TriMet Administrative Headquarters moves to One Main Place, contributing to Downtown Portland’s post-pandemic revitalization with a 10-year lease of 95,000 square feet of office space to accommodate hundreds of employees 

TriMet has a new destination in Downtown Portland: One Main Place! We’ve moved our administrative headquarters to 101 Southwest Main Street, demonstrating a long-standing and unwavering commitment to the city’s resilience and Downtown Portland’s post-pandemic revival. The lease includes 95,000 square feet of space within the 20-story office tower.

The location of One Main Place, at Southwest 1st Avenue and Main Street, retains TriMet’s administrative presence in the heart of the city, where 39% of our buses and trains travel daily. Throughout our 50+ year history, Downtown Portland has been a vital connection point, where people from communities throughout our 533-square-mile service area come together, to work, shop and play!

“For as long as TriMet has existed, we’ve been part of Downtown Portland, and we’re not going anywhere,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “During the darkest days of the pandemic, our buses and trains were some of the only vehicles on those streets. We never stopped, and our commitment to revitalizing the heart of our city will never fade. With 11 years to go on our lease at One Main Place and increasing optimism for the future, we are here for Portland. We are here to stay.”

One Main Place includes a lobby with shared common space. TriMet occupies six floors of the building; our reception area is on the seventh floor. Workgroups that report regularly to One Main Place include Engineering, Construction and Planning; Facilities Management; Finance, Labor Relations and Human Resources; Legal Services; Public Affairs; and Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access. The General Manager, Chief Operating Officer and members of the executive leadership team also have offices at One Main Place.

The building is located near the Hawthorne Bridgehead. One of the city’s first Rose Lanes, installed in 2019 to help speed up buses traveling into downtown, leads to a bus stop right outside. Lines 6-ML King Jr Blvd, 10-Harold and 14-Hawthorne arrive there regularly each day. Hundreds of buses can be accessed on the Portland Transit Mall, just blocks away on Southwest 5th and 6th avenues. All five MAX lines also travel to Downtown Portland, and our Customer Support Center is located at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

One Main Place is situated in a vibrant section of Downtown Portland, close to coffee shops, restaurants and cafes that bustle with business during the work day, at times resulting in lines out the front door! The location provides easy access to services and shopping. In addition, it is located within walking distance of parks, fountains and the Willamette River. Portland’s Wednesday Farmers Market at Shemanski Park is a popular lunchtime destination.

Lease terms leverage advantageous economic conditions

When TriMet negotiated terms for the lease agreement at One Main Place in late 2021, it represented the largest new commercial lease agreement in the state of Oregon. The agency’s total investment over the 11-year term of the lease is about $33 million, a total that Board member Thomas Kim described as a “heck of a deal,” when the Board approved the terms in early 2022. We were also able to secure advantageous terms for the lease, as the region grappled with the economic realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a central city with a growing inventory of vacant office space. TriMet’s real estate broker, Cushman & Wakefield, estimates Downtown Portland’s vacancy rate was 20%, at that time.

TriMet previously leased more than 50,000 square feet of administrative office at Harrison Square, an office building about a half mile south of One Main Place. The 10-year agreement for that property expired in June. Should TriMet have stayed, the agency would have been responsible for a much larger financial obligation under a longer lease term. It was projected at $44.2 million, compared to $33 million at One Main Place. 

We reviewed 27 potential locations before selecting One Main Place. The building checked many of the boxes in our search criteria, including a location that is well-served by transit, near a vibrant neighborhood and is seismically resilient. 

A new home away from home, for our administrative employees

About 275 people, nearly half of TriMet’s 600 non-union employees, will report to One Main Place at least one day per week under the revised telework policy that brought administrative workers back to the office in January 2023. Having TriMet staff report to work in person boosts ridership, as many use transit and forms of active transportation, such as biking, to get to the office. While the building provides free bike parking to our employees, we do not have space for employees to park personal vehicles. There is limited access for agency-owned vehicles that are used for work purposes.  

Fare increase revenue dedicated to service

Earlier this year, the TriMet Board of Directors approved the agency’s first increase in Adult fare in more than a decade. It takes effect in January 2024. One hundred percent of the revenue that TriMet collects from fares is dedicated to the maintenance and operation of our transit service. None of the funds will be directed toward the lease at One Main Place. Annual payments for the lease at One Main Place are included in TriMet’s annual budget for leased facilities.

Ozzie Gonzalez, Dr. LaVerne Lewis and Kathy Wai will lead the governing body for Oregon’s largest transit agency through June 2025

The most diverse Board of Directors in TriMet history has achieved another first: They have selected the most diverse trio of officers to lead the organization’s governing body. The board elected Ozzie Gonzalez as President, Dr. LaVerne Lewis as Vice President, and Kathy Wai as Secretary/Treasurer. The board elects officers every two years, keeping them in their new roles through June 2025. 

“Inclusion, diversity and equity are fundamental values which guide everything we do at TriMet,” said General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “I am confident that the lived experience of these Board members as people of color will bring a new level of representation for our riders and the greater community, ensuring confidence that TriMet’s financial decisions are being made with everyone’s needs in mind. Just as all are welcome on our transit system, these diverse voices and perspectives are welcome in the ranks of the TriMet Board’s leadership roles.”

TriMet thanks former Board President Dr. Linda Simmons and Vice President Lori Irish-Bauman for the years of volunteer service they shared with the Board. In 2021, Dr. Simmons also made history as the first woman to serve as TriMet Board President.

Ozzie Gonzalez – President

Osvaldo “Ozzie” Gonzalez is TriMet’s first Latino Board President. He has served on the Board since 2018. Gonzalez lives in and represents District 2, which covers Northwest and parts of Southwest Portland. 

“It’s wonderful to see that we have arrived at a slate of Board Officers who not only represent the geography of the TriMet district, but who represent a diversity of thought, of age, of cultural upbringing, and professional specialty,” Gonzalez said. “I look forward to working with [my fellow officers] and serving the public through our collective commitment to strengthening the value public transit will provide the residents of our region.”

Gonzalez works as an urban ecologist. His professional background includes architecture, planning, policy and design of urban spaces. 

Dr.  LaVerne Lewis – Vice President

Dr. LaVerne Lewis is TriMet’s second African American Vice President and the first Black woman to serve in the role. She joined the TriMet Board of Directors in 2021 and represents District 6: East Multnomah County. 

“As the first appointed African American woman to the TriMet Board, I am proud to represent a transit agency as an officer, which touches a historic moment in my heart, when my family celebrated the news of the end of the Montgomery bus boycotts,”Dr. Lewis said. “Because of the valiant sacrifices of others, I not only sit anywhere on the bus but also serve in leadership on the TriMet Board of Directors, sworn to bring my professional best as a public servant to all.”

Dr. Lewis has extensive experience in business, civil rights, criminal justice and education. She volunteers as a global humanitarian in communities worldwide.

Kathy Wai – Secretary/Treasurer

Kathy Wai was born in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, in Southeast Asia, and she is TriMet’s first Secretary/Treasurer of Asian descent and the youngest to serve in the role. Wai lives in and represents District 7: Clackamas County, where she also serves on the North Clackamas School Board.

“I am proud to be part of a TriMet Board of Directors that can help advocate for our transit-dependent riders,” Wai said. “Safe, reliable transportation is vital to serving our rapidly growing and diverse region. As a Board member and now an officer who relied on transit for most of my life, I am committed to engaging with the community to ensure that all voices and perspectives are heard. As Treasurer, I will work hard to ensure that our budget is transparent, accountable and meets the needs of our communities.”

About the Board of Directors

Additional Board members who are people of color include Thomas Kim, who represents District 1: Washington County and Keith Edwards, who represents District 5: Northeast Portland. The Board is completed by Robert Kellogg, who represents District 3: Southwest Portland and Tyler Frisbee, who represents District 4: Southeast Portland. Kellogg and Frisbee are Governor Tina Kotek’s first appointments to the Board.

TriMet’s Board consists of seven Directors appointed by the governor of Oregon and serving as volunteers. The Board provides financial stewardship of TriMet’s annual budget, which totaled $1.8 billion for the 2024 Fiscal Year that began on July 1, 2023. 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 is scheduled for Wednesday, July 26.

FY2024 budget, which includes agency’s first increase to base fare since 2012, begins full-scale rollout of Forward Together service improvement plan  

TriMet’s Board of Directors adopted the agency’s budget for the coming year at its meeting on May 24, 2023, fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility and ensuring that TriMet’s finances are on solid footing heading into the next fiscal year. The FY2024 budget includes $825.4 million in day-to-day operating expenses and $328.3 million in capital and operating projects. Along with those expenses and other financial requirements, the budget comes to $1.93 billion. It incorporates a fare increase, which was approved by the Board moments before the final adoption of the budget. The fare increase, TriMet’s first to our Adult fare in more than a decade, takes effect on Jan. 1, 2024. 

The adopted budget supports the rollout of Forward Together, the first full-scale reformatting of our bus service in agency history that was designed based on extensive community feedback. The Forward Together service improvements will bring more service to get to more places, for more people who rely on TriMet, especially those who make a low or lower income. It includes the addition of a lot more bus service – an increase of more than 30% from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The budget further advances the “A Better Red” MAX project, expands bus electrification and continues efforts to help riders with low incomes access transit. The FY2024 budget, which covers the fiscal year of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, also supports TriMet’s five-year business plan and helps achieve strategic priorities identified for FY2024, which include rebuilding and earning new ridership; enhancing our focus on safety; and emphasizing inclusion, diversity, equity and access for riders, employees and community members.

The budget was reviewed and approved by Multnomah County’s Tax Supervising and Conservation Committee (TSCC), in accordance with Oregon budget law. Following the TSCC’s review, TriMet made adjustments to the budget totaling $10.6 million, based on updated, actual data, revenue and expenditure projections. The amount, which falls within limits allowed by the law, increased the total value of the budget to $1.93 billion.

Budget Priorities

The FY2024 budget lays out support for priorities under four main categories: transit service, capital investments, electrification; and transit equity, inclusion and community affairs.

Transit service: In addition to maintaining current levels of service across our 533-square service district, TriMet plans to begin restoring service hours that were cut in 2021, due to ridership declines from the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2022, due to our historic operator shortage. We will implement the first bulk package of Forward Together service improvements in the fall and winter of 2023 and spring of 2024. Riders will see an overall increase in service hours of about 7%, which will result in Frequent Service upgrades, where buses arrive every 15 minutes or better; more weekend service; and service to new areas within our district. Learn more at trimet.org/fy24.

Capital investments: TriMet plans to complete most of the remaining construction for our “A Better Red” MAX Extension and Reliability Project during FY2024. Once finished, the project will improve reliability of the entire MAX system, by adding new sections of track to alleviate choke points and extending the MAX Red Line to Hillsboro/Fair Complex, which will give more people a one-seat ride to Portland International Airport and provide more service in Hillsboro. 

Electrification: TriMet will shift our bus electrification program into higher gear during FY2024, as we accept delivery of 24 new battery-electric buses. The buses make up our first bulk purchase of electric vehicles since adopting our plan to fully transition to a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040. In addition to buying battery-electric buses, electrification requires significant investments in infrastructure and training to charge and maintain the buses.

Transit equity, inclusion and community affairs: Since TriMet opened our reduced fare to riders who qualify based on income in 2018, more than 50,000 have signed up to ride for significantly less. The Honored Citizen reduced fare, which is also open to seniors age 65+, people on Medicare and people with disabilities, cuts the cost of riding monthly and annually by as much as 72%. TriMet’s FY2024 budget continues to support riders who are struggling financially through our Access Transit Program, which works with local nonprofits and organizations to get free and reduced fares to riders who need them. 

New Frequent Service for portion of Line 17-Holgate/Broadway, improvements to three additional Frequent Service lines, route updates for Line 17 and 70-12th/NE 33rd, and other schedule and stop changes

TriMet is making improvements to our service starting on Sunday, May 28. This spring, we are adjusting the routes of lines 17-Holgate/Broadway and 70-12th/NE 33rd. We’re also upgrading a portion of Line 17 to Frequent Service, with buses arriving every 15 minutes or better. You’ll find buses arriving earlier and more often on three additional lines, as we expand Frequent Service on popular routes in Washington County. In addition, we will reconfigure bus stops at Parkrose Transit Center and adjust schedules on 29 bus lines! 

With these improvements, TriMet will add back service hours that we began to reduce in April 2020, when COVID-19 put the brakes on the largest bus service expansion in our history.  We continue our work to overcome a historic operator staffing shortage and now have operators in place to begin adding back service. The process starts with our May service change. 

More and better service

Line 17-Holgate/Broadway: Frequent Service is coming to Southeast Holgate Boulevard on the portion of Line 17 that runs between Downtown Portland and Southeast 136th Avenue. More than 10 miles of the route will have buses arriving every 15 minutes for most of the day, every day. 

We’re also moving the southeast end of Line 17 so buses serve Harold Street.

These improvements will change when and where buses are arriving. Plan ahead by going to trimet.org and plan a trip for after May 28 to see how trips are changing. 

Line 54-Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy and Line 56-Scholls Ferry Rd: We’re expanding service on lines 54 and 56, which combined provide Frequent Service between Beaverton and Downtown Portland. Starting May 28, Frequent Service begins at 6 a.m.

Line 76-Hall/Greenburg: We’re improving our existing Frequent Service on Line 76, so that buses start arriving every 15 minutes, starting at 6:30 a.m. 

Route change

Line 70-12th/NE 33rd: Major improvements are coming to Line 70 in Southeast Portland. We’re moving buses to Southeast Ladd Avenue and 21st Avenue to bring buses closer to Cleveland High School and avoid delays at the heavy rail crossings at Southeast 11th and 12th avenues. 

We’re also moving buses off of Southeast 13th and 17th avenues south of Powell Boulevard, to run on Southeast Milwaukie Avenue, for more direct service to Milwaukie.

Lastly for Line 70, we’re adding weekday trips to better serve Cleveland High School and extending all weekday trips to Northeast 33rd Avenue.

All of these changes mean bus schedules are changing too. Go to trimet.org and plan a trip for after May 28 to see how trips are changing. 

Schedule changes

We are changing schedules on 29 bus lines in response to increasing traffic congestion, to help keep buses on time. The following bus lines will see schedules shift by at least three minutes and up to 12 minutes, starting May 28: FX2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 29, 30, 33, 38, 47, 48, 52, 53, 57, 59, 62, 67, 72, 75, 88, 94, 96, 154, 155 and 156. Find new schedule times by going to trimet.org and planning a trip after May 28.

Transit Center update

Parkrose Transit Center in Northeast Portland is getting an update! We’re consolidating and improving bus stops with larger shelters and new displays that show when the next bus will arrive.

What’s next?

The COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact on travel patterns and transit ridership. TriMet responded, studying how to better serve our riders and the community given major changes in where people go and when they travel. After conducting extensive community engagement and listening to feedback from the public, we shaped a plan for the future that will give more people, especially those with lower incomes, more access to our services, to reach more jobs and places, while increasing our overall ridership.

Our Forward Together Service Concept provides a roadmap for increasing service by more than 30% in the coming years. While the service changes coming in May increase service hours and begin to advance this goal, we plan to roll out our first big package of service improvements from Forward Together, starting this fall. 

Join TriMet, Raimore Construction and our partners for a special hiring event at the Lloyd Center DoubleTree on Tuesday, May 9, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

TriMet is hosting a Community Hiring Event at the Lloyd Center DoubleTree on Tuesday, May 9. We’ve teamed up with our long-time transportation project partner, Raimore Construction, to put together something special for job seekers. Not only will there be opportunities to learn about, apply for and interview for jobs, we’ll also have services available to help you stand out from the crowd, for all of the right reasons.

When TriMet and Raimore Construction built the Division Transit Project, Raimore brought in the highest-ever percentage of small businesses owned by minorities or women, for a project of this type in Oregon. Over decades of working together to make transit better for our region, TriMet and Raimore have been recognized for our commitment to sharing contracting and employment opportunities with the region’s BIPOC communities. The Community Hiring Event will have services available on site, which are focused on improving employment outcomes for historically disadvantaged and under-served groups.

What to expect

By now, you’ve probably heard that TriMet is hiring bus and MAX operators. We are also hiring for positions in Engineering & Construction; Finance & Administrative Services; Information Technology; Labor Relations & Human Resources; Maintenance Operations; and Public Affairs. For the Community Hiring Event, we will be conducting interviews with people who are applying to become operators and maintenance service workers. We’ll even be making some conditional job offers, on site!

Our friends at Raimore Construction will also be talking with applicants, as well as offering career services, including taking free head shots for attendees; providing resume support; and assisting those who have questions about their criminal history. Additional employers who plan to join us on site include Colas Construction, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and more!

Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions for suggestions on what to wear, what to bring with you and how to get there. If you can’t make it this event, please visit trimet.org/careers to see all of the opportunities that are currently available, learn about our benefits package and apply online, anytime!

April meeting will include first reading and public hearing on proposed fare increase ordinance, ahead of May 24 vote

The TriMet Board of Directors will begin considering an ordinance on a proposed fare increase at its regular meeting on Wednesday, April 26. The Board will hold a public hearing on Ordinance 374, as part of the process. They will not make a decision during the April meeting. Rather, following the first reading and public hearing in April, a second reading and vote will occur at the Board’s May 24, 2023 meeting. If approved, the fare increase would take effect January 1, 2024. 

Fare increase proposal

The proposal that the Board is considering calls for increasing:

• Adult 2 ½-hour tickets and LIFT single ride tickets by 30 cents to $2.80.
• Honored Citizen and Youth 2 ½-hour tickets by 15 cents to $1.40.
• Adult day passes by 60 cents to $5.60.
• Honored Citizen and Youth day passes by 30 cents to $2.80. 

The current proposal calls for no change to monthly and annual fares, including the monthly fare cap for riders using Hop Fastpass®. The monthly cap would remain at $100 for riders using the Adult fare and $28 those using Youth or Honored Citizen fares.

TriMet last increased the Adult fare in 2012. That’s despite inflation and increases for other basic services over the past decade, as well as a 37% increase in the cost of running and maintaining the transit system.

Providing feedback

The April Board of Directors meeting will be held in Suite 206 of the Portland Building, which is located at 1128 Southwest 5th Avenue. During the meeting, the public will have multiple opportunities to provide feedback on the proposal:

• Public forum: TriMet holds a public forum at the start of every Board meeting, which allows for comments on any topic relating to TriMet and our service. Those who wish to speak must sign up in person, before the meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. 
• Public hearing: The Board will hold a public hearing, specific to Ordinance 374, in conjunction with the first reading. The Board President will call for participants to come forward, during the “Ordinances” section after the reading of the ordinance by title. 
• Virtual testimony: Arrangements have been made for those who wish to provide testimony virtually. Visit trimet.org/meetings/board by noon, Tuesday, April 25, to sign up to receive a link to participate via Zoom. 
• Written testimony: Email comments for consideration to boardtestimony@trimet.org by noon, Tuesday, April 25.

Background, outreach & Title VI reports

TriMet is governed by a seven-person Board of Directors, which began discussions around a possible fare increase last fall. During a Nov. 9, 2022 Board Retreat, several members cited the need for TriMet to increase fare revenue, as well as overall revenue, to help provide financial stability for transit operations and address inflationary costs. With a majority of the Board indicating support for a 2024 fare increase, members directed TriMet staff to formalize a proposal for consideration.

TriMet launched a comprehensive public outreach and engagement campaign in December 2022. Nearly 5,700 people responded to an online survey about the proposal, while in-person and online open house events drew more than 400 participants. In addition, TriMet partnered with community based organizations to collect feedback from populations with limited English proficiency, with about 240 people attending culturally-specific events. TriMet presented an outreach report to the Board at their regular meeting on March 22, 2023.

TriMet also conducted a Title VI equity analysis to determine the potential impacts that a fare increase would have on people of color and those who live on a low income. The results were presented to the Board at their March 29, 2023 Strategy Session. TriMet is committed to working with the community to determine opportunities to mitigate such impacts, as required under federal law.

What’s next?

The Board will hold a second reading of Ordinance 374 at their May meeting on Wednesday, May 24, followed immediately by a roll call vote. 

TriMet’s reduced fare program saved riders on low incomes about $13.4 million in less than five years; sign up today and reduce costs immediately, plus receive a month of free rides

Late last month, TriMet signed up the 50,000th person to ride TriMet, C-TRAN and Portland Streetcar at a reduced rate, based on their income. The milestone came just three months shy of the five-year anniversary of when we expanded our Honored Citizen fare program to those struggling financially. This allowed thousands of Oregonians living with limited means to access vital transportation services for less. In fewer than five years, riders living on a low income saved almost $13.4 million through our reduced fare program! 

Earn less? Sign up to save big 

Our Honored Citizen fare program allows qualified participants to pay half price for 2 ½-hour tickets and day passes, and enjoy additional savings the more they ride. It is available to seniors, age 65 and older, people on Medicare and people with disabilities, as well as Oregonians, ages 18-64, who qualify based on their income.

When you use an Honored Citizen Hop Fastpass® fare card, you will never pay more than $28 per month. That means you can take unlimited rides on TriMet buses and trains, as well as C-TRAN and Portland Streetcar, for 72% off the cost of Adult fare, which can add up to annual savings of $864 or more! 

TriMet began offering enrollment in the Honored Citizen reduced fare program to people with qualifying incomes in July of 2018, with new funds from Keep Oregon Moving (HB 2017). Participants qualify if they earn up to double the federal poverty level, which equals $29,160 per year for an individual or $49,720 for the head of a three-person household. Riders already enrolled in programs such as Oregon Health Plan (OHP) or Free & Reduced Price Lunch can immediately qualify with proof of participation. Photo I.D. is also required.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we made some changes to make enrollment easier. You can now apply online, in person at the TriMet Customer Support Center at Pioneer Courthouse Square, or with one of our trusted community partners. All participants receive a personalized Honored Citizen Hop card. Once the card is loaded with funds, you can start saving right away! Remember to tap your card with every ride, and Hop adds up the savings for you.

One month of rides free!

Once you complete enrollment for Honored Citizen fare based on income, we’ll set you up to ride TriMet for free for one month. Here’s how. Using funds from Keep Oregon Moving, we’ll load your new Honored Citizen Hop card with a “TriMet Transit Assistance” pass. Tap the card to activate the pass, and remember to tap with every ride to show proof of valid fare. You will not be charged during the month-long period in which the pass can be used.

Partnerships provide a safety net

TriMet understands that for some, $28 per month is a hardship. That’s why we partner with more than 160 community-based organizations, agencies and service providers throughout our region, to put free and reduced fare into the hands of those who need it. Since 2015, we have provided more than $30 million to our Access Transit Fare Programs, including $12.1 million in assistance to community and government agency partners. These programs were designed to increase independence, improve access to employment and employment resources, and provide community connections for thousands of people in our community with low and limited incomes.

Proposed fare increase

TriMet’s Board of Directors is considering a fare increase proposal that, if approved, would take effect on Jan. 1, 2024. Currently the proposal calls for increasing Adult 2 ½-hour tickets and LIFT single ride tickets by 30 cents to $2.80. Honored Citizen and Youth 2 ½-hour tickets would increase by 15 cents to $1.40. Adult day passes would go up by 60 cents to $5.60, and Honored Citizen and Youth day passes would go up by 30 cents to $2.80. 

The proposal calls for no change to monthly and annual fares and caps. TriMet’s Honored Citizen fare would remain at $28 per month. As a result, riders using the Honored Citizen Hop card will reach their monthly fare cap faster. After tapping for 10 day passes, they’ll ride free for the rest of the month. The Board is scheduled to vote at its May meeting on May 24, 2023.

TriMet invites you to join in our day-long celebration of the people who help keep our region moving; take a moment to recognize the hard work of our bus and train operators on Friday, March 17, for Transit Driver Appreciation Day

Let’s face it. You’ll have a better chance of seeing a TriMet bus or train operator on Friday, March 17, than you will a leprechaun. After all, TriMet employs close to 1,400 operators and zero leprechauns. So, this Friday, March 17, we’re asking you to add Transit Driver Appreciation Day to your list of reasons to celebrate. We’re sharing the excitement with St. Patrick’s Day this year, as we move our observation up one day, to conclude the traditional work week. Please join us for our 10th annual observation of Transit Driver Appreciation Day, which we set aside to honor our operators and what they do to improve the lives of so many people, day after day.

Riders: Show how appreciation in multiple ways!

Our bus and train operators always go the extra mile. They’re up early and out late, maneuvering giant vehicles, often through challenging conditions. They can be the first and sometimes the last person riders see in their day. They help move millions, yet welcome one at a time, for a safe, reliable ride. 

TriMet riders are known for sharing a friendly “thank you” as they step off the bus. For Transit Driver Appreciation Day, we’re asking everyone to do their part, to help our operators have a good day, from start to finish:

• Shine a light! If your operator is coming to your stop early in the morning when it’s still dark, use your cell phone as a light to help them see you and stop to pick you up! Take care not to flash bright lights directly at the operator.
• Say hello! Consider sharing a kind word when you step on the bus, to let the operator know that you’re a nice person and appreciate their work.
• Help make their day! Show common courtesy for our operators and others, by following the rules for riding and helping create a pleasant atmosphere for everyone on board.
• Consider a not-so-random act of kindness! It’s Transit Driver Appreciation Day! Say thanks in your own way – with a wave, a smile or a nice note. Visit trimet.org/hello to leave a digital note for an individual operator or the entire team! We’ll also have banners at transit centers throughout our 533-square mile service district, available to anyone who’d like to leave a message of thanks. 

Heading Downtown? Join the ‘tunnel of appreciation’

This year, TriMet is taking our Transit Driver Appreciation Day celebration to the Transit Mall in Downtown Portland on March 17! We’re building a human “appreciation tunnel,” from 6 a.m. through 6 p.m. along a nine-block stretch of Southwest 5th and 6th avenues, between Jefferson and Washington streets. We’ll be waving signs for our coworkers and creating excitement as they travel through a stretch of the central city where many of our transit lines run or cross. Stop by and join the fun!

Mark your calendar for Friday, March 17!

Inspired by a movement in Seattle to establish “Bus Driver Appreciation Day,” TriMet observed our first Transit Driver Appreciation Day back in 2013. Normally, the celebration is March 18, the day selected to commemorate the first bus line in Paris back in 1662. This year, we’re recognizing the service of public transit operators a day early and inviting everyone to join us. We even found an old Irish Blessing that could apply to our operators, as we share our special day with the St. Patrick’s Day tradition, in 2023: “May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light; may good luck pursue you both morning and night!” ~Irish Blessing

Complete an application, ask about open positions and get answers about the great benefits TriMet offers at Embassy Suites Hillsboro on Tuesday, March 14

TriMet is hosting a job fair on Tuesday, March 14, to share information about more than 40 positions that are currently available with our organization. TriMet started as a bus company, but over the last 50+ years, we’ve grown into much, much more! We’re a dynamic public service organization, some 3,000-people strong. Every day, we work together to fulfill our mission in the community: connecting “people with valued mobility options that are safe, convenient, reliable, accessible and welcoming for all.” 

Want to join our team?

Whether your goal is to operate a bus or train, keep buses and trains in working order, clean vehicles and our transit centers, purchase new vehicles, plan routes, produce maps and graphics, communicate with the public or something entirely different, you can achieve it at TriMet! We are looking to fill open positions across our organization, in divisions which include Engineering and Construction; Finance and Administrative Services; Information Technology; Legal Services; Maintenance; Public Affairs; Safety and Security; and of course, Transportation!

Mark your calendar!

Tuesday, March 14, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Embassy Suites Hillsboro

9355 NE Tanasbourne Drive – Hillsboro, Ore.

Take TriMet!

Put in an application, ask questions about hiring and benefits and get a feel for what it means to be part of TriMet! Visit trimet.org/jobfair to learn more. 

More than a job, TriMet has the total package

When you are a TriMet employee, you’re part of the team that keeps the Portland metro region moving! You are helping to reduce traffic congestion and pollution and improve our community for everyone who lives here. In addition to a competitive wage, you’ll also receive a generous package of benefits, which includes:

• Health, dental, vision  and life insurance plans at low or no monthly cost
• Retirement plans which include a monthly agency contribution of 8-10%, depending on the position 
• Paid time off including vacation, sick time, personal days and holidays
• Health care and dependent care spending accounts, if desired
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with mental health and counseling services, legal assistance, financial coaching and home ownership programs
• Annual transit pass (valued up to $1200) for employee and eligible family members
• 24-hour access to five exclusive on-site fitness centers, with plans starting at $13/month
• Bus operators receive a $7,500 hiring bonus

No need for delay, apply today!

Visit trimet.org/careers to get details on the positions that are currently available, and if you see one you like, go ahead and apply! You can still join our team on March 14 to learn why we’re a great destination, when you’re ready to take your career in a new direction!

Fiscal Year 2024 budget, which will guide agency spending from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, includes $817.3 million for day-to-day operations, up $67.4 million from the previous year’s budget

TriMet’s proposed budget for the coming year includes $817.3 million for day-to-day operations as we continue to bring on new bus operators and begin adding back service for the first time since August 2020. The agency’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, which totals $1.92 billion, also includes $322.3 million for capital investments. 

The coming year will bring the first of several service improvements coming out of our Forward Together Service Concept. We’ll also reach substantial completion of our “A Better Red” MAX project, expand our investment in bus electrification and continue our efforts to help riders with low incomes access transit. 

The proposed budget balances priorities with our ongoing, agency-wide efforts to restore our workforce, increase ridership and maintain a transit system that is safe, welcoming and accessible to all.

Fiscal Year 2024 resources

The proposed budget does assume a fare increase that includes TriMet’s first increase of our base fare in more than a decade, which the TriMet Board of Directors will vote on at its May 24 meeting. If the Board does not move forward on the fare increase, TriMet’s Finance Department is prepared to revise the budget for Board adoption in June. Local law requires the budget to be in place before the fiscal year begins on July 1.  

Resources supporting the Fiscal Year 2024 budget include:

• $77.1 million in operating revenue.
• $515.8 million in tax revenues.
• $157.3 million in federal funding.

Funding priorities

The proposed budget supports the agency’s business plan, which is the guide that we use to align financial decisions with our agency’s vision, mission and values. The FY2024 budget lays out priorities under four main categories: transit service; transit equity, inclusion and community affairs; capital investments; and electrification.

• Transit service: In addition to maintaining current levels of service across our 533-square service district, TriMet plans to begin restoring service hours that were cut in 2021, due to ridership declines from the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2022, due to our historic operator shortage. The FY2024 budget begins to roll out plans from our Forward Together Service Concept, which was developed to better serve riders based on travel patterns that changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first package of service changes is scheduled to begin in September.

• Transit equity, inclusion and community affairs: Since TriMet opened our reduced fare to riders who qualify based on income in 2018, nearly 50,000 have signed up to ride for significantly less. The Honored Citizen reduced fare, which is also open to seniors age 65+, people on Medicare and people with disabilities, cuts the cost of riding monthly and annually by as much as 72%. TriMet’s FY2024 budget continues to support riders who are struggling financially through our Access Transit Program, which work with local nonprofits and organizations to get free and reduced fares to riders who need them.  

• Capital investments: TriMet plans to complete most of the remaining construction for our “A Better Red” MAX Extension and Reliability Project during FY2024, which continues through June 30, 2024. Once finished, the project will improve reliability of the entire MAX system, by adding new sections of track to alleviate choke points and extending the MAX Red Line to Hillsboro/Fair Complex, which will give more people a one-seat ride to Portland International Airport and provide more service in Hillsboro. 

• Electrification: TriMet will shift our bus electrification program into higher gear during FY2024, as we accept delivery of 24 new battery-electric buses. The buses make up our first bulk purchase of electric vehicles since adopting our plan to fully transition to a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040. In addition to buying battery-electric buses, electrification requires significant investments in infrastructure and training to charge and maintain the buses.

Providing feedback

TriMet invites the public to provide feedback on the budget during public testimony at upcoming Board meetings, scheduled for March 22, April 26 and May 24, and through our regular Customer Service channels. Reach us via email at hello@trimet.org; on Twitter @trimethelp; and by phone or text or 503-238-7433 (RIDE).