Seniors, people with disabilities in south Gresham begin using on-demand transit to connect with neighborhood destinations and TriMet fixed-route services

What if riding public transit was as easy as using ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft?

Enter TriMet NEXT: an on-demand transit service to help seniors and people with disabilities make connections with their community. TriMet is launching a public pilot of the new service in the South Gresham and Powell Valley neighborhoods of Gresham.

TriMet NEXT is micro transit. It is great for quick trips to destinations within our pilot project service area. It can also be used to connect with our fixed-route services at transit centers and hubs, providing access to an additional 79 bus lines, five MAX lines and WES commuter rail, for travel across our 533-square-mile service area.

“TriMet NEXT is about convenience, connectivity and independence,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “It’s also about freedom — the freedom to connect with your community on your schedule, with a trusted transportation provider that’s known for safe, affordable transit service!”

Your NEXT ride is right around the corner!

With TriMet NEXT, there is no heading to a stop to wait for the bus. The bus comes to you!

All you need to get started is the free TriMet NEXT app! Download it in the Apple App or Google Play stores. Plug in your starting location and destination, and we’ll send our next available vehicle to you.

We’ll also let you know when the bus will arrive — typically within 30 minutes! TriMet NEXT is available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It provides service seven days a week, including on holidays.

No app? No problem. With TriMet NEXT, you can also reserve trips online at trimet.org/next or by calling 503-962-5959.

“I applaud TriMet’s courage for looking at ways that we can solve challenges folks face in our communities,” said Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall. “There’s something called the last mile, and it’s often a challenge for people, connecting that last mile of transportation with our homes and business, and this is a solution that helps in that access.”

Just as easy to use and much more affordable

While there are many similarities between TriMet NEXT and popular ride-hailing apps, there are some beneficial differences as well:

• Cost: The fare for TriMet NEXT is the same as our fixed-route services. You will never be charged more than $2.80 to ride 2½ hours with Adult fare and $1.40 for Honored Citizen fare, which is available to adults over 65 and those with disabilities who have signed up for the reduced fare. There is no surge pricing with TriMet. TriMet NEXT fare transfers seamlessly to our fixed-route network.
• Savings: Like our fixed-route buses and trains, TriMet NEXT uses Hop Fastpass®. Hop is an electronic fare system that makes it easy to pay fare with a physical Hop card, virtual Hop card or a contactless debit or credit card. It also helps you save money, ensuring you never pay more than you should to ride.   
• Peace of mind: When you ride with TriMet NEXT, you know your driver is always going to be a professional transit operator who has undergone a background check. Rides take place on smaller, accessible paratransit buses that have space for up to six people and multiple mobility devices. TriMet NEXT operators will help riders secure mobility devices on board, if requested.

Pilot expands after early success with LIFT

We first rolled out TriMet NEXT in April to our LIFT paratransit riders, who have access to a larger service area. In the first month, they gave the service a 100% satisfaction rating. Then in mid-May, we opened the service in south Gresham, to riders who are 65 and older or have a disability and are not currently registered for LIFT.

TriMet has two bus lines that serve south Gresham neighborhoods on weekdays, with buses running during the busiest service hours of the morning and afternoon. TriMet NEXT helps bridge the gaps, greatly expanding opportunities to access transit throughout the day, on weekends and holidays!

TriMet NEXT makes same-day transit service available to some of our most vulnerable riders, for the first time. Whereas LIFT paratransit trips must be booked at least a day in advance, TriMet NEXT provides the freedom to get around the community on your schedule. With TriMet NEXT, running around town is not only safe and affordable; it is more convenient than ever.

“This is the end of my dream. We have same-day service now.” said TriMet Committee on Accessible Transportation (CAT) Chair, Jan Campbell. “And it’s not just that the service is accessible, it’s also equitable.”

Share your feedback and help us improve!

TriMet is always looking for ways to better serve our riders, and we want to hear about your experience with TriMet NEXT. You can leave comments in the app, or contact the TriMet Customer Service team at 503-238-7433 (RIDE) or trimet.org/hello.

We will be making adjustments to improve service throughout the pilot project based on public feedback. If the program’s success continues as we expect, we will be looking for additional areas to roll out TriMet NEXT.

Adopted fiscal year 2026 budget reduces operating deficit by $24.2 million for year ahead, with more action needed to avoid fiscal cliff in 2031

TriMet’s Board of Directors has adopted a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that supports the bus, MAX light rail, WES commuter rail and LIFT paratransit services that people across the tri-county metro area rely on. The Board adopted a $1.96 billion overall budget for fiscal year 2026, to continue TriMet’s mission of providing public transit service that connects people to opportunities while providing a safe, reliable transportation service that eases traffic congestion and reduces air pollution. The budget also takes steps to address a $50.2 million deficit projected for next fiscal year and tightens spending ahead of a fiscal cliff projected in 2031.

The FY2026 budget includes $789.1 million in total divisional operating costs and $165.3 million for capital projects to address maintenance of an aging transit system and increase reliability for our riders. The budget also includes a fund balance of $771 million, which is unappropriated and not available for spending. 

Spending cuts reduce projected operating budget deficit

The FY2026 budget includes cuts to discretionary spending, with most of our divisions reducing spending by 2-3%. That resulted in $7.1 million in savings. Further changes to both resources and requirements resulted in an additional $17.1 million reduction. This reduced our projected operating budget deficit for the year from $74.4 million to $50.2 million, which better positions our agency for the future. We’ll continue to identify areas for efficiencies and cost reductions, to help avoid an unmanageable deficit ahead of the fiscal shortfall.

Balancing costs of inflation, contractual obligations, state of good repair

While TriMet has worked to increase efficiencies and trim spending, the budget for FY2026 increased from year to year. The increase is largely due to inflation, rising costs associated with contractual requirements and state of good repair needs. Expenditures, including contracted security personnel, our Accessible Transportation Program, building leases and software license fees, are growing at a staggering rate when compared to previous years.

Operating costs per vehicle have increased 53% from 2019 to 2024. Fuel and tires are up nearly 35% for our bus service, while facilities maintenance costs are up 71%. Our LIFT paratransit service relies on contractors. The cost for those personnel has increased from 47% to 85%, depending on the role. 

In addition, TriMet is experiencing higher costs to address the challenges of an aging system. We’ve been running buses in the metro Portland, Ore. region for more than 55 years, and MAX – one of the oldest modern light rail systems in the U.S. – has been in service since 1986. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requires TriMet to meet “state of good repair” benchmarks, to keep the entire system — including our facilities and aging infrastructure — maintained and operating reliably. 

Continuing valued safety and security efforts

TriMet’s work to expand safety and security benefits riders and employees and is contributing to an improved public perception of our transit service. Our Safety and Security team – now totals nearly 500 TriMet and contract personnel. They assist riders while providing a presence and helping deter unwanted behavior on and around the transit system.  Our FY2026 budget adds more blue-light security phones at MAX platforms that connect riders to our Security Operations Center. Trained security dispatchers have access to live feeds from more than 3,000 security cameras across TriMet’s system and coordinate responses to riders’ reports to our 24-hour security hotline. 

Growing resources for the future

TriMet is focused on growing operating resources in the years ahead. Among those efforts, we will continue to improve the rider experience and steward capital investments to increase ridership and, in turn, fare revenue. Addressing our goals to provide transit service that is fast, frequent and reliable, the FY2026 budget provides a roadmap for major capital investments including the 82nd Avenue Transit Project – TriMet’s next FX (Frequent Express) line  – and the development of the TV Highway Transit and Safety Project. 

As we work to improve our service and the experience on board, we also look to secure long-term sources of stable financial support. TriMet has also joined the Oregon Transit Association (OTA) in appealing to Oregon legislators to increase funding for public transit in the 2025 transportation package. The phased increase of 0.4% in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) employee payroll tax over eight years sought by the OTA  is necessary to avoid cuts to the transit service that is essential for TriMet riders.

Adopted FY2026 Budget – At a Glance

TriMet’s adopted budget for the coming fiscal year that runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, includes:

• $552.5 million for operations
• $236.6 million for general and administrative costs,
• $165.3 million for capital and operating projects
• $1.002 billion for contingency, debt service, fund balance, other non-operating requirements and other post-employment benefits

Oregon Local Budget Law (ORS 294.305 to 294.565) requires the Board to adopt a balanced budget before the start of TriMet’s new fiscal year on July 1, 2025.

TriMet welcomes feedback on the plans at an in-person open house and online, starting Jan. 22

TriMet will share plans this month for faster, higher-capacity bus service on 82nd Avenue. We’re holding an open house, and people will have opportunities to provide feedback both in-person and online. On Wednesday, Jan. 22, we’re hosting an in-person open house on the 82nd Avenue Transit Project, our next TriMet FX® — Frequent Express – bus line. The event will be held at PCC Southeast. TriMet staff will be on hand to answer questions and share fact sheets and maps of the proposed route and station locations. We’ll also post the information at trimet.org/82nd, where you can leave feedback about the plan starting Jan. 22. If the project continues to move forward as planned, tens of thousands of riders along 82nd Avenue will be using the new and improved bus service in 2029.

82nd Avenue Transit Project Open House
Wednesday, Jan. 22, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
PCC Southeast – Community Hall Annex
2305 SE 82nd Ave.

What is the 82nd Avenue Transit Project?

TriMet’s 82nd Avenue Transit Project will bring high-capacity bus service to 10 miles of 82nd Avenue, between Clackamas Town Center and Northeast Portland’s Cully Neighborhood. Like our first Frequent Express bus line, FX2-Division, the future FX line along 82nd Avenue will use 60-foot articulated buses with three doors for faster boarding, bike storage on board and more room for riders to relax. Buses will arrive every 12 minutes or better and help riders reach their destinations faster, with next-generation transit-signal priority improvements that keep buses moving past traffic congestion. Riders will also have access to new bus stations with weather protections, lighting and real-time arrival information.

The 82nd Avenue corridor is currently served by Line 72-Killingsworth/82nd. It is the busiest of TriMet’s 78 bus lines, with more than 65,000 weekly rides. Line 72 is also among the most delayed in TriMet’s system, due to increasing congestion along 82nd Avenue. The busy thoroughfare was a state highway until 2022 when the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) transferred ownership to the City of Portland. The transfer came with a commitment of $185 million for critical, safety improvements along 82nd that lay the groundwork for TriMet’s next FX – Frequent Express – bus line.

Timeline and next steps

What’s next? TriMet will collect and review comments and take all of the feedback into consideration as plans move forward. We aim to reach 30% design of the project by mid-year. Construction is set to begin in 2027, with service opening to the public in the summer of 2029.

Join the 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee

TriMet’s recruitment for our 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee (CAC), a group that will play an important role in shaping the 82nd Avenue Transit Project, is ongoing. Members of the CAC will represent community interests and provide feedback to project decision-makers. Apply today through Monday, Jan. 27, at trimet.org/82nd.

Project funding and additional support

The total cost of the 82nd Avenue Transit Project is estimated at $320 million. TriMet expects up to $150 million to come from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Small Starts Program.

Last month, Portland’s Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) awarded TriMet $55.5 million for the 82nd Avenue Transit Project – the largest local funding allocation to date. 

The project gained momentum last summer after U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg toured the corridor and saw firsthand, the safety and congestion challenges people who live and work along 82nd experience daily. Within weeks of the visit, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded TriMet a $630,000 Areas of Persistent Poverty Grant, toward the project’s design.

Also last summer, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded TriMet $39 million to purchase up to 14 zero-emissions hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses and related infrastructure for the project. TriMet received an additional $25 million USDOT grant to develop our Columbia Operations Facility, where the fuel-cell electric buses will be based, and to support our goal of a 100% zero-emissions bus fleet.

Special thanks to our partners

Thanks to the continued support of project partners who coordinated planning efforts and funding opportunities, including Metro, the City of Portland, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), Multnomah County, Clackamas County and Port of Portland. 

TriMet FX®–Frequent Express bus service will reduce traffic congestion, lower greenhouse gas emissions and provide better access to jobs along 82nd Avenue, home to TriMet’s busiest bus line

TriMet is celebrating a $55.5 million grant awarded by the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) for the 82nd Avenue Transit Project. The Portland City Council’s approval of the funding this week formalizes the partnership between TriMet and PCEF, and it authorizes an investment that helps set the transit improvement project in motion, with a strong foundation in a collaborative planning process led by Metro. With continued support from local and federal partners, our next Frequent Express bus line will be serving riders throughout the 82nd Avenue corridor within five years. 

Currently, TriMet’s Line 72-Killingsworth/82nd serves 82nd Avenue, a corridor with the unique distinction of being one of the state’s most culturally diverse and historically disenfranchised areas. A lot of people who live and work along 82nd use Line 72. It is by far the busiest of our 78 bus lines, with more than 65,000 trips taken each week. Unfortunately, due to 82nd Avenue’s former development as a state highway, combined with increasing traffic congestion, Line 72 is also the most delayed.

The 82nd Avenue Transit Project will complement the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) Building a Better 82nd Project, which brings a number of safety improvements to the corridor. Once completed by the summer of 2029, the transit project will improve the ride for thousands of people who rely on TriMett to connect to opportunities throughout the region, with safe, fast and more reliable bus service that benefits the community and the environment.

“When our buses are stuck in traffic, people can’t get to work, school or appointments on time, and that’s an equity issue,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “This generous grant from the PCEF begins to break down the barriers that exist along 82nd Avenue. The 82nd Avenue Transit Project is a gateway to opportunity, and this grant unlocks its potential.”

With the support of our partners at PCEF, the project will also help develop and train the local workforce and invest in strategies to lower greenhouse emissions and cool the climate locally, such as planting trees along 82nd Avenue. These elements reflect priorities from a community-driven process aimed at equitable development. 

“We hear time and again from people along the corridor: They no longer want a high-speed, loud and dangerous highway to cut through their neighborhood,” said 82nd Ave Coalition and Project Manager and Executive Director of Oregon Walks, Zachary Lauritzen. “The 82nd Avenue Transit Project is the opportunity to transition that highway into a multimodal street that prioritizes the bus riders who make Line 72 the highest ridership bus line in Oregon. By giving this line the space and priority it deserves, this project has the potential to make 82nd safer and cleaner, with the fastest, most reliable bus service in the state!”

82nd Avenue Transit Project: the next FX bus line

TriMet’s 82nd Avenue Transit Project will bring high-capacity bus service to 10 miles of 82nd Avenue between Clackamas Town Center and Northeast Portland. Like our first Frequent Express bus line, FX2-Division, the future FX line along 82nd Avenue will use 60-foot articulated buses, with more room on board for riders. Buses will arrive more often and help riders reach their destinations faster, with transit-signal priority improvements that keep buses moving past traffic congestion.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded TriMet $39 million to advance the 82nd Avenue Transit Project. The grant will help TriMet purchase up to 14 zero-emissions hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses for the project, as well as the supporting infrastructure and workforce development. TriMet received an additional $25 million USDOT grant to develop our Columbia Operations Facility, which will one day house a fleet of fuel-cell electric buses as part of our transition to a 100% zero-emissions bus fleet.

“PCEF’s support of the 82nd Avenue Transit Project is a major investment in creating a more sustainable, accessible and economically prosperous corridor,” said Duncan Hwang, a Metro councilor and Community Development Director at APANO. “Investing in this important project helps ensure that people and businesses along SE 82nd Avenue continue to have opportunities to thrive, grow and stay in the community.” 

Join the Community Advisory Committee

TriMet is putting together a Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which will play an important role in shaping the 82nd Avenue Transit Project. Members of the CAC will represent community interests and provide feedback to project decision-makers. Learn more and apply at trimet.org/82nd. Applications will be accepted through Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.

Timeline and next steps

TriMet will host an open house in late January, to share information about the 82nd Avenue Transit Project with the community. We expect to select a contractor for the project by mid-year. The project’s Steering Committee, which includes representatives from community-based organizations including Oregon Walks, Clackamas Resource Center, Unite Oregon and the 82nd Avenue Business Alliance, will vote on a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) in early 2025. The LPA will include the final routing and general station locations. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with service opening to the public in the summer of 2029.

Project costs are estimated at $320 million, with up to $150 million projected from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Small Starts Program.

Thanks to the continued support of project partners who coordinated planning efforts and funding opportunities, including Metro, the City of Portland, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), Multnomah County, Clackamas County and Port of Portland. 

Named for TriMet Committee on Accessibility Transportation (CAT) Chair Jan Campbell, the new space will serve as an accessibility hub for riders unable to use TriMet buses and trains due to disability or a disabling health condition

TriMet is opening a new transit mobility facility, with a new location and a new name. Located in the heart of Portland’s Lloyd neighborhood, the Jan Campbell Transit Mobility Center will provide a centralized location for people to interview and confirm eligibility for TriMet LIFT Paratransit Service. It will open for service on Monday, Nov. 25.

On Tuesday, Nov. 19, TriMet dedicated the new facility in Campbell’s honor, acknowledging her pioneering advocacy for greater public transit accessibility. A native Portlander and lifelong public transit user with paraplegia, Campbell helped create TriMet’s Committee on Accessible Transportation (CAT) in 1985 and has served as its chair ever since.

“This facility is a testament to the power of advocacy, resilience, and the unwavering dedication of one remarkable person, Jan Campbell,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “Her leadership has set a high standard for accessibility and inclusion at TriMet, shaping our services to reflect values that matter—equity, dignity, inclusion and opportunity for all.”

Campbell has been instrumental in creating change that promotes independence, empowerment, and well-being.

“I feel so honored and wish I could mention each one of you individually,” she said to the crowd gathered at the mobility center Tuesday afternoon.

“You are the wind beneath wings, meaning that you have given me strength and support so that I can fulfill my vision, along with others, in breaking down environmental and attitudinal barriers so our world is welcoming to everyone.”

TriMet LIFT is a shared-ride transportation service for people who are unable to use our fixed-route buses and trains due to disability or disabling health conditions. It provides vital transportation to our riders who are most vulnerable, many of whom rely on transit to connect with vital health services, including chemotherapy and dialysis.

Relocated from Portland’s Old Town neighborhood, the new mobility center at Northeast 7th Avenue and Holladay Street provides an easier-to-access location for in-person interviews and eligibility certification required to utilize the service. It is well served by transit, with MAX trains and Portland Streetcar rolling by every few minutes and buses coming and going from stops nearby, for most of the day.

The facility is equipped with new technology and features, including a specialized transit mobility course that simulates some of the challenges people with disabilities they may face when they ride our fixed-route transit service. The course also supports travel training for riders of those buses and trains.

“We just want to make the system safe, welcoming and totally accessible,” said Campbell. “When we achieve that, we will have the best [transit] system in the country.”

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, LIFT service covers all locations that are within the TriMet service area, including portions of Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. Last year, LIFT provided 50,000 of its 700,000 trips to vital medical appointments. The service scored a 98% approval rating in our latest Customer Satisfaction survey.

Since 2023, more than 7,200 people accessed the transit mobility center to conduct LIFT eligibility activities. Today, more than 21,500 people in the tri-county area have qualified to receive LIFT services. Learn more about TriMet’s accessibility at trimet.org/access.

About Jan Campbell

Campbell has used a mobility device since she was two years old, when a virus attacked her spine. She vividly remembers what the world was like before the Americans with Disabilities Act passed and how it influenced her education, employment opportunities, housing, and most of all, her independence. 

Campbell has been instrumental in creating change that promotes the independence, empowerment, and well-being of people with disabilities. In addition to the CAT, she served as the Disability Project Coordinator for the City of Portland and Multnomah County for 23 years. She has served on the Board of Directors for Disability Rights Oregon and is a member of the Northwest ADA Center’s Regional Advisory Committee.

The Daily Journal of Commerce recently recognized her as one of its 2024 Women of Vision. She holds a lifetime achievement award from the Oregon Disabilities Commission, and she received the 2015 Women of Achievement Award from the Oregon Commission for Women. 

Campbell is also the recipient of a 2024 honorary membership into the American Society of Landscape Architects, an honor reserved for eight individuals annually with achievements of national or international significance to the profession of landscape architecture, joining the ranks of President Jimmy Carter, Vice President Al Gore, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Secretary of State Colin Powell and other dignitaries.