and others in the years ahead. They include adding more bus lines, upgrading popular bus lines to Frequent Service and extending the MAX Red Line to Hillsboro. We look forward to welcoming you aboard!