Riders are encouraged to complete a new online survey, attend an open house and submit additional feedback by Jan. 31
Under a package of proposals developed to bring TriMet’s service levels in line with revenues, TriMet is recommending changes to reduce duplication and make our bus and MAX service more efficient. The service cuts proposed for August 2026 will help TriMet address a $300 million budget gap and come after identifying about $150 million in other spending reductions. Those cuts include reducing internal expenses, reducing staff and pausing future bus service increases.
“The proposals focus on efficiency and cost savings, while continuing to provide the most service possible for the people who rely on us every day,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “Despite some necessary service reductions, our goal remains the same – to ensure long-term financial stability, so that we continue providing vital transit service to our region for decades to come.”
Proposed service cuts and efficiencies
Guided by community and rider feedback, TriMet proposes changes to 35 bus lines, shortening the MAX Green Line and eliminating bus service in South Gresham; along Stafford and Salamo roads in West Linn; and Tualatin-Sherwood Road in Tualatin. Many of the changes to bus routes help maintain service in areas where more people rely on it.
The cuts and changes are described in detail at trimet.org/servicecuts.
While TriMet initially planned to implement service cuts later in 2026, benefits of a late-summer launch, on Aug. 23, became clear as our planning team put the proposals together. Those benefits include making the bulk of necessary changes before high school and college students head back to campus. However, we may still need to make some adjustments later in 2026, with further changes likely in 2027.
Take the new survey, share feedback with TriMet
We’re asking the community, especially our riders, to review the proposals and provide feedback by Jan. 31. We have launched a new online survey and will be holding in-person and online open houses throughout the month. The open houses are scheduled in communities across our tri-county service area. Find a list of locations and links for online meetings here .
The public will have additional opportunities to provide feedback during the public comment portion of TriMet Board meetings in January, February and March. The Board will hold a special listening session to hear feedback on the proposals, on Wednesday, March 18, in the TriMet Board Room at One Main Place, at SW 1st and Main Street in Downtown Portland.
Community input helped shape proposals
The service changes proposed for August 2026 are based on TriMet’s ridership data as well as the feedback we heard from riders and the community in late 2025. More than 4,800 people responded to our service priorities survey we shared last fall, which asked how TriMet should approach one of the most significant service reductions in our history. Here’s what they said:
- Preserve service as much as possible by first reducing where buses and trains run on the same route or close together.
- Keep Frequent Service lines that make our service convenient and reliable.
- Maintain transit to reach critical destinations like medical care and schools.
The proposals developed focus on network efficiency, combining lines or reducing where lines run near others and moving bus routes to maintain as much service as possible. While we are keeping frequency on higher ridership lines, some proposals reduce how often buses arrive at times when fewer people are riding and discontinue bus lines with very low ridership.
The boundary for our LIFT paratransit service would be adjusted slightly with the cuts that are currently proposed. These changes affect fewer than 0.5% of trips on LIFT.
How we got here, where we stand now
Last July, TriMet announced plans to begin cost-cutting measures to close a $300 million annual budget gap. The primary factors for that gap are cost increases from inflation, combined with less fare revenue and insufficient funding to sustain service levels. Failure to take action would have put TriMet on track to hit a fiscal cliff in the coming years. The impact of a fiscal cliff would be devastating to our service, riders and the regional economy.
With thousands of people counting on our transit service to connect with work, school, shopping and services, we are making necessary changes to our service with careful consideration. On Nov. 30, 2025, TriMet reduced service on five bus lines at times when fewer people are riding. We will make similar adjustments to service on four more bus lines during times when fewer people are riding and one route change, on Sunday, March 1. Also in March, schedules on bus and MAX lines may be adjusted to improve connections.
All riders are encouraged to visit trimet.org and plan a trip for March 1 or later, to see how the changes could affect future travel.
Timeline
January will be a pivotal month for gathering feedback on the proposed August 2026 service changes, as we hold open houses, engage community partners and gather responses to our survey. All of the feedback collected will be reviewed and considered before the service plan is finalized.
Our Board of Directors will take up the plan in March and is expected to vote on it in April. Once approved, the plan will be included in the budget for our next fiscal year, which begins on July 1, 2026.