With questions about transit use, language and communication preferences, the survey will help TriMet understand how to best support our community’s language needs
At TriMet, we are always working to make our transit service better and more welcoming for all. To help us best support and communicate with riders who speak languages other than English, we want your feedback through a new survey.
This survey will help us continue to give a voice to everyone in our community. The survey is available in 14 languages to help us reach more people than ever before.
Completing the survey could take up to 10 minutes. At the end of the survey, you can enter to win a $100 gift card or a $50 Hop card.
The survey will be open through Dec. 31, 2024. We welcome community members of all languages to participate.
Why this feedback is important
Data from TriMet and the 2020 U.S. Census shows that nearly 119,000 people or roughly 8% of residents over the age of five in our tri-county service area have limited ability to read, write and speak English. TriMet and our community partners connect with people in multiple languages about how to use our transit service through our outreach and at local events.
This survey will build on that. We will use what we learn to improve access to TriMet services and make it easier to ride for people who may have difficulty understanding English.
Our goal is to inform, motivate and empower everyone in our community to use public transit. Just like learning the alphabet is the gateway to language, understanding and using our region’s public transit system can be a building block to a better future.
Available in 14 languages
In addition to language, the survey asks questions about transit use, household and preferred methods of receiving information. It is available in English and 13 safe harbor languages. Safe harbor languages are non-English languages spoken by at least 5% of the local population or at least 1,000 individuals:
We are always looking to connect with local community-based organizations, schools, and other groups serving our diverse communities to help share the survey. If you know of an individual or group that should be involved, direct them to one of the links above or trimet.org/survey. Thank you for helping us make transit better!
Con preguntas sobre el uso del transporte público y las preferencias de idiomas y comunicación, la encuesta ayudará a TriMet a comprender cómo podemos atender mejor las necesidades de nuestra comunidad en cuanto a idiomas.
En TriMet, siempre estamos trabajando para mejorar y hacer que el servicio de transporte sea más accesible para todos. Para ayudarnos a apoyar y comunicarnos mejor con los usuarios que hablan idiomas distintos del inglés, queremos conocer su opinión a través de una nueva encuesta.
Esta encuesta nos ayudará a seguir dándole voz a todos los miembros de nuestra comunidad. La encuesta está disponible en 14 idiomas para ayudarnos a alcanzar a más gente que nunca.
La encuesta se completa en 10-15 minutos. Quienes participen podrán participar en una rifa para una tarjeta regalo de $100 o una tarjeta Hop cargada con $50 en pasaje.
La encuesta estará activa hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2024. Invitamos a participar a miembros de la comunidad de todos los idiomas.
La importancia de esta información
Los datos de TriMet y el Censo de EE.UU. de 2020 muestran que casi 119,000 personas, o alrededor del 8% de los habitantes mayores de cinco años en nuestra área de tres condados, tienen dificultades para leer, escribir y hablar inglés. TriMet y las organizaciones comunitarias que colaboran con nosotros informan a las personas en varios idiomas sobre cómo utilizar nuestro servicio de transporte público a través de enlace comunitario y en eventos locales.
Esta encuesta se basará en ello. Utilizaremos lo que aprendamos para mejorar el acceso a los servicios de TriMet y facilitar el uso del transporte a las personas que puedan tener dificultades para entender el inglés.
Nuestro objetivo es informar, motivar y animar a todos los miembros de nuestra comunidad a utilizar el transporte público. Del mismo modo que aprender el abecedario es la entrada al lenguaje, comprender y utilizar el sistema de transporte público de nuestra región puede ser la herramienta para construir un futuro mejor.
Disponible en 14 idiomas
Además del idioma, la encuesta pregunta sobre el uso del transporte público, el hogar y los métodos preferidos para recibir información. Está disponible en inglés y en 13 idiomas de refugio. Los idiomas de refugio son idiomas, distintos del inglés, hablados por al menos el 5% de la población local o al menos 1.000 personas:
Siempre estamos buscando organizaciones locales, escuelas y otros grupos que ayuden a nuestras diversas comunidades a compartir la encuesta. Si conoce a alguna persona o grupo que debería participar, diríjalos a uno de los enlaces anteriores o a trimet.org/survey. Gracias por ayudarnos a mejorar el transporte público.
Annual survey found improved opinions of TriMet service and safety among both riders and non-riders but large gap remains between those who use the system and those who do not
At TriMet, we’re making transit better, with service that comes more often and helps you reach your destinations faster. We’re adding safety and security personnel and expanding our Clean Team for a better experience when riding. We’re connecting more people to opportunities throughout our region, and riders are noticing that it’s getting better on board. That’s according to the results of our 2024 Attitude & Awareness Survey that show overall approval of the job TriMet increased five percentage points over last year, with approval of bus service, improved by the rollout of the Forward Together Service Concept, up by seven percentage points.
Measuring community sentiment
The purpose of TriMet’s annual Attitude & Awareness Survey is to help measure community perceptions among both those who ride and those who do not and gain insight into the opinions of our agency and the area we serve. More than 4,000 people participated in this year’s survey, which was done online and via phone from April 27 to May 31, 2024. Some 68% of those surveyed said transit is one of the primary ways they get around.
The 2024 report found opinions around TriMet service, safety and reliability holding steady or improving in most categories and perceptions of how things are going in the Portland metro area improving as well. Yet half of those surveyed said Portland is still on the wrong track.
Approval higher among those who use TriMet’s service
The 2024 Attitude & Awareness Survey showed TriMet’s ongoing focus on safety, security and cleanliness is making a difference. The survey found that 73%, or nearly three out of four people, either strongly or somewhat approve of the job that TriMet is doing. That’s five percentage points higher than in 2023.
TriMet’s surveys consistently show that our riders’ perception of our transit system is much higher than those whose opinions are based on what they have heard about it, and that was again reflected in the 2024 survey. Nearly eight out of 10 riders (77%) approved of the job that TriMet is doing; only 44% of non-riders shared that positive view. While the gap between the sentiment of those who use our transit service versus the opinions of what people have heard about it remains large, the approval of non-riders increased by 6% over last year.
Is Portland on the right track?
In general, the 2024 survey found consensus around the idea that things are getting better – not only on TriMet but also in the City of Portland. For the first time in more than a decade, perceptions around Portland’s direction showed a positive trend. For 2024, about half of all respondents said the Portland area was on the wrong track, but that’s a marked drop from 64% just one year ago. Similarly, about a quarter of all respondents said the Portland area is headed in the right direction, an increase from 18%, in 2023.
The survey also provided a look at how and where people throughout the region are working. About 40% of people who responded have no option to work from home; they must report to a work site. Of those who said they could work from home, about 70% had a hybrid work schedule that allowed them to work from home at least several times per week.
Forward Together helps drive bus system approval
TriMet’s bus service improvements coming out of our Forward Together Service Concept seem to be fueling optimism, especially among riders.
Created with the community to address travel changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Forward Together has two primary goals: increasing ridership and improving connections for people with low and limited incomes. From expanding the number of lines that have buses arriving every 15 minutes for most of the day, every day, to adding midday and weekend service, and adjusting routes so they’re faster and more direct, Forward Together has been a game changer for bus service in recent years.
Approval of the bus system increased by seven percentage points between 2023 and 2024, to 77%. Among riders only, the approval reached 81%, up from 74% last year.
Opinions of the MAX system in 2024 remained unchanged but mostly positive at 76%. This comes amid the three-year-long A Better Red project. TriMet’s biggest light rail project in nearly a decade, it required sections of the MAX Blue, Green and Red lines to be disrupted for weeks at a time. The project was completed in late August 2024, with the opening of the 10-station extension of the Red Line into Hillsboro. This gives more people a one-seat ride to and from Portland International Airport and reduces wait times for trains to just 7-8 minutes during most of the day in a growing section of Washington County. The project also made track improvements between PDX and Gateway Transit Center that are keeping trains moving MAX systemwide.
More than 2 out of 3 riders express satisfaction
The 2024 Attitude & Awareness Survey found that most people who ride TriMet buses and trains – about 68% – are satisfied with their overall experience, with about 23% saying they are “very satisfied.” Overall rider satisfaction increased slightly from 2023. Regular and frequent riders appear to have the most favorable opinions, with nearly 40% saying they would “enthusiastically recommend” TriMet to friends and family.
Focus continues on safety and security investments, perceptions
TriMet continues to focus on safety and security investments and the perception of safety on our transit system improved slightly in 2024, to 68% from 67% the previous year. Serious incidents are rare on our transit system, which provides more than 1.3 million rides per week—resulting in one call to police for every 13,580 trips taken on TriMet in 2023.
One of the starkest contrasts of the 2024 survey was around opinions of safety and security. The survey asked, “From what you know or may have heard, how safe would you feel riding TriMet buses or MAX trains?” While nearly 60% of bus riders said they would feel safe riding, only 20%, or one in five, non-riders perceived they would be safe. For MAX, 45% of riders said they would feel safe, with only 19% of non-riders feeling the same way, based on what they’ve heard.
About 46% of those surveyed said personal safety concerns have kept them from riding MAX at times, with about 37% saying they had opted out of a bus trip due to concerns.
The primary reason people felt unsafe while riding was “other riders’ behavior.” The second reason was “lack of Transit Police” and the third was “time of day.”
While riders are seeing and experiencing what non-riders are not, TriMet will continue adding personnel and efforts to advance safety on our system. We currently have more personnel dedicated to safety and security than ever before, with more than 460 field staff and contractors discouraging unwanted behavior, responding to incidents and educating people about our rules for riding.
Riders also have a valuable resource that we’ve added in the past year: TriMet’s 24-hour security hotline: 503-238-7433 (RIDE). We strongly encourage riders to text or call the number to report non-urgent concerns. Dispatchers in our Security Operations Center then alert TriMet safety or security team members who are nearby to the issue. Emergencies will always be handled by the police, so for urgent matters, we urge riders to contact 911 and alert the operator.
Cleanliness is another area of emphasis. The latest survey results come on the heels of the introduction of TriMet’s enhanced cleaning efforts, spearheaded in late 2023, with a focus on sprucing up and deep cleaning MAX stations, transit centers and park and rides, along with more cleaning of our buses and trains.
About the survey
Communications, marketing and research firm, PRR, conducted TriMet’s 2024 Attitude & Awareness Survey between April 27 and May 31, 2024. They received more than 4,200 valid responses – our highest-ever level of participation. The survey was offered in six languages; however, the vast majority of responses – more than 98% – were in English. Participation was incentivized with an entry into a drawing for a $100 gift card. All three Portland metro counties were represented in the responses, with 63% coming from Multnomah County. The survey had a margin of error of +/- 1.27%. PRR is a certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Woman-owned Business Enterprise (WBE), based out of Seattle.
Erin Graham and JT Flowers join the Board and begin serving in new roles on Oct. 1
With confirmation by the Oregon Senate, TriMet’s Board of Directors welcomes two new members: Erin Graham and JT Flowers. Selected by Gov. Tina Kotek, the new members will fill seats vacated by former Board President and District 2 Director Ozzie Gonzalez and retiring District 5 Director Keith Edwards. In their current professional roles, Graham and Flowers hold high-level positions with local nonprofit organizations that have missions focused on engaging, educating and empowering the community. The new TriMet Board members are passionate about improving outcomes for youth and people who have been historically marginalized. Now, their volunteer roles with TriMet, which begin Oct. 1, 2024, will bring them together with the full seven-member TriMet Board, to carry out the important work that keeps our region moving.
Erin Graham, representing TriMet District 2
Erin Graham joins the TriMet Board of Directors as the representative of District 2, which covers a large swath of Portland, including neighborhoods in Northwest, South, Southwest and Downtown. Graham currently serves as President and CEO of OMSI. She has worked with the nonprofit in various roles, including COO, for more than a decade. She sees her role on the TriMet Board as a relationship-builder, engaging with and stewarding diverse partners and community relationships. Her vision for transit includes shared economic prosperity and environmental stewardship, driven by innovation.
“Investing in upgrading and electrifying public transportation and increasing ridership are critical to reaching our climate goals and reducing impacts on human health,” Graham said.
Before OMSI, Graham worked in nonprofit fundraising, operations and as in-house counsel for arts and technology industries. She holds a JD/MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon. Graham is a member of the American Leadership Forum of Oregon as well as the International Women’s Forum.
JT Flowers, representing TriMet District 5
JT Flowers will represent District 5 on the TriMet Board of Directors, which covers large portions of North and Northeast Portland. An inner Northeast Portland native, Flowers currently serves as the Director of Government Affairs and Communications at Albina Vision Trust. His work centers around placemaking, economic development and generational wealth-building for Black and historically displaced Portlanders.
“Transit is inherently a question of equity,” Flowers said in his application to serve on the Board.
As someone who spent his childhood riding TriMet bus lines 6 and 72 and the MAX, Flowers vowed to center his decisions on the region’s “most marginalized communities.” He believes transit creates opportunities, not only through connectivity but also with technology and innovation.
“I’m extremely interested in working creatively to leverage expansion and fleet electrification as a generational workforce development opportunity for working-class and under-represented Oregonians,” he said.
Flowers also serves on the board of Williams & Russell CDC. He previously worked in the office of Rep. Earl Blumenauer as a field representative, consultant for the nonprofit Campaign Zero and as a public lands coordinator for a nature conservation nonprofit.
At 30 years of age, Flowers will be the youngest member of the TriMet Board. He is a first-generation graduate of Yale University, the first Black Rhodes Scholar in Oregon’s history, a Truman Scholar and holds master’s degrees in U.S. History and Music Performance from the University of Oxford.
Graham and Flowers are fulfilling partial terms that run through May 31, 2026 and May 24, 2026 respectively. Board members serve at the pleasure of the governor and can be appointed for up to two, four-year terms.
About the Board of Directors
With Graham and Flowers’ appointments confirmed, all seven directors on TriMet’s Board have been seated:
Thomas Kim, Vice President and District 1
Erin Graham, District 2
Robert Kellogg, District 3
Tyler Frisbee, District 4
JT Flowers, District 5
Dr. LaVerne Lewis, President and District 6
Kathy Wai, Secretary/Treasurer and District 7
TriMet’s Board of Directors provides financial stewardship of the agency’s annual budget, which totaled $1.9 billion for the 2025 Fiscal Year that began on July 1, 2024. In addition to fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities, Board members appoint the general manager, help set high-level agency policy, and implement legislation on transit operations. They also serve in liaison roles on special advisory groups and committees. For more information about the TriMet Board, visit trimet.org/board.
TriMet Board business meetings are typically held once per month. The next meeting – the first for the two new Board members in their official capacity – is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 23.
TriMet’s security improvements, combined with new law making possession of illicit drugs a misdemeanor, continue to make riding safer
As TriMet continues our efforts to provide safe, welcoming and reliable transit service, we look forward to the Sept. 1 revision to Oregon law making possession of small amounts of illicit drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine a crime again. This change will make possession of hard drugs in public—including on TriMet buses and trains, as well as at our stops, stations and transit centers—a misdemeanor offense.
Despite our continued focus on safety and security efforts, rampant open drug use in the communities TriMet serves extends onto our transit system at times. That creates an unpredictable and potentially dangerous situation for TriMet riders and employees. We believe public spaces and public services should feel safe and comfortable for everyone to use, without worry of being exposed to illegal drug use. TriMet is a lifeline for many who rely on transit to get work, school and other opportunities due to age, disability or income. They deserve to ride with dignity.
While TriMet’s Code of Conduct already prohibits drug use, starting in September, law enforcement, including officers assigned to TriMet’s Transit Police Division, can cite individuals for drug possession, punishable by up to 180 days in jail. The new law also gives counties the ability to offer deflection programs that mandate engagement with addiction services as an alternative to jail time.
It’s the first of two new drug laws. The second—taking effect Jan. 1, 2025—explicitly focuses on public transportation. It will classify the use of drugs on public transit buses and trains in Oregon as a Class A misdemeanor, the most serious of misdemeanors, punishable by up to 364 days in jail.
At a Glance:
Revisions to Oregon drug law
HB 4002 – effective Sept. 1, 2024 What it does: House Bill 4002 recriminalizes the possession of small amounts of hard drugs, giving law enforcement the authority to cite and arrest people for the misdemeanor of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, punishable by up to 180 days in jail. The law also gives counties the ability to offer deflection programs that mandate engagement with addiction services as an alternative to jail time. Change and impact to TriMet: While drug use already violates TriMet’s rules for riding, the change in law gives police, prosecutors and treatment centers new tools to address this public health and safety issue.
SB 1553 – effective Jan. 1, 2025 What it does: Senate Bill 1553 heightens criminal charges for the use of illicit drugs on public transportation, making it the most serious of misdemeanors, punishable by up to 364 days in jail, a $6,250 fine or both. It also classifies drug use on transit as a drug-designated misdemeanor, allowing those convicted access to state-funded treatment in many instances. Change and impact to TriMet: This helps ensure that TriMet and all public transit agencies statewide can effectively work to make their systems drug-free zones. It gives law enforcement more tools and better direction on how to handle incidents involving drugs.
Public drug use has increased significantly in Oregon since 2020, with deadly results. In 2021, overdose deaths increased by 43% statewide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and they’ve kept rising in the following years. No other state saw a higher rate of overdose deaths than Oregon did in 2023. Both of the new Oregon laws will open up new avenues for those facing addiction to get help.
Making transit a drug-free zone
The new illicit drug laws will make TriMet buses and trains drug-free zones and are important steps in our ongoing work to make transit safer in the face of the societal issues challenging our region. Since the start of 2022, we have more than doubled the number of safety, security and customer service staff on our transit system and taken other steps to address TriMet code violations and inappropriate behavior on board. There are now about 500 people working to make our system cleaner, safer and more accessible.
Earlier this summer, safety and security staff began increasing enforcement of TriMet’s Code of Conduct—our rules for riding—to improve cleanliness and accessibility on board while addressing inappropriate activity. These rules focus on behavior that is prohibited on TriMet and cover everything from paying fare to not bringing items on board that leak and block aisles and prohibit smoking of any kind.
As part of this focus, riders will see Customer Safety Supervisors checking fares and, along with our Customer Safety Officers and Transit Security Officers, they’ll let riders know they need to follow the rules. Most important are those rules put in place to make sure people can move safely through our vehicles, especially those who have disabilities and older adults looking to reach priority seating areas.
More tools for rider safety
TriMet has a 24-hour Security Operations Center, where riders can report non-urgent security issues such as loud or disruptive behavior, vandalism and litter, among other concerns. Text or call 503-238-7433 (RIDE) to connect with security staff that will determine the appropriate response. For an urgent concern, alert the operator or text or call 911.
We have taken steps to improve safety as well, with updated security cameras and lighting at many of our transit centers, rail platforms and park and rides. We’ve also improved the safety panels next to the bus operator’s seat and added safety monitors on all of our buses that show security camera views.
For more information on TriMet’s safety and security efforts, go to trimet.org/security.
Providing support, for a better experience for all
Among the growing safety and security teams you’ll see on TriMet is our Safety Response Team. The team’s presence discourages inappropriate and illegal behavior, while helping people in need on and around our transit system, conducting social service outreach and providing referrals for housing and mental health services. Safety Response Team members carry backpacks with snacks, water and other supplies including Narcan, the overdose-reversing nasal spray. Their work focuses on ensuring a positive experience for everyone who rides.
In 2023, TriMet’s Safety Response Team members connected with some 127,500 individuals, including conducting nearly 17,600 welfare checks, providing 5,876 referrals to social services and assisting 47 people showing suicidal thoughts.
Appointed to the Board in 2021, Dr. Lewis served as Vice President from 2023-2024 and becomes the agency’s first President of African American descent
Dr. LaVerne Lewis, Photo: TriMet
During its July 24 meeting, TriMet’s Board of Directors elected Dr. LaVerne Lewis as their new President. Lewis will begin her term on August 1, 2024, becoming the first person of African American descent to permanently serve in the role. Appointed to the Board by Gov. Kate Brown in 2021, Lewis represents District 6, which includes East Multnomah County and communities such as Fairview, Troutdale and Gresham.
“I am immensely grateful and proud to serve as President of the TriMet Board of Directors. It is a privilege to work alongside talented, dedicated and passionate Board members and agency staff committed to improving our public transportation system for the benefit of our communities,” said Lewis.
She replaces District 2 Director Osvaldo “Ozzie” Gonzalez, who was selected as Board President in 2023. Gonzalez announced his intent to resign from the Board in June, due to a residential move outside the boundary of the district he was appointed to represent.
Joining Lewis on the Board leadership is District 1 Director Thomas Kim, who will serve as Vice President. District 7 Director Kathy Wai remains in her role as Board Secretary/Treasurer.
A business owner with a career in law enforcement and education
Before being named TriMet Board President, Lewis fulfilled three years of service to the Board. She brings a rich personal history and diverse professional experience to the role of President, which includes extensive work in law enforcement and education. She is also a business owner.
Lewis spent nearly 18 years with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, where she retired as a Corrections Deputy and also worked as a training instructor at the Oregon Public Safety Academy’s Department of Public Safety Standards and Training for seven years.
As the owner of the small business, LaVerne Lewis LLC, Lewis shares her 40 years of experience in taxation and accountancy in personal, corporate and nonprofit services. She is a credentialed tax accountant in the State of Oregon and licensed to practice before the Internal Revenue Service as an Enrolled Agent.
Lewis previously served on the Mt. Hood Community College Board of Education and currently works as an adjunct instructor in the Business Administration Department at Portland Community College. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, a Master’s Degree in Education and Human Resource Development and a Doctor of Education degree.
She is also a global humanitarian volunteer with a passion for creating partnerships in sustainable communities. Lewis has traveled extensively and worked to create positive social justice changes that foster cross-cultural education. Locally, she founded the nonprofit Women-SEW, which fosters the development of sewing collectives for women and girls in refugee, immigrant and BIPOC communities, to develop sewing skills and pursue economic and leadership empowerment.
Lewis serves as president of the Faith Northwest United Methodist Foundation’s Board of Directors and is active in her local church.
TriMet’s Board of Directors
TriMet is governed by our Board of Directors, which is made up of seven volunteer members appointed by Oregon’s governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. Each member represents a district within TriMet’s tri-county service area.
In addition to fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities, the Board hires the General Manager, sets agency policy, reviews and approves major contracts and provides oversight of TriMet Code. Each term covers four years, and members can serve up to two terms. However, a Board member whose term has expired shall continue in service at the pleasure of the governor until a successor is appointed. Board members also serve in liaison roles on special advisory groups and committees.
The Board is taking a break from monthly business meetings in August, with their next meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 25. For more information about the TriMet Board, visit trimet.org/board.
Summer rollout includes improvements to bus service; two new bus lines; new bus network in place of late-night/early-morning MAX service; expansion of MAX Red Line service to Hillsboro; and new names for three MAX stations
TriMet is rolling out one of our largest-ever service updates on Sunday, Aug. 25. Riders can expect new and more convenient transit options that provide fast and reliable connections to opportunities. From jobs and education to health care and social services, we’re improving service for current riders and bringing new service to areas that have been calling for more.
As part of these changes, we’re adding new bus lines, adjusting routes and in some cases, eliminating low-ridership lines, so that we can use those resources where they’re needed most. We’re also expanding MAX service and beginning to fully realize the benefits of A Better Red, our years-long project to extend the Red Line into Hillsboro and keep MAX trains moving –- and on time –- across our entire light rail system.
In addition, we’re changing late-night MAX service: Buses will run in place of trains during the late evening hours when there are fewer riders. While we will continue to provide reliable transit service in the same areas and for the same amount of time, this change will allow for additional overnight maintenance that will reduce delays and disruptions at times when most people are riding and relying on MAX to get where they need to go.
And that’s not all! TriMet will expand MAX Red Line service into Hillsboro and rename three MAX stations! Visit trimet.org to plan your trip! Set the date for Aug. 25, or later, to see how your travel plans might change.
Improving bus service with Forward Together
The bus service improvements are part of our Forward Together Service Concept. That’s a plan we created in partnership with the community in response to the changes in travel created by the COVID-19 pandemic. These improvements help fulfill the goals of Forward Together: to increase ridership and increase access to opportunities for people with low and limited incomes. Among the highlights:
Line 25-Glisan/Rockwood: We’re extending service to Reynolds High School and Mt. Hood Community College with buses coming more often, more hours of the day, every day.
Line 29-Lake/Webster Rd: We’re adding midday service to improve access to the Clackamas County Health Centers’ Behavioral Health clinics, which are moving to Lake Road.
NEW! Line 40-Tacoma/Swan Island: We’re launching Line 40 to connect Swan Island, Rose Quarter, Downtown Portland and the SE Tacoma St/Johnson Creek MAX Orange Line Station. Line 40 will replace lines 85 and 99 and replace Line 35 service to the South Macadam & Sellwood Bridge stops.
Line 76-Hall/Greenburg: We’re introducing a new connection between communities in Washington and Clackamas counties. We’re extending some trips on Line 76 east to the Oregon City Transit Center.
NEW! Line 153-Stafford/Salamo: We’re launching a new bus line to connect the communities of West Linn and Lake Oswego.
Lines 39, 44, 45, 51, 55 and 70: Schedules will be adjusted up to 5 minutes, to help students get to school on time.
TriMet will eliminate bus lines 85, 99 and 154 due to low ridership, and resources from those lines will be moved to new areas, to provide more reliable service. The Forward Together Service Concept includes replacement service for areas where bus lines are removed, where ridership supports it.
Late-night/early-morning MAX service provided by buses
We are introducing a network of buses that will run in place of MAX trains during late night and early morning hours. By providing late-night trips on buses instead of trains, TriMet will be able to complete more overnight maintenance projects. This will help us provide more reliable MAX service and reduce future planned and unplanned service disruptions that inconvenience riders during the busier hours. All light rail lines except the MAX Green Line will have a matching bus line that will provide service for late-night trains:
Blue Eastside bus: Riders traveling between Downtown Portland and Gresham will take late-night/early-morning trips on the Line 287-Blue Eastside Bus.
Blue Westside bus: Line 288-Blue Westside Bus will provide late night/early morning service between Rose Quarter Transit Center and Hillsboro.
Orange bus: Late-night/early-morning MAX trips have been provided by Line 291-Orange Night bus since the MAX Orange Line opened in 2015. We will remove “night” from the destination sign, for consistency.
Red bus: We’re moving late-night/early-morning MAX trips to the Line 292 Red Bus.
Yellow bus: We’re moving late-night/early-morning MAX trips to the Line 293-Yellow Bus.
The MAX Green Line will continue to operate with its current schedule, which can allow for additional overnight maintenance without an adjustment.
More MAX service and three stations get new names
Also happening on Aug. 25: a soft launch of service on our 10-station extension of the MAX Red Line, ahead of the official launch of the new service on Wednesday, Aug. 28. With our A Better Redproject complete, we’re opening 10 existing Blue Line stations to Red Line trains, between Beaverton Transit Center and Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport, which is getting a new name (see below.) Riders can expect wait times to be reduced by half in that area, as trains will arrive every seven to eight minutes for most of the day, every day.
In addition to the expansion of Red Line service, A Better Red improved reliability across TriMet’s entire 60-mile light rail system, with track improvements at Portland International Airport and Gateway Transit Center and a new station, Gateway North, for riders traveling from Portland International Airport.
As part of this comprehensive service change, we’re updating the names of three MAX Stations:
Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport will become Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds (MAX Blue and Red lines).
Tuality Hospital/SE 8th Ave will become Hillsboro Health District (MAX Blue Line).
Hollywood/NE 42nd Ave Transit Center will be Hollywood/NE 42nd Ave (MAX Blue, Green and Red lines).
Let TriMet do the driving!
Every day, we’re finding new ways to make transit service faster and more reliable, while also providing a safe, convenient and easy way to get around. In addition to these service improvements, we’re working to improve the ride. That means you’ll see more safety and security personnel, increased enforcement of our Rules for Riding and cleaner vehicles, platforms and transit centers.
If you are struggling to pay your fare, TriMet can help. Riders with low incomes can sign up for reduced fare through our Honored Citizen program or connect with a service provider who provides fares at no cost through our Access Transit Program.
$1.84 billion budget provides framework to grow ridership, improve the customer experience and add service, as operator staffing levels allow
During its May business meeting, the TriMet Board of Directors adopted the agency’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The $1.84 billion budget supports TriMet’s goals to restore ridership to pre-pandemic levels and beyond in an ambitious, agency-wide effort to bring more people on board our buses and trains than ever before. Our world-class transit system – which currently serves about 1.3 million trips each week – connects people with opportunities and improves our region’s livability. When the community supports transit, you not only help people who ride, but you also benefit the entire Portland region, bringing us closer to achieving climate goals, relieving traffic congestion, improving the movement of freight and other goods and fueling economic growth.
TriMet’s budget for the coming fiscal year that runs from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 includes:
$508 million for operations
$229 million for general and administrative costs
$200 million for capital and operating projects
$903 million for contingency, debt service, fund balance, other non-operating requirements and other post-employment benefits.
When it approved TriMet’s FY2025 Budget in April, the Multnomah County Tax and Supervision Conservation Committee (TSCC) confirmed all estimates to be reasonable and in compliance with Oregon Local Budget Law. Following the TSCC’s certification, TriMet revised some budget totals based on updated financial performance and internal reports. Altogether, the changes increased expenditures by approximately $89 million, an amount which falls within limits allowed by state law.
Funding priorities
The budget provides for the continued operation and maintenance of our transit system, which covers 533 square miles across Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. It accounts for plans to expand and improve bus service with our Forward Together service concept; continue expanding investments in safety, security and cleaning; invest in capital and operating projects that improve the rider experience; and, advance our transition to a 100% zero-emissions bus fleet. In addition, the budget provides a framework for TriMet’s reorganization and strategic planning, including the creation of two new divisions to align agency initiatives and priorities to grow ridership. TriMet is working to address operator and mechanic shortages, but we expect staffing challenges to continue through the next fiscal year.
Funding resources
TriMet’s primary funding resources include $83 million in operating revenue; $540 million in tax revenues and $170 million in federal funding. Additional resources include the Statewide Transportation Investment Fund (STIF), which is a vital resource for service and fare programs.
The fiscal year 2025 budget incorporates the first full year of the fare increase that began in January 2024. The base fare increase was our first in more than a decade, but TriMet minimized the impact, especially for frequent riders, by choosing not to increase monthly rates for Adult, Honored Citizen and Youth riders. One hundred percent of the funds that TriMet receives from fares go toward our transit service.
Fiscal Year 2025 Budget
The adopted budget reflects TriMet’s Business Plan, which provides critical guidance to TriMet’s operating and capital investments. Review the final, adopted version at trimet.org/budget.
Withcontinuing 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.
A Line 33-McLoughlin/King Rd bus travels through Oregon City
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.
Powerwashing is among cleaning activities at Providence Park MAX Station
Safety & Security
Safety & Security remains a priority in FY25. 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.
Members of TriMet’s Safety Response Team in Downtown Portland
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.
A new battery-electric bus arrives at TriMet’s Columbia Operations Facility
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.
TriMet has named two new members to the executive leadership team: Dan Blair is the Executive Director of the agency’s newly developed Transit Systems and Asset Support Division and John Weston is the new Executive Director of Maintenance Operations, the position that Blair had been serving in an interim capacity since early 2023. Both executives will report directly to TriMet Chief Operating Officer, Bonnie Todd, and serve critical maintenance functions, directing activities around the management of TriMet’s vehicles, facilities, systems, assets and training.
Dan Blair, Executive Director of Transit Systems and Asset SupportJohn Weston, Executive Director of Maintenance Operations
Experience drives the selection of Executive Director of Maintenance
John Weston comes to TriMet with nearly 40 years of experience in the transit industry, including extensive work on and management of systems in Washington, D.C., Miami and Seattle. Most recently, Weston served as Corridor Operations Director for Sound Transit.
“John has held a number of impressive maintenance, safety, quality assurance and construction management roles over the course of his career,” said TriMet Chief Operating Officer Bonnie Todd. “TriMet, our riders and our employees will benefit from his extensive knowledge and skills to keep our vehicles rolling and our system in a state of good repair.”
Weston will direct and oversee TriMet’s Maintenance Operations Division, which is responsible for the maintenance, repair and management of TriMet’s buses, light rail vehicles, track, buildings, transit station facilities and non-revenue vehicles.
His first role in transit was as a union mechanic, working in rail power distribution. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Maryland.
New division gets leader with proven TriMet track record
Dan Blair has been growing his career with TriMet for the last 30 years. Dan started out as a Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) apprentice mechanic and graduated from TriMet’s esteemed apprenticeship program. He served as Director of Rail Equipment Maintenance before being asked to take the interim Executive Director of Maintenance position in March 2023. In naming Blair to the Executive Director role of the newly created Transit Systems Asset Support Division, COO Bonnie Todd noted his expertise and in-depth knowledge of the agency, as well as his enthusiasm and personal style.
“In addition to his technical ability, experience in management and extensive knowledge of TriMet, Dan brings a sense of humor, great leadership abilities, and a no-nonsense approach to his work,” offered Todd. “As we work to increase ridership, Dan’s skills will be invaluable to elevate TriMet’s role in our community.”
The Transit System and Asset Support group that Blair will direct and oversee, was established in 2023 as a new division at TriMet. It is focused on maintenance and document control, asset management, key performance indicators, zero-emissions program training and more. Blair will serve as the division’s first dedicated full-time executive director.
Blair also served in the U.S. Marine Reserves, where he was trained as a helicopter mechanic.
Blair and Weston were selected following a nationwide search. They are already beginning to transition to their new roles.
