Resuming Aug. 28, the transit center elevator will provide access only to riders with valid fare

TriMet is entering the next phase of an elevator safety and reliability project, intended to cut down on misuse and the need for unplanned repairs. Resuming Aug. 28, the elevator at Hollywood/NE 42nd Ave Transit Center will only be accessible to riders with a valid fare. While there will be no charge to use the elevator, riders will need to tap their fare payment against a reader to the right of the elevator door for it to open. Riders on the platform level will also need to tap the reader for the elevator to take them to the top of the skybridge.

Earlier this summer, TriMet conducted a successful four-week trial run of the system. It helped prevent damage and reduced elevator outages. Our goal is to keep elevators as clean and reliable as possible for riders, to improve the customer experience. The Hollywood elevator will be a work in progress as we fine-tune how the access system works. The aim is to use what we’ve learned at this elevator as we look to improve other elevators in our system in the future.

“Access control tools, like the ones we’re using, give us options for all kinds of different things into the future,” TriMet Executive Director of Safety and Security Andrew Wilson said. “I think this is an important piece for us, having built a very open system, just to make sure that it’s accessible.”

Elevator access

At the Hollywood/NE 42nd Ave Transit Center, card readers used to access the elevator will be black but look similar to our Hop Fastpass readers. It’s important to remember that unlike Hop readers, the elevator’s card readers do not collect fare. Riders will need to tap another time, against a green Hop reader before boarding. Signs will also be posted near the elevator, reminding riders to tap at the elevator card reader for the doors to open.

Accessing the elevator will work with any of our traditional forms of fare:

• Plastic Hop card
• Hop ticket from a ticket vending machine
• Contactless credit/debit card
• Phone (with mobile wallet or digital Hop Fastpass enabled).

Not only is Hop Fastpass a convenient way to open the elevator, it continues to be TriMet’s best way to pay fare, allowing riders to tap, board and save, all at the same time. With Hop, riders never have to worry about overpaying, thanks to daily and monthly fare capping. Once the equivalent of a monthly pass—$100 for adult fare or $28 for those in our reduced-fare Honored Citizen program—is reached, there’s no charge again until the next month. Additional benefits of Hop include lost-card protection and auto reloading.

While the paper tickets dispensed by the ticket vending machines contain a chip inside and can be tapped against readers, paper tickets printed out on buses do not. TriMet security staff will be stationed at the transit center to help riders with those tickets access the elevator when needed.

Reliability and safety improvements

TriMet is committed to improving reliability, efficiency and the customer experience across our transit system. This not only includes buses and trains, but other services and amenities that help riders get around. Due to their public accessibility, misuse of the elevators can damage equipment, leading to unplanned outages. These outages have the greatest impact on riders who need elevators the most. TriMet will be using feedback from our Committee on Accessible Transportation to guide the project forward to help it further meet the needs of people with disabilities. CAT members have signaled their support of the project, including the height and placement of the card readers to the right of the elevator doors.

“Our goal is to make this the most accessible system in the country, and to make it accessible to everybody and user friendly,” Committee on Accessible Transportation Chair Jan Campbell said. “And I think working directly with users, the Committee on Accessible Transportation, you’re actually meeting with the users, so we can be at the very beginning of the design and the improvements.”

By working to ensure that those who are using the elevators are doing so to get to and from MAX trains, we hope to cut down on maintenance-related delays and disruptions and make the riding experience safer, more reliable and welcoming. For more information about the elevator access project, go to trimet.org/elevatoraccess. You can also sign up for Service Alerts to stay in the loop as we work toward adding card readers at other elevators in the future.

With more work to come, TriMet hits mid-point on schedule to reopen MAX Red Line Oct. 22

TriMet’s four-month-long disruption for “A Better Red” is approaching the halfway mark on schedule. In the past two months, crews have been busy with significant demolition and construction of the MAX system between the Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport. The 126-day disruption, which began June 18, is allowing crews to completely replace the Portland International Airport MAX station and install a second track along the alignment, between the new station and Air Cargo Road.

Since the MAX Red Line opened in 2001, this three-quarters-of-a-mile stretch has been served by one track, supporting both PDX’s inbound and outbound trains. Installation of the second track also involves upgrading all the components that support trains, such as rail crossings, signals, rail crossovers and the overhead contact wires, as well as the poles and power systems that support them. This will complete the Red Line’s double trackway between PDX and Mt. Hood MAX stations, improving efficiency by allowing trains to move past each other in both directions at once. 

During the project, shuttle buses have been serving MAX stations between PDX and Gateway Transit Center, running about every 15 minutes throughout most of the day. Due to the length of the shutdown, Customer Service representatives and additional Ride Guides have been stationed at PDX at times to help riders make their shuttle bus connections. This phase of the Better Red project is expected to finish this fall, with MAX Red Line trains returning to regular service on Sunday, Oct. 22.

New PDX station takes off

The Portland International Airport MAX Station as we knew it is no more. It was demolished during the first few weeks of the disruption to make room for the new station, designed with two parallel tracks in mind. Construction recently began on the new station, with some of the concrete foundations being formed.

The new station will be a little longer to better accommodate trains. It will also be rectangular —200 feet long and 18 feet wide—for improved train movement and rider comfort. The previous station was triangular-shaped, ending at a point where the two tracks on both sides of the platform intersected into one. This made the former platform unique among our stations. Uniformity has its upside, as not only will the new platform be more spacious end-to-end, but it will also feature two shelters, similar to those along the MAX Orange Line, stretched to provide cover across nearly the entire station. The new station will open once the project completes in October.

Major demolition, significant construction

In addition to the new MAX station, crews have been working to reconstruct the existing track between Air Cargo Road and PDX. Previously, this was the only track serving the area, with trains using it to travel in both directions. Crews have also made significant progress on the new track between Air Cargo Road and PDX, including the construction of a second at-grade crossing.

Crews are also working on the construction of a new multi-use path for bikes and pedestrians, which will also run between Air Cargo Road and PDX.

A Better Red

TriMet’s A Better Red MAX Extension and Reliability Project will extend the MAX Red Line 10 stations west, from Beaverton Transit Center to Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport. It’s also adding another track and additional infrastructure near Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport to help keep trains moving throughout the MAX system more reliably. The project has been ongoing since September 2021, with occasional disruptions necessary to allow for major construction to take place in the trackway. Now more than 70% completed, the project is expected to be closed out in the summer of 2024.

With the Better Red project covering parts the MAX Red Line from PDX to Hillsboro, crews have been working at multiple locations at once to finish the multi-phased project. Much of the work has taken place near the Gateway Transit Center, including the installation of new track and track components along with the construction of new MAX bridges. A new station for westbound trains will also be constructed just north of the Gateway Transit Center.

In Washington County, crews at Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport are working on finishing the interior of the new operator building and constructing a walkway for TriMet operators. The completed facility will have bathrooms, a small meal area and a work station. Construction on the building and walkway is expected to wrap up within the next couple months and be ready for operators’ use when MAX Red Line service is extended to Hillsboro next year.

We appreciate our riders’ patience as we continue making progress on this major project and work to get riders around the construction. For more information, go to trimet.org/bettered. 

Roll out of Forward Together improvements starting Sunday, Aug. 27, to bring increased frequency, more hours and days of service on multiple bus lines; route changes to speed up service; schedule updates to keep buses on time; reduced or discontinued service on some lesser used, low-ridership bus lines

Here we go! Starting Sunday, Aug. 27, TriMet will expand and improve bus service, as we implement the first major package of changes from our Forward Together service concept. The plan, which was developed in partnership with the community as travel changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, includes a sweeping overhaul of transit service for our tri-county service area. Forward Together is focused on equity and will make it easier for more people to connect with opportunities throughout the region. It moves some service from areas with low ridership and higher incomes to those where there are more people with lower incomes, who rely on transit to make important daily connections – like getting to work, school, health care and other services.

In this first bulk delivery of improvements and adjustments, we’re expanding our Frequent Service network and making it easier and more convenient to ride, with buses arriving more often, at more times and on more days. However, with limited human and financial resources, these improvements come with trade-offs. Some lesser-used bus lines will be discontinued, while others will be streamlined to reduce duplication, move service closer to those who need it most and make our transit system work more effectively for everyone.

More buses at more times on more lines and days of the week

TriMet’s Frequent Service buses and MAX lines arrive every 15 minutes or better, for most of the day, every day. We’re expanding upon our existing network, with more service for Line 54-Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy. Previously, the popular bus line combined with Line 56-Scholls Ferry Road to provide 15-minute service. Starting Aug. 27, we’re adding buses to Line 54, to keep them arriving about every 15 minutes, every day of the week.

You can also look for more buses arriving more often or for more hours of the day, or route adjustments or schedule changes to keep buses on time on the following lines:

• Line 8-Jackson Park/NE 15th: We’re increasing weekday service to Marquam Hill during the morning and afternoon commute.
• Line 15-Belmont/NW 23rd: We’re improving the existing Frequent Service so that buses on NW 23rd arrive every 15 minutes starting at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Line 19-Woodstock/Glisan: We’re improving service with buses arriving every 30 minutes for more hours of the day, every day. We’re also changing the route, moving the line from the Ross Island Bridge to Tilikum Crossing to avoid auto traffic. And, we’re adjusting the route in Southeast Portland through the Eastmoreland neighborhood. Buses will no longer travel on Southeast Rex Street or 32nd Avenue, to speed up travel time.
• Line 35-Macadam/Greeley: We’re improving Line 35 service with buses arriving every 30 minutes for more hours of the day, every day. We’re also changing the route with buses between Johns Landing and Lake Oswego alternating between Highway 43/Riverside (35R-Macadam/Riverside) and Taylors Ferry and Terwilliger Blvd (35T-Macadam/Terwilliger) to serve Lewis & Clark College and South Burlingame. 
• Line 44-Capitol Hwy/Mocks Crest: We’re increasing weekday morning service in Southwest Portland to help riders connect with Lines 43 and 56 and Marquam Hill. 
• Line 70-12th/NE 33rd Ave: We’re increasing evening service to NE 33rd Ave on weekends.
• Line 75-Cesar Chavez/Lombard: We’re extending evening service to Milwaukie on weekends. We’re also moving lines 75 and 77-Broadway/Halsey out of Hollywood/NE 42nd Ave Transit Center due to construction. Buses will serve temporary stops on Northeast 42nd, Broadway and Halsey.
• Line 94-Pacific Hwy/Sherwood: We’re improving Line 94 service between Tigard and Sherwood with buses arriving every 20 minutes for more hours of the day, every day. We’re also changing the route by removing Line 94 service between Tigard and Portland. Line 12-Barbur/Sandy Blvd will continue to serve that area.

Spreading service where it’s needed most

The Forward Together plan aims to put buses where they’re most needed and most likely to be used. As a result, we are reallocating and realigning some of our services. This brings major changes for riders who use TriMet to connect with OHSU, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Portland VA Medical Center and other healthcare facilities on Marquam Hill. 

We are discontinuing several bus lines that provided service to Marquam Hill due to low ridership. Lines 61-Marquam Hill/Beaverton, 64-Marquam Hill/Tigard, 65-Marquam Hill/Barbur Blvd, 66-Marquam Hill/Hollywood and 68-Marquam Hill/Collins Circle will be retired. These weekday-only bus lines primarily offered service during the morning and afternoon commutes and were experiencing lower-than-expected ridership, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With Forward Together, the service that was dedicated to those low-ridership lines will be redistributed to nearby lines that offer more service throughout the day and week. This will help more people get to and from Marquam Hill, no matter when they need to be there. The service will be replaced by changes to service on lines 43, 54 and 56 and current service on lines 8, 9 and MAX, connecting with the Portland Aerial Tram. As Line 54 moves to Frequent Service, we will also make improvements to lines 43 and 56:

• Line 43-Taylors Ferry: We’re adding buses to Line 43 so that riders will see arrivals every 30 minutes. Line 43 will provide service between the Hillsdale neighborhood and OHSU. Riders should also know that we are changing the route of Line 43 between Tigard and OHSU. We’re moving buses off of South Corbett, as there are additional transit options nearby. Lines 12-Barbur/Sandy Blvd, 35-Macadam/Greeley and 99-Macadam/McLoughlin offer service nearby.  
• Line 56-Scholls Ferry Rd: We’re improving service on Line 56 with buses arriving every 30 minutes for more hours of the day, every day. When combined with Line 43, this change will bring 15-minute service between Hillsdale and OHSU. We’re also adjusting the route of Line 56 to OHSU, discontinuing service on Southwest Barbur Boulevard, where there’s service nearby on lines 12 and 44-Capitol Hwy/Mocks Crest. 

Additional adjustments

• Line 36-South Shore: We are discontinuing Line 36 due to low ridership.
• Line 39-Lewis & Clark: We are reducing weekday service due to focus on peak travel times for students at Ida B. Wells High School. We’re also extending the route to serve the Arnold Creek neighborhood and Barbur Transit Center, moving it off of Palatine Hill Road.
• Line 51-Vista: We’re extending Line 51 service on Dosch Road to Wells High School and Southwest Barbur and Bertha. Line 51 will no longer travel to Southwest 2nd but rather end at Goose Hollow, with service to Lincoln High School.
• Line 55-Hamilton: We’re reducing service on Line 55 due to low ridership and available service nearby on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway. The remaining buses will be timed to serve Wells High School students.
• Line 99-Macadam/McLoughlin: We’re simplifying the route and moving buses to South Moody through the South Waterfront to help reduce delays.

More improvements

• Line 17-Holgate/Broadway: We’re adjusting the route of Line 17 to improve transfers and help keep buses on time, by moving the end of the line for eastbound travel to Southeast 122nd Avenue and Holgate Boulevard. Riders continuing to Southeast 136th can board Line 17 buses to Portland City Center to complete their trip.
• Line 44-Capitol Hwy/Mocks Crest and Line 78-Denney/Kerr Pkwy: We are restoring weekend service to PCC Sylvania.
• Tigard Transit Center: We’re reorganizing bus stops to accommodate more service at Tigard Transit Center. Riders of lines 43, 64, 76, 78 and 94 can expect to see changes.

Check the schedule and plan your trip

In addition to increasing service, we’re also adjusting schedules on about 30% of our bus lines. By adding or removing time from the schedule in response to traffic patterns, we can help keep buses on time. We’re planning adjustments of more than three minutes, to FX2-Division and Line 32-Oatfield. 

We encourage all riders to visit trimet.org by Sunday, Aug. 27, and use the online trip planner to see how your travel will change. Some lines will see smaller adjustments to help riders make transfers and give operators breaks.

Forward Together

Our Forward Together Service Concept provides a roadmap for increasing service by more than 30% in the coming years. Forward Together focuses on transportation priorities defined by our community: increasing transit ridership and improving connections to destinations for people with low and limited incomes. 

We began adopting proposals from the Forward Together Service Concept in May, as we added back service hours that were reduced in 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 continue adding back service. Watch for more improvements from the Forward Together plan in the years ahead, as provided by adequate staffing and financial resources. 

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.

American Public Transportation Association conferred TriMet with its highest honors for security and safety, acknowledging TriMet’s ongoing improvements to the wellbeing of our customers and the community

TriMet’s Board of Directors has approved continuing and expanding TriMet’s Safety Response Team, recognized for making a positive impact on the community and in the transit industry. The Board voted on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, to approve a new contract with Portland Patrol Inc. (PPI), the company that provides members for the Safety Response Team. TriMet’s Safety Response Team model, first introduced as a pilot in 2021, is one of two industry-leading advances in transit safety and security that led to top honors from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) earlier this year. The Safety Response Team discourages inappropriate and illegal behavior with an emphasis on riders in need, conducting social service outreach and providing referrals for housing and mental health services.

APTA Rail Security Gold Award highlights Safety Response Team, other security initiatives

TriMet has reimagined public safety and security on transit, for which the Safety Response Team plays a critical role. Our Reimagining Public Safety and Security on Transit efforts began in 2020, following candid conversations around racial injustice. TriMet earmarked nearly $2 million to kick start initiatives to identify agency-wide improvements to safety, security and the customer experience.

By 2023, our efforts to reimagine safety and security merged into an approach that emphasizes community-driven security solutions, using teams spread across TriMet’s system. Traditional security and police continue to operate on TriMet, but our new efforts call for a more holistic approach, where specialized teams act on their strengths, freeing up the Transit Police Division to respond to crimes and major incidents. Among the nearly 33,000 people the Safety Response Team has connected with, 4,582 have been welfare checks and 1,372 have been referrals to social services, including emergency and long-term shelters, addiction and mental health services, and immigration and refugee services.

“By taking a holistic approach to public safety on our system, TriMet has dramatically increased our outreach efforts, helping passengers in need across our system while making it more inviting for everyone to get on a bus, MAX or WES train,” said Andrew Wilson, Executive Director of Safety & Security for TriMet.

Safety and security are among the top issues for our riders, according to TriMet surveys. Through our reimagining process, we gathered feedback from more than 13,000 riders, frontline employees and community members across 14 languages and cultural communities. We also established a blue ribbon panel of local and national experts—our Transit Public Safety Advisory Committee—to advise us on national best practices for transit security, equity and community engagement in safety and security. By listening to community partners, experts and our riders, we’ve grown our roster of security teams over the past three years and adapted to the new challenges facing all metropolitan transit agencies.

TriMet’s reimagined security efforts helped us to diversify our security teams, using unarmed, non-police security and TriMet code enforcement personnel in most situations. This has given TriMet more flexibility with staffing and identifying the best teams needed to address incidents on our system.

Learn more about our security teams:

Safety Response Team

Customer Safety Supervisors

Customer Safety Officers

Transit Security Officers

Transit Police Division Officers

For a complete list of the teams working on TriMet’s system, go to trimet.org/personnel.

Camera-aided investigations

APTA honored TriMet with a Rail Security Gold Award not only for our diversified security teams but also for our camera-aided deployment of personnel. TriMet’s extensive camera network has more than 3,000 cameras on our light rail system, with roughly half upgraded in the past three years. This improved technology allows for monitoring the system in real time, to verify reported incidents and deploy the appropriate resources for improved outcomes. The security camera network features state-of-the-art cameras that TriMet personnel can remotely control to pan, tilt and zoom. They also record footage of incidents on or near our system and assisted our law enforcement partners apprehend suspects in 49 homicide investigations and 57 shooting cases in 2022.  It’s one more way to upgrade response times and curb unwanted and illegal behavior, and they come in addition to new violence reduction strategies that have more efficiently incorporated law enforcement resources.

In 2022, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), which oversees TriMet’s Transit Police Division (TPD), developed a violence reduction strategy called the Enhanced Public Safety Initiative. The missions focus on disrupting criminal activity, recovering stolen property and seizing illegal firearms. The missions rely on the Safety Response Team and others for support. Transit Police and partner law enforcement agencies address criminal activity with the shared goal of making communities safer by getting criminals and illegal firearms off the streets. Among other outcomes, these missions resulted in 93 arrests, 233 warnings, 25 citations and 74 exclusions from TriMet.

“It’s through strong partnerships and collaborative approaches, such as this enhanced initiative, that help us achieve our collective goal of improving safety within our community,” Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said. “I am proud to lead the public safety work of the Sheriff’s Office, alongside TriMet, to support the transit system and make our neighborhoods around them safer and stronger.”

Calls for police services dropped in 2022 by 14% over the prior year. While these include both criminal and non-criminal calls, they represent a decrease that has allowed the Transit Police Division to continue employing its community policing model.  This came as the Safety Response Team also increased its presence to handle situations that shouldn’t require police intervention. If they do run across a dangerous situation, they have a direct line to the police, however.

Safer rail crossings

APTA also recognized TriMet’s innovative approach to crossing safety with its Rail Safety Gold Award. Safety is a core principle in everything TriMet does, influencing all of our decisions. Transit agencies across the world have to contend with unsafe behavior around their buses, trains and trackways, and TriMet is no different. We work continuously on making our rail crossings safer, often tapping into emerging technology to better understand human behavior around our tracks.

APTA recognized TriMet’s ongoing project to increase safety at rail grade crossings using video analytic data to inform a Risk Ranking Tool that will help prioritize crossing improvements. In partnership with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the new approach uses deep-learning software to improve the accuracy of data over time and better understand human behavior around our tracks. The project is cataloging pedestrian, motorized and non-motorized vehicle traffic counts, which are then compared with infrastructure, operating environment and reported incident data. The goal is to identify and categorize rail crossings, using a Risk Ranking Tool, to prioritize the most effective safety enhancements. The project is scheduled to last through 2025. The project was made possible through a cooperative agreement with the FTA.

Safety and security innovations

With a reimagined approach to security and new groups like the Safety Response Team connecting with riders, TriMet continues to adapt to the needs of the public and be an example for transit agencies across the country. Throughout the U.S., transit agencies and the communities they serve are focused on safety and security amid new challenges. TriMet has adapted, and, as we look to the future, we plan to continue innovating and applying security and safety resources effectively as we work to make our system a safe and welcoming place for everyone.

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.

The TriMet Board of Directors welcomes Robert Kellogg as its newest member. Kellogg was nominated by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek. The Oregon Senate approved Kellogg’s appointment on June 16, to take effect July 1, 2023.

Former Tualatin City Councilor, Southwest Corridor steering committee member joins TriMet Board

Kellogg will serve as the director for TriMet District 3, which covers parts of Southwest Portland, Beaverton, and southern Washington County. Kellogg has run a general law practice for 17 years. With experience on Tualatin City Council, as well as two transportation steering committees, Kellogg brings years of experience in transportation planning to the TriMet Board of Directors. 

“The number one priority is safety,” Kellogg said. “TriMet riders should feel safe when getting on board. Delivering on this will help in ridership recovery. TriMet can get people to where they want to go, but we need to work on increasing efficiency, collaborating with our regional partners to speed up buses and get people to where they’re going quicker.”

During his time on Tualatin’s City Council, Kellogg focused on local transportation issues and spearheaded a voter-approved $20 million bond measure, which looked at reducing bottlenecks and improving traffic and pedestrian safety. Kellogg began his public service career with an appointment to the Washington County Future Transportation Study, which examined opportunities for the county’s transportation systems fifty years into the future. Recently, he served on the Southwest Corridor Light Rail Project Steering Committee, which looked at expanding MAX service to the Tualatin Park & Ride at Bridgeport Village.

Kellogg grew up in southeast Missouri, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree from Truman State University. He then moved to the East Coast, graduating Magna Cum Laude from the College of Law at Syracuse University. Kellogg then worked in New York City, beginning his career with Latham & Watkins representing creditors during the bankruptcies of Global Crossing, WorldCom and Enron. It was during his time in New York City that Kellogg says he became enthusiastic about the way public transportation can improve people’s lives and shape vibrant communities.

Kellogg and his family of four live in Tualatin. Kellogg likes to play golf, if he can snag some free time, as his two school-age children keep him busy. He serves on the Board of Directors of Neighbors Nourishing Communities, a local non-profit that gives plant starts and seeds to groups and individuals who commit to donating at least 25% of their harvest to local food banks. In 2022, the organization contributed more than 3,000 pounds of fresh produce.

Thank you to outgoing District 3 and Board President Linda Simmons

Kellogg joins Board Secretary and Treasurer Ozzie Gonzalez and directors Keith Edwards, Tyler Frisbee, Thomas Kim, Dr. LaVerne Lewis and Kathy Wai on the Board.

TriMet would like to thank outgoing Board President, Dr. Linda Simmons, for the prudent financial stewardship that she provided throughout her six and a half years of volunteer service. Director Simmons was first appointed to the Board in December 2016, by Gov. Kate Brown. She was elected President in July 2021, becoming the first woman to serve in the role. Simmons departs with a history of steadfast leadership, which oversaw the launch of the Hop Fastpass® electronic fare payment system in 2017, and the kick-off to the largest bus service expansion in TriMet’s history in 2018. She was also instrumental in TriMet’s response to, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Dr. Simmons played a key role in the agency’s adoption of our zero-emission bus program and our TriMet FX® — Frequent Express — bus service. She was also deeply involved in engagement around important agency initiatives, including hiring our General Manager, reimagining public safety and developing our Forward Together service concept.

About the TriMet Board of Directors

TriMet’s Board consists of seven Directors who are appointed by the governor. They set policy for the agency as well as appoint the general manager, implement legislation pertaining to transit operations and review and approve certain contracts.

Board members are volunteers and can serve up to two, four-year terms; however, they serve at the pleasure of the governor and can continue to serve until a successor is appointed. For more information about the TriMet Board, visit trimet.org/board.

A new $2,500 hiring bonus and efficiencies to TriMet’s training program have made it easier to get a foot in the door at Oregon’s largest public transit provider

***UPDATE (June 2025): Hiring bonuses for new operators have now closed.***

James Bledsoe’s career at TriMet began with a bus, a broom and a dustpan. Now the interim director of Rail Equipment Maintenance, Bledsoe viewed his first foray into public transit as an exciting opportunity that existed few other places.

“I wanted stability,” Bledsoe said. “And I knew TriMet offered stability, good pay and benefits.”

By now, it’s no secret that TriMet is hiring more bus and rail operators, but we’re also looking to add to our ranks of maintenance workers with a new $2,500 hiring bonus. TriMet is in need of light rail vehicle technicians, bus mechanics, overhead power maintainers, body and paint technicians and more to work in our rail, bus and facilities maintenance departments.

The $2,500 hiring bonus is also offered to those who are new to jobs in transit maintenance and interested in joining our maintenance trainee and apprenticeship programs. TriMet has revamped some of our training curriculum to make it more efficient and to better prepare trainees for technician, maintainer and mechanic positions. It’s part of our larger effort to fill open positions at TriMet, bring more well-paying jobs to the region and keep our transit system operating safely and reliably.

Maintenance: a ‘contract with the customers’

Twenty-eight years after getting his start cleaning buses, Bledsoe, TriMet’s interim director of Rail Equipment Maintenance, and his crew of assistant managers, light rail technicians, trainees and service workers continue the mission of keeping a fleet of over 140 MAX trains moving. For Bledsoe, this is TriMet’s “contract with the customers.”

Bledsoe has seen opportunities within his department expand over the years, as the MAX system has grown and light rail technology has advanced. These advancements are visible on our system today, where our first-generation trains, introduced in 1986, share the same tracks with trains manufactured in 2015. Further opportunities will soon present themselves with the retirement of our first-generation vehicles and the introduction later this year of our Type 6 MAX train, outfitted with the latest technology.

Changes to how TriMet trains light rail vehicle technicians, through a more structured program with a new curriculum, also mean there’s now a shortcut on the path toward career advancement. Under TriMet’s former apprenticeship program, it could take three years for trainees to be considered proficient and productive. Using the new curriculum and training program, it’s now only eight months. Currently, TriMet has over 70 technicians who work on daily maintenance, while another 30 work to rebuild vehicles.

“When you come through the training program, you will start off with little to no knowledge about our vehicles, and we will train you from the ground up on every single system.” said James Klick, a light rail technician and trainer. “That’s basic tool handling, reading electronics schematics, car body repairs, propulsion systems and more.”

At TriMet, training is also provided for all bus mechanics, in addition to our Maintenance of Way and Facilities Maintenance staff.

Though seen less than our operators, maintenance crews, like those in Rail Equipment Maintenance, are critical to ensuring that people reach work, school and appointments on time, and TriMet’s two rail facilities operate around the clock, every day, to make sure that happens.

Jobs that grow

It takes a team to keep a community moving. Whether you have decades of experience or you’re looking for something new, exciting and rewarding, TriMet has various opportunities available—and now with expanded financial incentives. In addition to the $2,500 hiring bonus now available for maintenance employees, they are also eligible for:

• Medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance plans at low or no monthly cost
• Two retirement plans, with an 8% agency base pay contribution to employee’s 401a
• One week of paid vacation and up to 40 hours sick leave in the first year of employment, with paid time off increasing over time
• Health and dependent care spending accounts
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program 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, low-cost, on-site fitness centers
• Representation by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 757

We are also hiring positions in Finance & Administrative Services; Information Technology; Engineering & Construction; Public Affairs and Labor Relations & Human Resources. For a list of all our open positions, salary information and steps to apply, visit trimet.org/careers.

The Gresham City Hall Park & Ride will close permanently on June 16 to allow Multnomah County to build a new 95,000-square-foot library

A partnership between TriMet and Multnomah County will soon breathe new life into an underused park & ride in Gresham. On Friday, June 16, 2023, the Gresham City Hall Park & Ride will close as Multnomah County prepares the site for the new East County Library.

People who use the Gresham City Hall Park & Ride can move to the nearby Gresham Parking Garage at the Gresham Central Transit Center, located at 575 NE 8th St., adjacent to the MAX Blue Line station and stops for the FX2-Division and several other bus lines. With 540 parking spaces available, the Gresham Parking Garage is our largest parking facility in Gresham, with enough vacant spots to accommodate new riders.

With potential to revitalize an underused parcel of land next to TriMet’s Gresham City Hall MAX Station, the agreement with Multnomah County was made possible through TriMet’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) program. The program looks at opportunities that will sustain regional growth, invigorate communities and increase transit ridership.

In July 2022, Multnomah County agreed to purchase two-thirds of the TriMet-owned park & ride, with an eye on developing a flagship library in East Multnomah County, where roughly 40% of the county’s population now resides. The new library, scheduled to open in 2025, will rival Multnomah County’s Central Library in size and feature community amenities like an auditorium and public plaza.

Building community connections

Recharging underused facilities and TriMet-owned properties so they can better meet the needs of the community while promoting transit use is central to what Transit-Oriented Development does. While TriMet’s top priority will always be getting people to their destinations safely, we also see opportunities to help encourage mixed-use development, affordable housing and community centers. Some park & rides aren’t heavily used. Rather than allowing them to sit partially empty, TriMet wants to ensure our riders’ greater needs are addressed by bringing housing, recreation and destinations closer to where they ride.

The partnership with Multnomah County is a start in rethinking how to make the most of property owned by TriMet—especially that which is not needed for transit use. In November 2022, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced a $315,000 grant award to TriMet to conduct studies around potential development opportunities at two other park & rides, at E 122nd Ave and E 181st Ave. The plans will address housing needs, economic development opportunities, community-focused investments and transit accessibility, as well as station access.

Other Transit-Oriented Development projects TriMet has partnered on with others include the recently opened Fuller Station Apartments— new affordable housing within steps of the MAX Green Line in Happy Valley—and the planned hollywoodHUB project in Northeast Portland. For more information about TriMet’s Transit-Oriented Development Program, visit trimet.org/tod.