From June 12-July 11, riders will ‘tap to ride’ the elevator, free-of-charge, during a test of the new system

TriMet will be piloting an elevator improvement project beginning in June at the Hollywood/NE 42nd Ave Transit Center. The four-week project will restrict elevator access to riders with a valid Hop card or Hop ticket, or a physical or virtual chip-enabled payment card in an effort to improve elevator reliability*.

*Valid access items have been updated for clarity.

From June 12-July 11, customers will need to tap their plastic or virtual Hop card; Hop ticket; phone with Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay; or contactless credit or debit card on a reader next to the elevator to open the doors. Customers will not be charged anything as a result of this tap and will still be required to tap a second time on a Hop reader prior to boarding MAX. While riders won’t be charged for the elevator tap, their card must be valid for it to work.

When someone taps with a Hop card, Hop ticket, a chip-enabled payment card or a smartphone wallet, the elevator doors will open and the reader will display a confirmation screen —a green check mark and the words “Welcome” and “Thanks for riding TriMet.” The Hop card, Hop ticket or payment card needs to be valid and have funds stored, although there will not be a charge for accessing the elevator. Hop cards do not need to be registered to access the elevator. Elevator access during the pilot will not work for customers using paper tickets, also known as transfers, received from a bus ticket printer.

Easy access for riders

We understand it can take a couple of times to grow familiar with a new process. That’s why we want to make this trial-run as easy as possible to keep you moving. As much as we can, we want to minimize the impact on customers, particularly people with disabilities. For the duration of the pilot, transit security staff will be present at the elevator during MAX operating hours to open it for cash and paper transfer customers and to count how often these customers access the elevator.

The electronic reader used to access the elevator will look like TriMet’s Hop fare readers, except it will be black instead of green. New signs, as well as the elevator access reader screens themselves, will instruct riders to tap before boarding the elevator and will state that there’s no charge associated with this. The signs will also remind riders to tap again on a green Hop fare reader to pay for their ride before getting on a train.

To access the platform and ride MAX, the process will be as easy as one, two, three:

1: Tap your Hop card, contactless bank card or phone against the black validator at the elevator. The elevator will come and the doors will open.

2: Board the elevator to take it down to the platform level.

3: If you haven’t already tapped your card or phone against a green Hop fare reader, you can do so on the platform before boarding MAX.

Improving reliability

TriMet is committed to improving reliability and efficiency across our transit system. Like buses and trains, elevators are an important part of our transit system that help people make their connections. But they are also unique, in that they are unrestricted, outdoors and user-operated. By limiting elevator access to riders, we hope to diminish their unplanned outages related to improper use.

By ensuring that those who are riding are using the elevators for their intended purpose, we hope to cut down on maintenance-related delays and disruptions, and to make the riding experience safer, more reliable and welcoming for everyone. The four-week pilot at Hollywood/NE 42nd Ave will be used to determine the feasibility of introducing a similar system at elevators at other TriMet rail stations and transit centers.

For more information about the elevator access pilot, go to trimet.org/elevatoraccess.

Tap every time

TriMet first began rolling out Hop in July 2017 as an easier way of offering a number of innovative ways to pay fare. Its basic form is the physical Hop card, which works just like a gift card. You load money to the card and then tap it to a Hop reader.

Hop is the better way to pay, allowing riders to tap, board and save, all at the same time. Hop means never overpaying thanks to fare capping, which rewards you with free rides once you meet the equivalent of a daily or monthly pass. With Hop, ride knowing you won’t pay more than the cost of a monthly pass, which is $100 a month—or $28 a month for those in our reduced-fare Honored Citizen program. That price won’t change even if fares increase. Additional benefits of Hop include lost-card protection and auto reloading.

Hop readers are located on board buses and at the platform for MAX and WES. Tap with every ride and transfer. It’s your proof of payment and shows you have valid fare. With Hop, there’s no need to carry cash, have exact change or stop at a ticket machine.

To check on the status of TriMet’s elevators and sign up for alerts, go to trimet.org/alerts/elevators.

 

Despite a few rainy days early on, construction near the Gateway Transit Center is ahead of schedule, with regular MAX service returning Sunday, May 7

Construction of TriMet’s A Better Red MAX Extension and Reliability Improvements Project near the Gateway Transit Center has passed the halfway mark ahead of schedule. We are on track to reopen the temporarily closed section of the MAX system between the Gateway Transit Center and NE 7^th Ave on Sunday, May 7, which will return MAX Blue, Green and Red lines back to regular service. The section between Gateway and NE 7^th Ave has been closed since April 16 for construction.

The unseasonably rainy conditions that kicked off construction had only one minor impact: they made the ground muddy. But with that inconvenience aside, and with sunny days since then, the 69-person crew, coming from nearly a dozen contractors, has worked to replace rail, weld new track components together and connect electrical systems.

Look for Ride Guides

Have questions getting around the disruption? Stay on the lookout for TriMet personnel. They’ve been stationed at the Gateway Transit Center and NE 7^th Ave to direct riders to shuttle buses and answer questions.

During planned construction projects such as this, we deploy volunteers from across the agency to help customers. These are our Ride Guides, and they play a special customer experience role in every planned disruption, working to ensure our riders receive immediate, personal attention. That person assisting you may be a director or executive director of one of our departments, an analyst, a transportation supervisor, a community engagement specialist or even the general manager!

Ride Guides wear blue vests with “Ride Guide” printed on the back. Coming from different departments from within TriMet, they volunteer their time during the work day or days off to make sure our customers feel comfortable navigating the system when changes occur. They complement TriMet’s dedicated customer service and safety teams, who operate in and around our system every day. While they all serve different functions, they’re there to help. If you have questions, please reach out.

TriMet also encourages riders to use our Trip Planner at trimet.org. You can also reach TriMet’s Customer Service team by calling or texting 503-238-RIDE (7433) daily between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Or you can drop us a direct message on Twitter by tweeting @trimethelp.

A Better Red

We greatly appreciate our riders’ patience and understanding as we put the finishing touches on this three-week disruption. We prefer not to close sections of the system, but at times it’s necessary, allowing crews to do work that they otherwise couldn’t if trains were running. Such is the case with aspects of A Better Red, our major MAX improvements project that will, among other upgrades, extend the MAX Red Line west 10 stations and add a second track near the Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport.

We’re more than halfway done with the project, our most ambitious undertaking to occur in and around an operational rail line—an undertaking that will span three years by the time it’s completed in fall 2024. Over the past 18 months, we’ve been able to do most of the work without the need to disrupt service.

Construction milestones include:

• Building two new rail bridges spanning I-84, the I-205 multi-use path and existing MAX and Union Pacific Railroad tracks North of the Gateway Transit Center
• Removing and replacing sections of track
• Preparing areas for future construction, including the creation of Gateway North, a new MAX platform about 500 feet from the Gateway Transit Center that will serve trains coming from PDX
• Repositioning roadway along Air Cargo Road
• Building new facilities at Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport

With work taking place near Portland International Airport, the Gateway Transit Center and in Washington County, A Better Red spans the MAX Red Line end-to-end. Its impacts, however, will be felt across the entire MAX system. For more information, go to trimet.org/betterred.

The buses running along Division Street will use the same signals timing as other vehicles during May’s weeklong data-gathering exercise

For a week in May, TriMet’s FX2-Division buses will lose their ability to jump ahead of traffic and get more green lights at intersections along Division Street. From Sunday, May 14, through Saturday, May 20, TriMet’s next-generation transit signal priority (TSP) system will be switched off, part of a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) testing requirement.

Next-generation transit signal priority is one reason why TriMet FX® — Frequent Express — buses can sail down Division Street with faster, more efficient trips than ever before. This technology, using signals that buses transmit to either shorten red lights or lengthen green lights based on real-time information, is the first of its kind on the West Coast. Initial data collected over the first six months following FX’s launch have shown time savings of about six minutes along the portion of the route between SE 12^th & Division Street and Gresham Central Transit Center. We will be able to collect more data during the week the transit signal priority system is off.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will perform its own testing after transit signal priority returns on May 21. Together, these tests will help improve the system, providing TriMet, our partners and vendors with information that can be used to strengthen TSP—both along Division as well as for future expansions of FX service.

While the majority of the TSP system will be turned off, there will be three intersections along Southeast Division Street where it will stay on due to the location of nearside stops. These include Southeast 117th Avenue, Southeast 148th Avenue and Southeast 162nd Avenue. Bus operators will be instructed where and where not to use the signals and business access/transit lanes.

Priority FX2-Division

During the temporary shutdown of TSP, we expect that FX2-Division buses will see fewer green lights as they arrive at signals, but this should not lead to major delays—especially for riders taking short trips. However, the longer the trip, the more likely a delay of up to ten minutes may be felt. We encourage FX2-Division riders to plan some extra time for their trips the week of May 14-20. They can track the real-time location of their bus at trimet.org.

While people may have experienced the benefits of transit signal priority in the past, the newest version is different. It uses cellular technology to collect information about the location and speed of buses. This allows the traffic signals to adapt their timing to give buses an edge when approaching intersections.

In the first six months, this has led to:

• A 70% reduction in signal delay, resulting in up to six-minute time improvements each way.
• A 30% increase in green light success rate.
• The ability to jump ahead of traffic at specific intersections thanks to what’s known as ‘queue jumping’—giving buses at stations or in bus lanes the green light first ahead of all other vehicles.

The system has proven itself to be more flexible than previous versions of TSP, as it requires less hardware. Traditional forms of TSP require the installation of infrared emitters that only work when there’s line-of-sight with a traffic signal. The next-generation version does not require an emitter and can work with any bus—whether a 60-foot “bendy bus” or a traditional 40-foot bus—as long as it’s been designated to run on the FX2-Division route.

Keeping you moving

In two words, faster and smarter. That sums up the benefits of next-generation transit signal priority. Through machine learning, it can adapt over time to make your trips faster, something that previous systems couldn’t do.

This is just one of the features that make riding FX2-Division a better option for trips along Division Street. In addition to using bigger buses, with room for 60% more riders, FX  buses also arrive every 12 minutes, so you’re never waiting around. We worked with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), the City of Gresham, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and LYT, a company specializing in next-generation signal priority technology, to install this new technology at 58 of Division Street’s signalized intersections.

For more information about FX2-Division, visit trimet.org/fx.

In addition to ‘Better Red’ construction, TriMet will be upgrading rail, wires, stations and more during the three-week MAX disruption

A great deal can be achieved in just three weeks. Take for example TriMet’s upcoming 21-day disruption of MAX Blue, Green and Red lines, which will see rail construction and rehabilitation work, along with other improvements, stretch from the Gateway Transit Center to NE 7th Ave. The project will close that five-mile section of the MAX system from April 16 through May 6, with shuttle buses running to serve closed stations.

Shuttle buses will depart about every five minutes from the closed stations during peak hours. During the disruption, MAX Green and Red Line trains will not travel west of the Gateway Transit Center. Riders should use MAX Blue Line for trips between NE 7th Ave and Beaverton and the MAX Orange and Yellow lines in Downtown Portland. During the disruption, there will be no service impacts to MAX Orange and Yellow lines or bus service.

All told, 15 projects will be underway concurrently, the biggest of which will be the installation of special track work at the Gateway/NE 99^th Ave Transit Center. Part of the Better Red MAX Extension and Reliability Improvements Project, the special track work component will play a critical role in moving MAX Red Line trains through the new light rail configuration being built in and around the Gateway Transit Center once work is completed in 2024

Project upgrades: cleaner, newer and better

In addition to the installation of a special track component at Gateway/NE 99^th Ave Transit Center, TriMet will take advantage of the three-week shutdown to complete maintenance work at the Hollywood/NE 42^nd Ave Transit Center and a curved section of track at NE 43^rd Ave. Running along I-84, these sections are part of the original MAX system, built in 1986. Crews will replace rail and ties and maintain the track ballast for a smoother, more reliable ride once trains return to regular service on Monday, May 7.

Elsewhere, between Gateway Transit Center and NE 7^th Ave, work will include:

• Cleaning the track from Gateway to NE 7^th Ave.
• Clearing brush and removing graffiti between the Lloyd Neighborhood and Gateway
• Cleaning and pressure washing platforms from Gateway to NE 7^th Ave.
• Replacing the overhead contact wire that powers trains, along with the weight stacks that maintain wire tension during extremely hot days.

TriMet will also install new LED lighting, part of a system-wide move to both improve the lighting around our stations and to reduce energy consumption. LEDs are significantly more efficient than incandescent lighting, which will reduce our carbon footprint. Plus, these lights will come with controls, allowing TriMet to adjust the lighting levels as needed.

Getting around the disruption

Riders will want to plan extra time during the disruption. A typical MAX trip between Gateway/NE 99^th Ave Transit Center and NE 7^th Ave takes about 13 minutes, while a trip on a shuttle bus will take about 30 minutes. We suggest riders plan at least an extra 30 minutes for their trips to factor in this extra time and to ensure they catch their connections, or consider using other bus service or transportation during the disruption.

Riders can plan their trips now by going to TriMet.org/planner and setting their travel date to a time during the April 16-May 6 disruption.

While our website is one way to plan your trip in advance, if you want to connect directly to a person, we have you covered. You can reach TriMet’s Customer Service team by calling or texting 503-238-RIDE (7433) daily between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. You can also drop us a direct message on Twitter by tweeting @trimethelp.

We also will also have extra staff located at Gateway Transit Center, NE 7^th Ave and other closed stations to help you make your connections during the disruption. They’ll help guide you to shuttle bus stops and answer any service-related questions you may have. Thank you for your patience and understanding during the disruption. For more information about the project, go to trimet.org/improvements.

A Better Red

A Better Red is right around the corner. We have finished more than 60% of the project, which is on track to be fully completed in fall 2024. Once it’s done, A Better Red will extend MAX Red Line west 10 stations to Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport, add a second track and new infrastructure to sections near the Gateway/NE 99^th Ave Transit Center and Portland International Airport and add a new station, Gateway North, to serve westbound Red Line riders.  

For more information about A Better Red, including a timeline of key milestones, go to trimet.org/bettered.

Track work at the Gateway Transit Center will last from April 16 through May 6, disrupting service to MAX Blue, Green and Red lines

Plan a three-week disruption to the MAX Blue, Green and Red lines starting next month. The MAX system will be disrupted between Gateway Transit Center and NE 7th Avenue MAX Station from Sunday, Apr. 16, through Saturday, May 6, with no Green or Red line trains running west of Gateway during that time. This is to allow work on a critical part of TriMet’s A Better Red MAX Extension, Reliability and Improvements Project. The project recently passed its 50% construction milestone and is on track to be fully completed by September 2024.

Crews will be performing a series of construction and maintenance projects during the three-week shutdown. The main work will be putting in new track at the Gateway Transit Center for A Better Red. During the disruption, shuttle buses will run about every five minutes, serving stations between the Gateway Transit Center and NE 7th Avenue Station. The MAX Green and Red lines will be further disrupted, with Green Line trains only running between Gateway and Clackamas Town Center and Red Line trains only serving stations between Gateway and Portland International Airport.

We encourage riders to plan their trips in advance and consider taking other bus lines or biking and walking, as trips will take an extra 30 minutes during the disruption. You can plan your trip now at trimet.org. To learn more about getting around the disruption, go to trimet.org/improvements.

Construction will involve installing what is known as “special trackwork”— track that’s been made to move trains from one set of tracks to another, such as “crossovers” or “turnouts.” TriMet’s special trackwork will be a key component of A Better Red, helping to tie the Gateway Transit Center to the new Gateway North MAX Station, set to open in the spring of 2024.

‘Special trackwork’ sets up connections

There’s nothing ho-hum about railroad tracks. Just think about the MAX system: 92,000-pound vehicles gliding along a rail that’s less than two inches wide at speeds approaching 55 mph. That feat of engineering ingenuity has gone more or less unchanged for more than 200 years. So it’s not as if your common railroad track isn’t special, it’s just that some are extra special.

What makes it extra special is that it deviates, in some small-but-important ways, from our traditional track, and it serves a particular function. In the case of TriMet’s special trackwork, curvature has to be added into a part of the track and turnouts so they will all fit precisely together. Due to its special nature, this curved track had to be built to specifications at facilities in Birmingham, Ala., and Cheyenne, Wyo. It was built of entirely American-made materials, as A Better Red is partially funded by the Federal Transit Administration.

With Gateway Transit Center being the confluence of MAX Blue, Green and Red line trains, the construction will affect those lines west across the system. TriMet crews will make the most of this three-week shut down by performing maintenance work and upgrades at and around the Hollywood Transit Center. There, crews will be replacing rail and ties that are part of the original MAX Blue Line, built in 1986.

A Better Red

A Better Red is among our largest undertakings in years. A multi-year project, set to complete in fall 2024, it will extend the MAX Red Line west to serve 10 more stations in Beaverton and Hillsboro. The project also improves schedule reliability for the entire MAX system by adding a second track near both Portland International Airport and Gateway Transit Center, keeping trains moving. At Gateway, new bridges are being constructed for this second track, spanning I-84, the I-205 multi-use path and existing tracks.

For more information about A Better Red, including a timeline of key milestones, go to trimet.org/bettered.

The project is more than 50% complete, with construction progressing at different worksites along the MAX Red Line

More than a year and four months after TriMet’s A Better Red MAX Extension and Reliability Project broke ground, construction has reached a major milestone. The project has surpassed 50% of its completion, entering the back half of its work on schedule and on budget. Thanks to the project, nearly $100 million in federal funds are being brought to the Portland metro area, creating and supporting jobs for the entire region.

With construction set to conclude in 2024 ahead of its opening that same year, A Better Red is TriMet’s most significant light rail construction project since the MAX Orange Line opened in 2015. In part, the project will extend the MAX Red Line west to serve 10 more stations in Beaverton and Hillsboro.

But the project aims to do even more by improving the flow of train traffic. The addition of a second track near the Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport, along with a new station dedicated to westbound MAX Red Line service—called Gateway North, located about 500 feet north of the existing transit center— will improve schedule reliability for the entire MAX system. These improvements will help trains move around each other more efficiently near Gateway and PDX.

Construction achievements

A section of the MAX Red Line north of the Gateway Transit Center has seen a steady progression of construction since the project kicked off in September 2021. However, while that has been the most visible worksite, construction has also occurred elsewhere, including in Hillsboro and near Portland International Airport. Unique among this project is how construction is taking place in different locations along the Red Line, with more heavy lifting yet to come.

Construction highlights so far include building the substructures of two new light rail bridges north of the Gateway Transit Center. This work has included the installation of steel girders to a bridge extending over I-84 last fall as well as affixing concrete girders to a second bridge being built over existing MAX tracks. We have also moved and added components to the trackway to help make room for these new structures. This included moving a 200-foot section of track in March 2022.

In addition to building new retaining walls, bridges and moving components of our track and the light rail system north of the Gateway Transit Center, crews have also been working in Washington County and near Portland International Airport. In November 2022, crews improved parts of the MAX system near the Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport MAX Station and set the stage for additional work to take place there. A new 680-square-foot facility is also taking shape at the station, which will give operators and other field staff a place to rest and take a break at what will become the new western terminus for the MAX Red Line.

More work to come

New and improved MAX Red Line service will be up and running in 2024. The project is made possible thanks to a $99.9 million construction grant awarded by the Federal Transit Administration, which covers a substantial portion of the $215 million overall cost of the project.

There’s more work to come! In the months ahead, crews will be completing the construction of the two new light rail bridges. Crews will also build a new station platform at PDX and add another track next to what is currently there. Also, in partnership with the Port of Portland, a new multi-use path will be built between the MAX station and NE 82nd Avenue. That new path will create a better connection between transit and jobs at the Port of Portland, allowing people to get around on foot, bike, scooter and other mobility devices after exiting a train. In Hillsboro, crews will also soon be finishing the operator break facility and installing additional equipment needed to turn around trains at Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport MAX Station.

While much of the work has taken place without the need to disrupt service, there will be times in the coming year when suspending MAX service is necessary to allow crews to work directly in the trackway for extended periods. We thank our riders for their patience during construction! TriMet will provide advanced notice for any construction activity that disrupts trains or auto traffic. For more information about A Better Red, including regular construction updates, go to trimet.org/betterred.

A Better Red: Making Transit Better

Making Transit Better is something we strive for every day because it means improved livability, cleaner air and more opportunities for everyone. When more people ride transit, the community benefits in ways both big and small, allowing the region to grow and thrive.

A Better Red is just one of the ways TriMet is addressing the needs of a growing Portland metro area. Not only is the project going to improve connections and MAX reliability, it’s also creating and sustaining jobs for the region along with other economic benefits. With A Better Red expanding and improving MAX light rail—now powered by 100% renewable energy—TriMet is creating a more attractive option than driving and reducing greenhouse gas emissions while supporting jobs in the process.

Starting Jan. 23, some TriMet elevators will be temporarily out of service as crews work to install more durable doors

Improvements are coming to several TriMet elevators starting Monday, Jan. 23, resulting in two-day outages for six elevators at MAX stations, transit centers and a park and ride. Only one elevator will be out of service at a time, with the work scheduled to complete on Thursday, Feb. 9.

We’re installing new, stainless steel doors on the elevators that are sturdier than the existing glass doors. The stainless steel doors are heavy duty and able to sustain more wear and tear. TriMet hopes that by replacing the doors we will reduce the number of unplanned service outages and repairs needed. We thank our riders for their understanding as we work to make these improvements. 

Elevator service schedule

We know that elevators being down can pose a challenge for people with mobility issues, and we want to make it is as easy as we can for those who rely on the elevators to get around.  We encourage riders to check trimet.org/elevators for more information and tips for getting around the scheduled work.

Elevator Outages:

Jan. 23-24: Hollywood/NE 42^nd Ave Transit Center

Jan. 25-26: NE 60^th Ave

Jan. 30-31: 82^nd Ave

Feb. 1-2: Sunset Transit Center Park & Ride, garage elevator

Feb. 6-7: Sunset Transit Center, eastbound elevator

Feb. 8-9: Sunset Transit Center, westbound elevator

At the Sunset Transit Center, two elevators connect the upper level of the transit Center, where the buses are located, to the lower level, where the MAX platforms are located. One elevator connects the eastbound platform and one connects the westbound platform. During the closure of the platform elevators, those who cannot use the stairs can use the one operational elevator by going to the opposite end of the platform (about 200 feet) and using a temporary pathway to cross to the other side, where the elevator is located.  

TriMet Elevators

TriMet’s transit system is home to 17 elevators that you can use to connect with MAX platforms or to reach the upper levels of our park and rides. Beginning in 2018 and lasting through 2019, we worked on upgrading many of them through TriMet’s Elevator Improvement Program. Most elevators can last 15-20 years without requiring major overhauls, although elevators located outside do face more wear and tear and exposure to the elements. The upcoming replacement of elevator doors is an extension of our ongoing efforts to better protect the elevators in the years to come. When elevators do need repairs, we work with contractors to fix the issue as soon as possible.

If elevators are an important part of your travel, please check trimet.org/elevators. On the webpage, you can sign up for email alerts whenever elevators are down or being repaired.

In partnership with ODOT, free rides begin at 8 p.m. on December 31, with extended late-night MAX service

Relax, kick back and leave the driving to TriMet this New Year’s Eve. Free rides return this year to get you to and from the night’s celebrations the safe way. In partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), all TriMet buses and MAX trains, as well as Portland Streetcar, will be providing free rides from 8 p.m. until the end of service.

Free rides, extended MAX service

MAX

All MAX trains will run on their regular schedules with extended late-night service on most lines going until at least 2 a.m.

• The last MAX Blue Line trip to Gresham leaves Pioneer Square South at 2:23 a.m., and the last trip to Hillsboro leaves Pioneer Square North at 2:47 a.m.
• The last MAX Green Line trip to Clackamas Town Center leaves from Pioneer Courthouse/SW 6th at 2:18 a.m., and the last trip from Clackamas Town Center to Gateway Transit Center leaves at 3:12 a.m.
• The last MAX Orange Line trip to SE Park Ave leaves Pioneer Place/SW 5th Ave MAX Station at 2:02 a.m., and the last trip from SE Park Ave leaves at 2:52 a.m.
• The last MAX Red Line trip to Portland International Airport leaves Pioneer Square South at 12:42 a.m., and the last trip from PDX at 1:56 a.m.
• The last MAX Yellow Line trip to Expo Center leaves Pioneer Courthouse/SW 6th at 2:27 a.m., and the last trip from Expo Center to Interstate Rose Quarter leaves at 3:05 a.m.

Buses

TriMet buses will run on regular Saturday schedules on New Year’s Eve. No fare will be collected after 8 p.m. However, buses will not have extended service hours. Riders who are staying out late may want to plan a trip home on MAX, if service on their bus line ends before midnight.

Plan ahead and stay safe

By working with ODOT to help keep impaired drivers off the road, our goal is to bring some extra peace of mind to drivers, pedestrians and those looking to take in the festivities. Offering free rides on New Year’s Eve has been a TriMet practice for years, and we’re excited to be bringing it back.

Before heading out, we suggest riders check schedules and make travel plans in advance by going to trimet.org. And remember, if you plan on making a trip after the clock strikes midnight, make sure you set the date for Jan. 1!

On New Year’s Day, which falls on a Sunday this year, TriMet’s Rider Support team will not be available, and the TriMet Ticket Office at Pioneer Courthouse Square will be closed. TriMet will observe the New Year’s Day holiday on Monday, Jan. 2. Buses and MAX will follow Sunday schedules. There will be no WES service. Visit trimet.org/holidays to learn more. 

With more people expected to be traveling after a night out, we encourage everyone to:

• Be alert and pay attention around buses and trains.
• Pause devices and look both ways when crossing streets or tracks.
• Be respectful of operators and other riders.
• If you see something suspicious, say something to a TriMet employee or call 911.
• Check your surroundings for personal items before you leave.

If you believe you lost something on board, you can contact our Lost and Found as soon as Monday, Jan. 2, by calling 503-238-7433, option 6, to file a report between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. You can also do so on our webpage: trimet.org/lostandfound.

For more information about free rides on New Year’s Eve, go to trimet.org/nye.

With the completion of the Fuller Station Apartments, more people will have convenient access to both transit and affordable housing

In a little under a year and a half, Clackamas County’s newest affordable housing project went from seed to tree, springing up on land that had previously been used as part of TriMet’s Fuller Road MAX Station Park & Ride. The project, known as the Fuller Station Apartments, broke ground in April 2021 and opened to tenants this fall. The project’s swift turnaround was made possible through the coordination of TriMet’s Transit-Oriented Development Program (TOD), which aims to connect more people to transit, prevent displacement and create family-wage jobs by redeveloping underused parcels of land.

Rising six stories, the 129,000-square-foot building features 100 apartments for families and individuals who earn between 30% and 60% of the area median income. Partial funding for the project came from the Housing Authority of Clackamas County (HACC), which awarded nearly $8.6 million in Metro Affordable Housing Bonds for this development.

Taking its name from its proximity to the MAX Green Line’s Fuller Road MAX Station, the apartments aim to invest in public transit, reinvigorate the neighborhood by opening up nearby land for future development and provide new housing to those who need it. There’s also still plenty of parking available at the Park & Ride, with the new building occupying about half of the overall footprint. With new residents being close to both the MAX Green Line and Line 72-Killingsworth buses, TriMet also provided residents with pre-loaded Hop cards upon their moving in.

Partnering for housing

In partnership with developers Geller, Silvis & Associates and Guardian, as well as Clackamas County, Fuller Station Apartments took shape over about 18 months and began its opening in October. Other partners who made the project possible include Oregon Housing and Community Services, Metro, CREA, JPMorgan Chase, R&H Construction, BC Group, Waterleaf and Tello Interiors. The apartments are currently 66% leased and accepting applications. A referral from a specific social service organization may be required for eligibility.

“With the high demand for affordable housing, we are proud to launch Fuller Station and be a part of the solution. Not only does Fuller Station offer homes for those with lower incomes, but we have also partnered with DevNW and Clackamas Women’s Service to provide a community for those aging out of the foster care system and survivors of domestic abuse,” said Tom Brenneke, president of Guardian. “Thanks to being adjacent to the MAX Green Line, we’re also able to offer accessibility to affordable transportation to work, healthcare, and social services.” 

“TriMet is very excited to celebrate the opening of Fuller Station. This affordable housing project reinforces TriMet’s Transit-Oriented Development goal to support the delivery of community-supportive housing at its stations,” TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. said. “Fuller Station and the new street infrastructure accompanying it is an excellent example of how public-private partnerships can promote more efficient land use around transit.”

Transit-oriented development: helping people move

While we aren’t developers, TriMet works with the public, private and community partners to facilitate new developments through our Transit-Oriented Development Program. These projects maximize density using TriMet properties that are no longer needed or by coordinating with third-party properties located near transit. Not only does transit-oriented development facilitate density, increase the supply of affordable housing and help realize new projects that benefit the community, they also increase access to transit.

In recent months, our Transit-Oriented Development program has taken steps to realize future projects that will sustain regional growth and invigorate communities. Earlier this summer, TriMet signed a letter of intent with Multnomah County for the partial sale of Gresham City Hall Park & Ride for the development of a new regional flagship library.

TriMet also recently received a $315,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration to conduct studies around potential development opportunities at two Park & Rides: E 122^nd Ave and E 181st Ave. The plans will address housing needs, economic development, transit accessibility, as well as pedestrian and bike infrastructure.

For more information about TriMet’s Transit-Oriented Development Program, visit trimet.org/tod.

The strategic alliance helps small businesses obtain or increase bonding for the performance of TriMet construction contracts over $100,000

A strategic alliance between TriMet and the Small Business Administration (SBA) is helping smaller contractors establish themselves in a competitive field. TriMet’s alliance with the SBA clears the way for small businesses to obtain or increase their bonding through surety bonds, allowing them to participate in TriMet construction contracts over $100,000.

Surety bonds are risk management tools that help small businesses win contracts. The SBA steps in to guarantee the surety bonds, effectively assuring that the work will be completed. It then passes them on to small businesses. This means more businesses like Bratton Construction, owned by Sharon Maxwell, can take advantage of opportunities. Bratton Construction is a woman-owned firm that’s been working out of Northeast Portland since 1999.

“This helps make sure there’s a continuum of work and cash flow available for smaller businesses like ours,” Maxwell said of her construction firm, which has completed more than 1,000 projects and created more than 200 local jobs since 1999. “It’s especially important for minority- and women-owned businesses and the BIPOC community. When we’re given access to capital, we throw down.”

“We are optimistic that this partnership with the SBA will help reduce bonding barriers and create more opportunities for small businesses looking to participate on our public contracts, resulting in a more diverse vendor pool,” TriMet’s Senior Contracts Equity Administrator Alfonso Romero said. “By initially having the SBA guarantee the surety bond, the objective is to enable small businesses to eventually become bondable on their own and grow their capacity.”

“We’re here to help small businesses do business with the government,” said SBA Portland District Director Martin Golden. “What makes today’s partnership important is that often public agencies such as TriMet have difficulty finding qualified small businesses to partner with. We’re excited to work with TriMet to increase the pipeline of small businesses who can take on these important infrastructure projects.”

Embracing growth

About 47% of the private sector workforce either owns or works for a small business. Providing more opportunities to that sector of the economy, particularly at a time when the labor market is tight, allows these businesses to continue thriving amid economic uncertainties.

Contracts with minority- and women-owned businesses like Bratton Construction let TriMet help lift up these firms and the people who work for them. Since 1982, TriMet has been working to break the barriers of entry for Disadvantaged Business Firms (DBE), Minority Business Enterprise and Women Business Enterprise firms to foster a more diverse workforce.  The alliance with the Small Business Administration also helps furnish TriMet with a previously untapped pipeline of qualified firms capable of taking on construction projects that will improve the transit system.

TriMet’s five-year contract with Bratton Construction will result in the firm completing bus layover repairs and upgrades, with the firm eligible for up to $1 million of work per year. First off, Bratton Construction will be working at the Gateway Transit Center to remove a bump-out curb for buses, providing better, more convenient access for riders and buses.

“This helps us to build capacity and to hire more people from the local community, provide living-wage jobs and opportunities, and bring on more executive management staffing that has the experience to manage these projects,” Maxwell said.

Partnering to spread opportunities

TriMet’s strategic alliance with the Small Business Administration is intended to develop and foster mutual understanding and a working relationship to strengthen and expand small business development in the Portland metro area. Generally, in order to be eligible for the surety bond guarantee program, a business must:

• Be a small business according to SBA’s size standards

• Have a small contract or can show your small business is bidding on a contract (up to $6.5 million for non-federal contracts and up to 10 million for federal contracts)

• Be able to meet the surety’s credit, capacity and character requirements

For more information about working with TriMet, go to trimet.org/procurement/sba-bonding. And to learn more about the SBA surety bond program here: sba.gov/osg.

Working with our community

TriMet’s DBE program is a nationally recognized model for improving diversity in transportation contracting. As we believe the businesses and people building our transit system should reflect the diversity of our region, our DBE program supports businesses owned by women and people of color. Through the programs DBEs have opportunities to serve as lead contractors and subcontractors on capital transit projects, especially those that receive federal funding. Learn more about our program at trimet.org/dbe.