The TriMet Board of Directors approved a two-year contract extension between TriMet and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 757 at the Board’s Aug. 10, 2022 meeting. The current union Working and Wage Agreement that had been set to expire on Nov. 30, 2022, will now extend through November 2024. Nearly all aspects of the current contract will remain the same, but the extension includes annual wage increases: 7.5% increase effective on December 1, 2022, and a 4% increase effective on December 1, 2023. TriMet staff represented by ATU 757 voted to ratify the contract in late July.
“Our union employees work incredibly hard to keep our transit service rolling, people throughout the region moving and our customers informed and safe,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “They deserve pay that reflects their vital role, not only at TriMet but in our community. I’m thrilled to see this contract extension and the salary increases move forward.”
“I want to appreciate the good relationship that we have building with TriMet now,” said ATU 757 President Shirley Block at the Aug. 10 meeting. “I want this Board to know that ATU stands behind TriMet trying to make anything safe for all our members. We appreciate the extra effort going on board.”
The contract extension and pay increases are important as TriMet works to end the most severe operator shortage in agency history.
Join Team TriMet
TriMet is offering a $7,500 hiring bonus for those joining our team as bus operators. The current starting pay is $25.24 an hour, which will increase Dec. 1, 2022, with the contract extension. Other benefits for operators include:
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
With resources from Keep Oregon Moving, TriMet continues to find new ways to support low-income riders with a free pass for unlimited rides for the first month of enrollment
Relief is on the way for new and returning riders to TriMet’s income-based reduced fare program. You’re getting a month of unlimited rides on our buses and trains, for free! This year, as a result of COVID-19’s impact on ridership, we have access to an unexpected financial resource: unspent funds from the state of Oregon. These funds, which were distributed to TriMet under Keep Oregon Moving, must be used to help riders with low incomes access transit.
Starting in July and for the next two years, TriMet will give every new and re-enrolling participant in our reduced fare program based on income a free, one-month pass. This will offer continued support to the many riders and essential workers who have relied on our system throughout 2 ½ years of the pandemic’s unprecedented impact, while ensuring the funds serve the members of our community for whom they are intended.
A reduced fare for those who qualify based on income
TriMet’s reduced fare based on income is available to Oregon residents, ages 18 through 64, who qualify for our Honored Citizen Fare based solely on annual income. The discounted rate is available to people who participate in programs such as Oregon Health Plan (OHP) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or who earn up to 200% of the federal poverty rate. That’s currently about $27,180 per year for an individual and $55,500 for a household of four. Participation grants unlimited rides on TriMet’s fixed-route buses and trains for 50% off the cost of a 2 ½ hour or full-day ride. It caps monthly costs for riding at $28 per month, a $72 discount off the cost of Adult fare.
Since TriMet began offering income-based reduced fare in 2018, more than 42,000 Oregonians have signed up to ride for less. Participants are required to re-submit documents verifying qualification in the program every two years. See if you qualify and find easy steps for verifying income and getting your personalized Honored Citizen Hop card at trimet.org/save.
TriMet Transit Assistance Pass: How it works
Starting in July of 2022, TriMet will grant a one month pass to every new and renewing participant in the program. Identified as the “TriMet Transit Assistance” pass, it will provide a month of rides across the system. The pass will be loaded into the participant’s personalized Hop Fastpass® account once they complete the enrollment process.
Riders must tap their Hop card to activate the pass. During the month-long period for which the pass can be used, riders should remember to tap with every ride to show proof of valid fare. The dates that the pass is valid will be displayed in account information that is available at myhopcard.com, the Hop app and by calling 1-844-MYHOPCARD.
Unexpected, one-time Keep Oregon Moving funds available for use
The Keep Oregon Moving Act created the state’s first-ever stable source of funding for public transportation and helped establish TriMet’s low-income fare program. However, with fewer people riding during the COVID-19 pandemic, less funds set aside for the program were used. TriMet is taking advantage of the available funding to provide additional support for people struggling financially.
Over the next two years, TriMet will pilot expanded programs with the funding, which will be managed within our current Access Transit Fare Program. The new programs will provide additional resources for individuals who are low income and also part of a vulnerable rider group, such as seniors, veterans, college students and people experiencing disabilities.
Although these programs are short-term in nature and meant to serve as pilots to help inform future approaches and efforts, TriMet staff will be working with members of the Committee for Accessible Transportation (CAT), the Transit Equity Advisory Committee (TEAC) and others to explore new and different funding strategies that could be used to sustain and grow these efforts in the future.
Committed to equity
TriMet believes access to public transportation is access to opportunity, and we are committed to transit equity. As a public transportation agency, we serve a broad and diverse community. Our values are rooted in ensuring all riders have fair and equal access to transit services, without regard to race, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or income level. Learn more at trimet.org/equity.
Next-generation transit signal priority technology is being installed to help TriMet FX buses move through intersections faster
If you ever wanted to zip down a road with a string of green lights clearing your way, then TriMet’s Division Transit Project will be a wish fulfilled. Faster, smarter and more reliable bus service is coming Sept. 18 with the culmination of the Division Transit Project and the launch of TriMet FX® — or Frequent Express — service along Southeast Division Street. One reason for that will be a first for our region: the “next generation” of what’s known as transit signal priority.
Transit signal priority is a way of phasing or timing traffic signals so buses jump to the head of the line and get more green lights. Working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Gresham, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and LYT, a company specializing in next-generation transit signal priority technology, TriMet is having it installed at 58 of Division Street’s signalized intersections. These stretch along FX’s 15-mile route between Downtown Portland and Gresham.
You’ve probably experienced the benefits of transit signal priority in the past, but a version that’s relied on infrared emitters inside buses and receivers on top of traffic lights. These emitters and receivers need to be near each other to work. But the newest version does something different using cellular technology: it collects information about the location and speed of a bus and sends it to a cloud server, which allows the system to adapt the phasing of traffic signals to give an edge to bus riders.
This means quicker trips and even easier access to buses. That’s because the technology also provides priority to pedestrian signals to help people reach transit stops ahead of the buses.
The future of transit is FX
Providing green-light priority to buses is just one of the efficiency improvements coming to the new FX2-Division line. Most visibly, it will bring a new type of high-capacity bus service to the region. With its longer, 60-foot green buses, FX will allow more people to ride—60% more per bus—at frequencies of 12 minutes or less throughout most of the day.
This new type of service, along a busy transit corridor, means other changes are coming to make the riding experience even more efficient and reliable.
Riders will be able to board and pay through three different doors, an advantage of the FX bus’s longer, articulated design.
Cyclists will be able to bring their bikes on board through the rear door, where they can more quickly secure them in an interior rack.
To help minimize travel times, 42 new bus stations have been built between Gresham’s Cleveland Park & Ride and Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People, where rider demand is greatest.
The new stations include features like seating, lighting, rain and wind protection and TransitTracker™ displays.
Less waiting, faster buses
FX will cut travel times up to 20% between Downtown Portland and Gresham.
While giving special treatment to buses at signalized intersections has been done for years using the infrared line-of-sight system, it’s never been able to collect transit vehicle and intersection information that allows it to adapt as it can now. That’s made possible now through advances in machine learning—a subset of artificial intelligence.
With the help of LYT, sophisticated technology is drastically improving traffic signal priority. Rather than relying on line-of-sight emitters and receivers that communicate between buses and traffic signals, the new technology uses a device on the bus to relay a constant stream of information to the system’s network, most important being a bus’s speed and estimated time of arrival. That information is then passed onto traffic signal cabinets at intersections, which will make a request to grant the bus a green light before it arrives.
That stream of information will also improve how TriMet schedules buses, which can help prevent “bus bunching”—where two or more buses arrive back-to-back, or within just a few minutes of each other.
“As we fine tune the system, we’re expecting there will be a feedback loop with TriMet’s scheduling department,” TriMet’s Director of Intelligent Transportation Systems A.J. O’Connor said. “Schedules will become more consistent, reliable and tighter.”
Partnerships drive innovation
TriMet appreciates the work of our partners to turn the bold vision of the Division Transit Project into a reality. LYT’s expertise in next-generation transit signal priority helps to create a smarter, more adaptable transit system.
The cities of Portland and Gresham, as well as ODOT, have been instrumental in their support, recognizing the value of faster and more convenient transit service. TriMet was able to pursue a next-generation transit signal priority system thanks to a grant from the Federal Highway Administration through ODOT.
And Raimore Construction, the Division Transit Project’s prime contractor, along with our various subcontractors, have worked through the challenges presented by COVID-19 to keep the project on schedule. Raimore’s company won the largest contract ever to be awarded to a certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise in Oregon. That certification helps bring opportunities to businesses that are owned by people who’ve experienced social and economic hardship.
Speed up your career
TriMet is hiring bus operators, including those who will have an opportunity to drive the new FX buses. There are other innovative vehicles for you to get behind the wheel of as well, including new electric buses and our fleet of 700 renewable-diesel-powered buses.
New operators earn $25.24 an hour to start and are eligible for a $7,500 bonus. Other benefits include health, dental and vision plans at low to no cost, a 401(a) retirement plan with an 8% employer contribution and up to $25,000 in life insurance for full-time operators, provided by TriMet.
If operating a MAX sounds exciting, we just made it faster to get behind the controls. You can be part of the future—and build a great future for yourself—at TriMet, which has been innovating public transportation in the region for more than 50 years. Visit trimet.org/drive to learn more and apply.
Red Line will be disrupted July 30-31 to allow for construction to take place in the tracks north of Gateway Transit Center
Construction on TriMet’s A Better Red project will result in no MAX Red Line service for one weekend in July, which will allow crews to continue working on a new light rail bridge just north of the Gateway Transit Center. Red Line trains will not be running on Saturday, July 30, and Sunday, July 31. Riders will be able to use shuttle buses for trips from the Gateway Transit Center to Portland International Airport.
Roughly 10 months after our A Better Red project broke ground, it’s making visible progress near the Gateway Transit Center and Gateway Green Park. With the bridge’s supports, known as piers, in place, crews can now place the “pier cap” over our existing track. Pier caps transfer pressure from the bridge’s supports, making them sturdier and more resilient. The work is an important step in constructing a bridge that will carry a second MAX track, intended to relieve bottlenecks as Red Line trains come into Gateway.
Getting around the construction
We are very appreciative of our riders’ understanding during projects like this. It helps make it possible for us to complete work that improves reliability across the MAX system.
For riders traveling from the Gateway Transit Center to PDX, shuttle buses will be running about every 15 minutes. Signs will be posted directing riders to the shuttle bus stops. During the busiest times, TriMet staff will be present to help riders get around the disruption.
MAX Blue and Green line trains will be running normally and can take riders to destinations farther east or west. But riders who are accustomed to riding the Red Line or who were planning to take it directly to the airport during the weekend disruption will need to take either a Blue or Green line train. At Gateway, riders will then transfer to a shuttle bus for the final leg of their trip. Riders can also connect with bus lines 15, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 87 at Gateway.
While we’re working to keep the impacts on riders to a minimum, we do suggest you plan at least an extra 30 minutes for your trips during the disruption. We encourage you to plan ahead and to stay informed with service alerts delivered directly to your phone via email or text.
All you need to do is go to trimet.org/alerts, click Service Alerts and then pick the line(s) you’d like to receive alerts about. You can find more details about the project and service information for the disruption at trimet.org/alerts/maxredline.
A Better Red
TriMet’s A Better Red project will extend the MAX Red Line west to the Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport Station, serving 10 extra stations that only Blue Line trains currently serve. Also among the improvements will be the addition of a second set of tracks in the Gateway area and near Portland International Airport.
Once completed in 2024, the A Better Red project will not only extend Red Line service west, creating direct “train-to-plane” trips for more riders and adding to our overall capacity, the addition of a second track will improve reliability across the MAX system. With three lines—Blue, Green and Red— funneling into Gateway, trains sometimes have to wait for others to clear. The extra tracks will move trains around each other and keep them on time throughout the system.
Making transit better
Ensuring that our system works for everyone, runs smoothly and improves people’s lives is at the heart of our efforts to make transit better. Projects that relieve congestion, diminish pollution and keep people moving help everyone and make sure the transportation system works for those who rely on it. A Better Red will help bring better and more reliable transit to our community. In April, we moved a section of special track just north of Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center. Most of the construction is taking place while service runs normally, with crews working to build the infrastructure that our riders will enjoy in the future.
Pay, benefits and future opportunities set TriMet apart as a stable employer with prospects for long-term success
TriMet bus operator Anthony Albright has a life goal: He wants to own a home. For years, the 30-something, college-educated, Portland native fended off invitations from a friend, a TriMet mechanic, to apply to become a bus operator. He was happy enough in his eight-year career in the semiconductor industry, where he had moved up the ranks to become a supervisor. But despite Anthony’s success, his friend wouldn’t let up about the opportunities at TriMet. He kept pestering Anthony to make a move.
“He’s been telling me for years that it’s time to come over for the income. Here, I could be making about double what I used to make,” Anthony said. “So, it was a big leap of faith. It was risky, but he just convinced me over time, and I took the chance. Now I’m a bus operator.”
Anthony was hired in January. Although he had never pictured himself driving a bus, he couldn’t see himself spending the next 30 years of his life in an office, either. He says there’s prestige that comes with the job, which trains you to be an expert driver.
“I see this as a working class, professional job that serves the city,” he explained. “TriMet is a very good option where you can get a good income and feel good about the job you do every day.”
Growing up in North Portland, Anthony attended Jefferson High School and remembers riding the bus with his friends to go to Lloyd Center and other destinations in the city. They often hopped on Line 72-Killingsworth/82nd to get where they needed to go. It’s the same bus route that Anthony is driving now.
“A lot of things have changed in the city as we all know, but it does feel good to be back in those neighborhoods and serving the people, my neighbors,” he said.
But as he thinks about the past, his old friends and how far they’ve come, Anthony acknowledges that there’s something missing.
“We’re from Portland. We grew up here, and none of us have a home. And so, that’s the number one reason why I came here, to set myself up for the future,” he said. “I was thinking about the ability to kind of make that American dream. I started to think, how am I going to really kick it into gear to get these things that I want: the home, the family, (the ability) to provide, you know what I mean?”
Better pay, a bonus and other benefits
Beyond the current incentives of a $7,500 hiring bonus and $25.24 starting pay, TriMet bus operators receive generous benefits, including health, life and disability insurance; paid vacation and sick time; a retirement account with a guaranteed employer contribution; union representation and more. All new operators have access to:
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
“It’s rough out there for a lot of folks. It’s not easy for everybody, but there is opportunity,” Anthony summarized. “So, it’s like who wants to come grab it, who wants to come take it? Long story short, TriMet can help you get there.”
TriMet bus operators have the option to pursue full- or part-time schedules of at least 25 hours per week. Learn more and apply today at trimet.org/drive.
TriMet is introducing a faster path for new hires, allowing you to qualify for MAX training right after bus operator training
A new fast-track for operating MAX trains can help move your career full speed ahead. TriMet has made it quicker than ever to join the team and become a MAX operator. Newly hired bus operator candidates not only get a $7,500 hiring bonus and earn a starting wage of $25.24 an hour, they also will immediately qualify for MAX training once they complete bus operator training. Previously, operators had to wait six months before applying to make the switch to the light rail system.
The move, made alongside Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 757, is effective for operators hired between June 11, 2022, through June 2023. The quicker pipeline for new MAX operators comes as TriMet faces a severe operator shortage, which has led to canceled buses and trains almost daily. It is also forcing us to reduce service levels temporarily for buses starting Sept. 18, 2022. No cuts to MAX service are planned in order to preserve service as best we can for communities of concern. That’s why we are accelerating the path for new hires, allowing them to move to MAX more quickly.
We apologize to our riders for any delays they’ve encountered stemming from the operator shortage. We’re pulling out all the stops to hire and train more operators in the hopes of adding service levels back in 2023.
MAX opportunities
An operator’s transition from bus to rail may not be immediate, but it will be much faster than before. MAX classes begin about every four weeks and are limited to nine students to help ensure there’s individualized, hands-on instruction. In addition to the practical instruction—learning the technical ins and outs and actually operating a train—students receive further instruction in the classroom and using our virtual reality program, which replicates troubleshooting scenarios operators may encounter. During their 11 weeks of training, operators receive their full salary as they learn the nuances of something new and exciting.
MAX training is all about helping operators succeed! Demonstrating you can operate a train safely and within the bounds of federally mandated regulations is essential before graduating from the program. This high skills job comes with great rewards.
“The training was fantastic. If you make it through training, and you’re trusted to get on the rails, that means TriMet really knows you can do your job,” Rail Operator Jeff Flanagan said. “The most enjoyable part of the job would be knowing that you’re helping people get to and from work–and just to be able to operate a train. I think that’s a pretty cool opportunity, where you’re transporting anywhere from 40 to 60 to 100 people sometimes.”
If an operator does not pass the MAX training program, or simply decides it’s not for them, their job in bus transportation will still be waiting for them. From there, many opportunities for advancement and promotion exist, such as becoming a field supervisor, station agent, customer safety supervisor, dispatcher and more!
At the controls of cutting edge
A MAX trainee applies his knowledge in our virtual reality program.
New MAX operators will be on the cutting edge with the latest light rail technology. Starting later this year, the first of TriMet’s newest MAX trains—what we call our Type 6—will start arriving at our facilities. Manufactured by Siemens Mobility, these new models will replace our oldest trains—the ones with stairs at the doors—that have been carrying riders since 1986.
Those joining the ranks of TriMet’s MAX operators will be among the first to get behind the controls of these brand new vehicles and will play an important part in the agency’s future.
Join the team!
Looking for a change? Interested in new challenges? Eager to receive paid training that will set you up for success? New hires receive a $7,500 hiring bonus and starting salary of $25.24 an hour, whether you stay in bus or move to MAX. Operator jobs also come with stability, security and comprehensive benefits. These include insurance, a retirement account with an 8% agency base pay contribution, paid vacation and up to 40 hours of sick leave in the first year (with paid time off increasing over time) in addition to much more. More than even that, there are ample opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Visittrimet.org/careers to learn about all of the employment opportunities at TriMet.
Tentative extension through 2024 includes wage increases
TriMet and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 757 leadership are proposing to extend the current union Working and Wage Agreement that is set to expire on Nov. 30, 2022. The tentative agreement maintains all provisions of the existing union contract through November 2024, but includes important wage increases. If approved, the new contract would provide for a 7.5% increase effective on December 1, 2022, and a 4% increase effective on December 1, 2023. The raises are important, especially as the agency faces service cuts due to an historic operator shortage.
“Our union staff are the lifeblood of TriMet, and I’m excited we can get a pay increase into their hands with this joint action,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “Our union employees have worked incredibly hard throughout this pandemic, keeping our community moving during a challenging time. I’m proud we can make this move for them.”
“The ink has barely dried on our last contract, and there are still some things to iron out there, but the parties will greatly benefit from this additional time to gear up for our next round of negotiations,” said ATU 757 President Shirley Block. “Far more importantly, this would bring our members some certainty. A moment to breathe, knowing that we won’t have to wait months or years on end for answers, for retroactive wages, while footing any extra healthcare bills while they wait.”
The tentative agreement would increase wages across all union work groups throughout TriMet. Union members must first vote to ratify the new contract and then the TriMet Board of Directors must vote to approve.
Beginning with our fall service change in September, TriMet will shift, reduce or cancel some service until operator numbers increase further
TriMet is adjusting service on10 bus lines this fall as we temporarily reduce service levels based on our available workforce. This comes amid the largest operator shortage in agency history. While most of the affected lines currently see low ridership, TriMet took a balanced and careful approach with an eye on preserving service in areas with high concentrations of people with low-incomes and communities of color.
Reduced service will take affect starting on September 18, 2022. We aim to begin adding back the service hours in 2023 as long as our operator ranks continue to increase.
“We would much rather be expanding our transit service. But by reducing our service levels, we increase our schedule reliability so riders experience fewer canceled or late buses,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue, Jr. “While rebounding from this historic operator shortage will take some time, TriMet is committed to hiring scores of new operators to meet the needs of our community.”
Temporary service level reductions
Beginning with our fall service change in September, TriMet will shift, reduce or cancel some service, with a focus on low ridership lines and times.
Cancel two bus lines: 50-Cedar Mill and 92-South Beaverton Express
Reduce service hours on three low-ridership bus lines to only run buses during peak travel time for high school students: 1-Vermont, 18-Hillside and 26-Thurman/NW 18th. With this change, line 26-Thurman/NW 18th Ave will also not have weekend service.
Cancel extra weekday rush-hour trips on three bus lines as peak ridership trends have changed: 8-Jackson Park/NE 15th, 9-Powell Boulevard and 72-Killingsworth/82nd Ave
Cancel extra trips added during the pandemic for physical distancing on one bus line: 81-Kane/257th
Reduce frequency on one low-ridership bus line to hourly service: 82-South Gresham
TriMet will also be making some slight adjustments with our TriMet FX™ (Frequent Express) bus service launching on Sept. 18. The new service along Division Street will still give riders a faster and more convenient way to travel between Gresham and Downtown Portland, using longer buses with multiple-door boarding and transit-priority in key locations. Once up and running, it will improve service along the busy corridor, reducing travel times by 20%.
Buses on the FX2-Division line will run every 12 minutes for the majority of the day with only a couple of buses added during commuting hours. With the Line 2 being replaced by the FX2-Division, the Line 10-Harold St route will still change and weekend service will be added. But we will not be able to add buses during the weekdays as we had planned.
Forward Together
The trickle-down effects of our operator shortage can cause frustration despite our best efforts. In short: it’s been a challenge to hire and train enough operators to replace those lost to retirement and attrition. And we’re not alone. Because our operator shortage is part of a larger trend affecting transit agencies and industries nationwide, we’ve taken unprecedented actions to recruit and retain the talented workforce on which our riders rely. We’ve bumped up the starting pay to $25.24, boosted our hiring bonus to $7,500 and begun looking outside state lines to bring in new operators.
When we do grow our operator ranks and start adding back service, we want to make sure we are serving the needs of our community. With the COVID-19 pandemic changing the way people travel, TriMet has launched Forward Together, a comprehensive service analysis and community engagement effort to determine a better bus system.
We’re taking a look at where buses are running now and where they should run. And the community is involved. We’re asking if we should focus buses on where people ride the most or spread them out to serve more neighborhoods. We’ll be sharing more about the effort in the coming months.
Join the team!
Join us in helping people reach destinations around the region while easing traffic congestion and reducing air pollution.
In addition to a starting salary of $25.24 an hour and a $7,500 hiring bonus, TriMet operators receive many other benefits that only increase over time:
Operators receive regular pay increases over their first three years, with pay topping out at $68,000 annually for full-time employees.
All new bus operators receive seven weeks of paid training, including commercial driver’s license (CDL) education and certification.
With our retirement accounts, TriMet makes a monthly contribution of 8% for union employees based on their pay.
Bus operators accrue one week of paid vacation and up to 40 hours sick leave in the first year of employment, with time off increasing after the first year.
TriMet offers health, dental, vision, disability and life insurance plans and contributes up to 95% of monthly health insurance premiums.
All employees and eligible family members can receive an annual transit pass (valued up to $1200).
Employees and eligible family members have 24-hour access to five exclusive on-site fitness centers, with plans starting at just $13/month.
TriMet bus operators receive representation by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 757.
You can put yourself in the driver’s seat and join the TriMet team by visiting trimet.org/driveforus.
Following 2 ½ years of construction, TriMet’s Division Transit Project is nearly complete, with better bus service benefiting communities from Gresham to Downtown Portland just 100 days away
With construction of the Division Transit Project nearly complete, we’re counting down 100 days to the launch of our new TriMet FX®, or Frequent Express, bus service. FX means better TriMet bus service for the Division Street corridor, stretching between Gresham and Downtown Portland.
When FX2-Division opens on September 18, it will give transit riders in our region a faster, more reliable and convenient way to get around. FX has new, longer buses with multiple-door boarding; enhanced stations with seating and TransitTracker™ displays; and will use special signals, signs and lanes on Division Street, to help riders keep moving when the cars around their bus are stuck in traffic.
Construction of the Division Transit Project kicked off in early 2020. As of June, we have completed the majority of construction, and the project remains on time and under budget. Now, with FX2-Division’s official opening in just 100 days, we’re adding up the many benefits, not just for transit riders but everyone who shares the road.
Division Transit Project by the numbers
Bigger buses with 60% more space on board for riders
TriMet will use longer, articulated buses for FX2-Division service
FX2-Division will use 60-foot buses, with 60% more room on board than an average bus. Even though the buses are longer, they are the same width as a 40-foot bus, but with a “bendy” or articulated section to help with safe turns. Our 31 new FX buses are the first articulated buses to join TriMet’s fleet in more than 20 years!
We are using renewable diesel to fuel all of our FX buses as well as all of our diesel buses. Renewable diesel is a cleaner, low-carbon fuel resulting in dramatically less greenhouse gas emissions. This makes our buses an even more environmentally friendly travel option than ever before.
Up to 20% improvement in bus travel times between Gresham and Downtown Portland!
FX2-Division buses will use Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People, to cross the Willamette River
One of the biggest benefits of our FX service is faster service and with FX2-Division, we’re keeping buses moving with:
Transit priority: We worked with our transportation partners at the cities of Portland and Gresham to incorporate special signals, signs and lanes in key locations to help buses skip past traffic and keep riders moving
All-door boarding: FX buses have three doors for faster boarding to let riders pay their fare, hop on board and get going
Bikes on board: With space on board for bikes, there’s no need to stop and load your bike on the front of the bus
Better frequency, with buses arriving every 12 minutes
We’re making our Frequent Service even better with the launch of FX2-Division. Riders will see buses arriving every 12 minutes.
More than80 bus stop stations with features that make riding easier and more convenient
We’ve constructed 42 pairs of bus stop stations to serve riders on Division, between Gresham’s Cleveland Park and Ride and Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People. Stations are located in areas with highest ridership to help reduce travel time while providing important transit connections to MAX and many other bus lines. They include features such as seating, lighting, rain and wind protection, TransitTracker™ displays and trash cans. They are all ADA-accessible.
More than 80,000 square feet of improved sidewalks, 4.5 miles of protected bike lanes 11 new marked crosswalks and more, to make our community safer for all who share the road
Crews build the curb line for a protected bike lane at Southeast 122nd and Division
We thank our partners with the cities of Gresham and Portland for their partnership throughout construction of the Division Transit Project and their support for better bus service in the Division Street corridor. When transit is fast, reliable and convenient, people are more likely to ride. And, with more people choosing our service, there’s less traffic and air pollution, contributing to more livable communities throughout our region.
TriMet also thanks our prime contractor, Raimore Construction, and regional transportation partners, who worked through challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic to keep the project moving forward through two years of unprecedented challenges.
With physical construction of the Division Transit Project substantially complete, crews are focused on finishing work, including installing electrical components, station lighting, shelter glass and railing at some locations. FX2-Division officially opens for service on Sunday, Sept. 18.
Steer your career
Bus operator, Tiffany Pitre
TriMet is hiring bus operators. If you can see yourself behind the wheel of an FX bus, an electric bus or one of the 700 workhorse buses that serve our riders daily, join our team and put yourself in the driver’s seat! New operators earn $25.24 an hour to start and are eligible for a $7,500 bonus, in addition to benefits like health, dental and vision plans with low- to no-cost, a 401a retirement plan with an 8% employer contribution and up to $25,000 in life insurance for full-time operators, provided by TriMet. Plus, you’ll gain the satisfaction and stability of working for TriMet, a public agency, which has been serving the greater Portland area for more than 50 years! Visit trimet.org/drive to learn more and apply.
New bus station platforms on Division at 82nd, 93rd and 122nd will open to Line 2 riders on Sunday, June 12, with connections to MAX Green Line
Riders on TriMet’s Line 2-Division will begin using more select Division Transit Project bus stations on Sunday, June 12. These stations are located on SE Division Street at 82nd Avenue westbound and eastbound, 93rd Avenue westbound and eastbound and 122nd Avenue westbound and eastbound. The 93rd stations provide connections to MAX Green Line for trips to Clackamas, Downtown Portland and other destinations.
The Division Transit Project lays the foundation for our new type of bus service—TriMet FX™ or Frequent Express—that will begin running on Sunday, Sept. 18. We’re opening these stations early to benefit Line 2 riders and improve access to safer crossings for all users.
Using the new stations
Shared bike and pedestrian design
TriMet’s shared bike and pedestrian bus stop station design for the Division Transit Project
The stations on SE Division at 93rd Avenue, both westbound and eastbound, and the westbound station at 122nd Avenue use the shared bike and pedestrian design. Line 2 riders have been using this type of station at 130th and 135th avenues since March 2021. We also opened this station type at 112th Avenue in February 2022. Cyclists, bus riders and people passing by share the space, with the bike lane near the front of the platform where the buses stop. Cyclists are required to stop when approaching the station at the “wait here” marking when a bus is stopped so riders can board or exit the bus.
Island design
TriMet’s island bus stop station design for the Division Transit Project
The stations at 82nd Avenue westbound and eastbound and at 122nd eastbound use the island design. For this station type, riders should wait on the station platform for the bus to arrive. A green bike lane is located behind the station platform. Cyclists must yield to pedestrians at the two marked crossings when bicycling though the station area.
Finishing Project Construction
Station amenities, including shelters with seating, digital information displays and trashcans are in place each station. TransitTracker™ will be turned on when FX service begins in September.
Crews are completing Division Transit Project construction through the summer, including installing electrical components, station lighting, shelter glass and railing at some locations. Access to some station platforms may be temporarily limited during this work.
“Division Transit Project construction is winding down, paving the way for FX2-Division to open in September,” said Division Transit Project Project Manager Michael Kiser. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we finish the work to bring better service to the Division Street corridor.”
TriMet’s standard 40-foot buses will serve the stations until FX2-Division service begins in September. It will run between Downtown Portland and Gresham as we retire the current Line 2.
Learn more about Division Transit Project’s four station types here.
FX2-Division
TriMet will use 60-foot, articulated buses for FX2-Division service
Our first FX bus line will roll into service on Sunday, Sept. 18. It will feature longer buses with 60% more room on board, 20% faster ride time between Gresham and Downtown Portland and improvements like special signals, signs and lane striping that give buses an advantage in traffic. FX2-Division buses will arrive every 12 minutes during peak travel times.
Get in the driver seat
Bus operator Niktani Somilleda
If you’ve ever dreamed of sitting behind the wheel of one of our big, new, FX articulated buses, an electric bus or one of the 700 workhorse buses that serve our riders daily, join our team and put yourself in the driver’s seat!
We’re currently hiring bus operators who will help drive our future. New operators earn $25.24 an hour to start and are eligible for a $7,500 bonus, in addition to benefits like health, dental and vision plans with low- to no-cost, a 401a retirement plan with an 8% employer contribution and up to $25,000 in life insurance for full-time operators, provided by TriMet. Plus, you’ll gain the satisfaction and stability of working for TriMet, a public agency, which has been serving the greater Portland area for more than 50 years! Visit trimet.org/drive to learn more and apply today!
