Line 42 will begin serving riders March 5, one of three new lines system-wide
TriMet buses will start rolling on a new line for Washington County on March 5. Line 42-Denney/Hall serves communities between Tigard, Washington Square and Beaverton Transit Centers. It provides coverage on stretches of SW Denney Road and SW Hall Boulevard where service did not previously exist, and it expands service options on SW Lombard Avenue and SW Scholls Ferry Road.
“I want to thank TriMet for creating this new line,” said Mayor John Cook of Tigard. “As our area continues to grow and owning an automobile gets more expensive, comprehensive transit service is more important than ever before.”
Instead of traveling busy Highway 217, TriMet riders now have a new option which offers connections between communities of affordable housing and economic opportunities throughout Washington County.
“Line 42 is a great alternative to driving congested roads and will serve highly populated areas and employment corridors between Tigard and Beaverton,” said Cook. “This line will be welcomed by commuters and employers in both cities!”
Service on Line 42-Denney/Hall will be available Monday through Friday, with buses running every 30 to 45 minutes between 6:15 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Riders can make transfers to other bus lines, MAX Blue and Red lines, and WES Commuter Rail at Beaverton Transit Center and to bus and WES at Tigard Transit Center.
Three new bus lines added
Line 42 is one of three new bus lines TriMet is launching this spring, as well as making improvements to existing service. These enhancements are just one way TriMet is Making Transit Better. We’re making improvements to service and infrastructure system-wide as we continue to plan for the future, addressing transit needs along our region’s most congested corridors. These new lines and service improvements were made possible by an incremental increase in the employer payroll tax, approved by TriMet’s Board of Directors in 2015. They are part of TriMet’s 10-year plan to provide more and better bus service throughout the region.
Darcella grew up in East Portland. She attended Alder Elementary School, in Reynolds School District. It’s a school with a Portland address, but it sits in what often seems to be a gray area between Portland and Gresham. She remembers a time when farmland quilted the area, a time before there were so many stretches of strip malls, when streets were quieter, less crowded, and TriMet service was less frequent.
Over time, Darcella, grew to depend on TriMet. First the bus, then a combination of bus and light rail, after the MAX Blue Line started making trips to Gresham back in 1986. “I don’t drive,” she said. “The bus is my lifeline. I go grocery shopping with it. There’s no other way to get around. Going to and from work – any kind of activity… It’s just imperative to have TriMet.”
She talked with TriMet at the Rosewood Initiative, a community center she describes as one of the area’s best. It occupies a converted retail space at the Village Square, an early 1960’s era strip mall at SE 162nd Stark. With floor to ceiling windows across the front of the building, winter sunlight streamed into the main room, which is painted in bright, coordinated color blocks. One of TriMet’s newest bus lines, Line 74-162nd Avenue, will soon have a stop steps from the front door.
Darcella doesn’t hide her excitement for the new line. She says it will bring additional time and convenience to her life. To get to and from work now, she first catches Line 20-Burnside/Stark going west toward Portland City Center. “That can take, from out here, anywhere from half an hour at least,” she said. Then she transfers to Line 72-Killingsworth/82nd and begins travelling north. “That’s probably another 20 minutes,” she added. “That includes wait time, so especially during the winter weather and the rain, which we have in Portland, it can be awhile.”
Line 74 will offer an alternative, a North-South route along 162nd Avenue from SE Powell to NE Airport Way. “Any time they add new lines, especially north and south, it would help for economic opportunities,” said Darcella. “There’s a lot of opportunity near Portland International Airport,” she added. “There’s hospitality, hotels, motels out there, housekeeping, front desk, maintenance, all kinds of things, the airport, they’re always hiring out there…. There’s packaging out there. There’s postal.”
Her assessment falls in lockstep with what the Rosewood Initiative’s Director of Transportation Equity describes as the importance of Line 74. Kem Marks is legally blind and transit-dependent. Although he lives just outside the Rosewood neighborhood, he’s a vocal advocate for service in East Portland. Line 74 won’t deliver everything he wants, at least not yet, but he says it’s a big step in the right direction. “It means that more people have freedom, freedom to go to more places at more times than they currently have,” said Marks.
He believes a new and more efficient connection to the region’s growing employment corridors is one of the key benefits of Line 74. “This is going to allow people access to jobs in the Columbia Corridor and to be able to make connections to other lines that may not be in the corridor, but the corridor is where a lot of family-wage jobs exist, and a lot of the people who live out here just can’t get there at the moment in a timely fashion.”
When it opens on March 5, Line 74 will offer service about every half hour, from approximately 7a.m. through 7:30 p.m., Monday – Friday. For Darcella, it will free up a little more time to do things she enjoys, but she hopes to see service expanded in the future. As ridership grows, TriMet will be able to look at that possibility.
Jenny Glass is the Executive Director of the Rosewood Initiative and advocated strongly for Line 74. “Really transportation is about connection and accessibility to all things,” said Glass. “It will improve the quality of life for everyone living in this community and their ability to access employment and childcare and other services, education, so this will really impact thousands of people in this community.”
“This bus 74,” summed up Darcella, “it’s just another gold star for TriMet – the way it wants to help people move and get to where they’ve gotta go in a timely and safe manner.”
In addition to Line 74, TriMet is adding new bus lines in Gresham and Washington County, as well as improving service in East Portland, Milwaukie and Troutdale. For more information, visit trimet.org/servicechanges.
TriMet’s Board of Directors has appointed TriMet General Counsel Shelley Devine as interim General Manager of the transit agency. The Board made the appointment during a teleconference this morning, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. General Manager Neil McFarlane wrapped up his service today. He announced his retirement in October after more than seven years as General Manager, and some 27 years with TriMet.
Devine will temporarily lead TriMet while the Board finalizes its decision on a permanent General Manager. TriMet and the Board have conducted community outreach since November during the General Manager search. The Board named TriMet’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Doug Kelsey as the finalist for the position at its January 24 meeting. Board members and Kelsey have been meeting with community stakeholders to discuss TriMet’s long- and short-term goals. The Board expects to make a decision at its February 28 meeting on whether to offer Kelsey the General Manager position or continue the search.
Interim General Manager Devine joined TriMet in March 2008 as Senior Deputy General Counsel and was named General Counsel in March 2014. She oversees TriMet’s Legal Services Division and has served as advisor to the General Manager and Board.
March service improvements include new service and route adjustments to better connect riders with employment, education, community services
New bus service and better access to the region’s employment corridors are ahead as TriMet rolls out improvements for spring 2018. We’re adding three new bus lines, adjusting three routes and adding service on some other lines to help people get where they need to go while improving the efficiency and reliability of TriMet’s bus service. These changes reflect our commitment to a 10-year expansion of service that aligns with the region’s projected growth and efforts to ease traffic congestion.
TriMet’s spring service begins on March 4. Plan ahead using the Trip Planner available at trimet.org.
New service
Line 74-162nd Avenue
Line 74-162nd Avenue provides a new option for north-south trips and allows for better connections to current bus lines. The route travels the length of 162nd Avenue between SE Powell Boulevard and NE Airport Way, and serves the employment-rich Columbia Corridor. Service runs about every 30-35 minutes, Monday through Friday, with the first trip north to Airport Way at 7:00 a.m. and the last trip south to SE 182nd Avenue at 7:21 p.m.
Line 42-Denney/Hall
This line will provide new service between Tigard Transit Center, Washington Square and Beaverton Transit Center. It allows connections to MAX Blue and Red lines at Beaverton Transit Center. The route brings new bus service to portions of SW Denney Road and SW Hall Boulevard. Service runs about every 30-35 minutes, Monday through Friday, with the first trip north to Beaverton at 6:14 a.m. and the last trip south to Tigard at 6:24 p.m.
Line 82-South Gresham
Line 82-South Gresham is a new line that covers a portion of the former Line 87-Airport Way/181st route and connects to grocery stores, other shopping outlets and bus service in east Gresham. Service runs about every 40-45 minutes, Monday through Friday, with the first trip east to Gresham at 6:11 a.m. and the last trip west to SE 182nd Avenue at 7:07 p.m.
Better service
Line 87-Airport Way/181st
The Line 87 will now run all trips between Gateway Transit Center and SE 182nd Avenue & Powell Boulevard, with weekend service added.
Line 81-Kane/257th
Line 81 gets a new route. The line will run along Division Street and 257th Avenue to provide quicker connections to Mount Hood Community College, the Troutdale Airport Business Park, and major employers like FedEx and Amazon.
Line 152-Milwaukie
The new route for Line 152-Milwaukie moves service from Lake Road to SE Harmony Road to provide a quicker trip to International Way and service to Clackamas Community College Harmony Campus. Frequency will increase, with peak service running about every 30 minutes.
MAX Red Line
We’re adding later trips to Portland International Airport (PDX) and with that comes a more convenient connection to work and travel. The last train from Beaverton Town Center to PDX will now leave Beaverton about half an hour later, at 10:41 p.m. The last train from PDX to Hillsboro will now leave the airport about half an hour later, at 12:18 a.m. We are also adding new trips from Rose Quarter TC to the airport and trips from the airport to Gateway TC, continuing to Ruby Junction. See full schedule here.
More service improvements
Adjustments to the following bus lines help improve connections, ease transfers, better match traffic conditions or add capacity to meet rider demand.
Line 1-Vermont – Added service in the morning and evening to better match ridership
Line 10-Harold St – Added service in the morning and evening to better match ridership
Line 20-Burnside/Stark – New stop location at Gresham Transit Center
Line 33-McLoughlin/King Rd – Schedule change to reduce wait and transfer times
Line 45-Garden Home – Schedule change to better match traffic conditions
Line 52-Farmington/185th – New stop location at Beaverton Transit Center
Line 71-60th Ave – More morning and afternoon service to meet rider demand
Improving the ride
As part of our commitment to better bus service, we’re also improving the ride. Since 2012, TriMet has added 512 new buses, reducing the average age of our fleet to about seven years. Newer buses improve reliability, use cleaner-burning fuel technologies that reduce carbon emissions and make for a smoother, more enjoyable ride.
Two new bus lines, all night service to Portland International Airport, the return of 24-hour service, and a split of our longest bus line among the proposals
TriMet invites the public to our final open house on Thursday, Feb. 15 to learn about proposed service improvements for fall 2018 and spring 2019. We’re expanding bus service in response to community feedback and a growing demand for service as the region’s population expands. Among the proposals is the return of 24-hour service on two lines for the first time in more than 30 years. The proposals are part of TriMet’s 10-year expansion plan and reflect our commitment to provide more service and better connections to jobs, services and educational opportunities.
Proposed Service Improvements
Line 4-Division/Fessenden – split into two routes to keep buses running on time
Line 20-Burnside/Stark – more trips serving the entire line and 24-hour service
Line 24-Fremont – more frequent weekday service, addition of weekend service, and an extension to NW Portland and Goose Hollow to connect with MAX
Line 57-TV Highway/Forest Grove – 24-hour service
Lines 61, 64, 66, 68 – more morning and afternoon trips to better accommodate work shifts on Marquam Hill
Line 73-122nd Ave – more frequent buses
Line 79-Clackamas/Oregon City – faster and more direct route between Clackamas Town Center and Oregon City Transit Center
Line 81-Kane/257th – more service between Gresham TC and the Troutdale Airport Industrial Park
Line 96 – addition of midday service
New bus line between Clackamas Town Center, Gladstone, and Oregon City Transit Center via Webster, Thiessen, and Johnson roads.
New bus service running after the last MAX Red Line trip of the night between Portland International Airport and Burnside via 82nd
Open House
Thursday, February 15, 5-7 p.m.
Legacy Emanuel Hospital
Lorenzen Conference Center
2901 N Gatenbein Ave., Portland OR 97227
Find more information and an opportunity to comment by visiting: trimet.org/serviceplan. Feedback is also welcome via email at comments@trimet.org or by calling 503-238-RIDE (7433).
Learn about the ease and benefits that come with switching to Hop
Major retail outlets that sell TriMet fares will continue to sell traditional paper tickets and passes into the summer as TriMet increases the marketing and education about Hop Fastpass™ transit fare cards. We heard from riders who are unclear about Hop and how it works so TriMet will be spending the coming months talking about all the ways to pay with Hop, how easy it is to use and the benefits you get with Hop that you don’t get with paper fares. TriMet will look to set a date later this spring for the transition away from paper fare sales at major retailers.
Hop is just as easy as paper, just tap for every ride
Hop is a new transit fare card that you use on TriMet, C-TRAN and Portland Streetcar. Just like traditional paper tickets and passes, use your Hop card to pay for your ride.
Go to one of the hundreds of convenient retail locations that sell TriMet fares (such as Fred Meyer and Safeway). Instead of getting a book of paper tickets or a paper month pass, get a Hop card and load money on it. The Hop card costs $3. That is a one-time fee unless the card is lost or destroyed. Then you will need to purchase a replacement card.
Pay your fare by tapping your Hop card (or phone tied with a mobile wallet) on the green Hop reader every time you board. Readers are located at MAX, WES and Vine stations and on board buses and streetcars. The system automatically deducts the cost of the ride from the user’s balance.
Hop brings benefits that paper tickets do not
The system gives you the best fare so you save as you ride.
Get the savings of a day or month pass without the upfront cost of a pass. For an Adult, a month pass is $100. With Hop you can avoid that upfront cost and pay as you go!
Use the Hop card for two trips—more than 2½ hours apart—in one day and earn a day pass, which gives you free rides the rest of that day.
Paying with the Hop card, reach the cost of a month pass and ride free the rest of the month.
Don’t waste money on fare you don’t use.
With a paper month pass, if you don’t end up riding 20 days in a month you end up wasting money. With the Hop card, you only pay for the rides you take.
With a paper day pass, if you don’t end up riding twice in the day more than 2 ½ hours apart, you’re out money. Again with the Hop card, you only pay for the rides you take.
Easily reload money just about anywhere, anytime.
At the Customer Service desk (or, in the future, at the checkout lane) at a growing number of stores. At any Plaid Pantry convenience store, reload with cash only.
Online at myhopcard.com, using the Hop Fastpass app (download free from Google Play and iTunes) or by calling 1-844-MYHOPCARD.
Set up auto-load (requires card registration).
Enjoy lost-card protection.
Hop is account-based, which means the value is stored in the user’s account rather than the card itself. If the card is registered, and the user reports a lost card, the balance in the account is protected and the user must pay only for a replacement card. Replacement cards can be purchased at any participating retailer.
It is important to report a lost or stolen card as soon as possible, so the card can be deactivated. If the card is registered, you can deactivate it yourself online.
More retailers are getting on board with Hop.
TriMet has grown its network of retail outlets from a little more than 100 in 2016 to more than 350 today – a first for a transit agency of TriMet’s size.
TriMet is partnering with even more stores to increase that number to 500 locations where you can sell and load money on Hop cards.
Hop has many convenient ways to pay
Hop card: Purchase a Hop card at a local retailer or ticket office and load money on to it.
Contactless credit/debit card: Tap your contactless credit or debit card (with near field communication).
Hop virtual card in Android Pay: TriMet is beta testing the ability for riders with Android Pay to buy a virtual card and store it in their mobile wallet – making Hop the first transit fare card in the world available in Android Pay. Beta testers are able to tap their phone to a Hop reader and get all the benefits of a physical Hop card. Stay tuned for the rollout timeline of this new payment feature.
The Hop system collects anonymous ridership and travel pattern data for use in aggregate to look at broad ridership trends. Individual transaction data, such as where a person’s card was tapped and when, is only available to support staff to answer customer questions about their account.
About Hop
Hop is the next generation of transit fare, offering a cash-free, hassle-free option that’s valid throughout the Portland-Vancouver metro area. Hop Fastpass – a better way to pay!
Artist to lead team in transforming transit center to honor May 26th attack victims and survivors, in response to outpouring of community support
The attack on a MAX train pulling into the Hollywood Transit Center on May 26, 2017 forever changed lives and deeply affected TriMet and our community. Now the efforts to honor the lives lost, the strength of those who stood up to hate and the emotional outpouring in the days after the attack are moving forward with the selection of an artist to create a Tribute Wall.
Conceptual rendering subject to change
Sarah Farahat will lead a team of artists to transform nearly 2,000 feet of wall space at the Hollywood Transit Center into a vibrant tribute reflecting the spirit of the heartfelt messages and images that family, friends and strangers had created on the walls in the wake of the incident. After reviewing concepts from four finalists on Wednesday, Jan. 31, the Hollywood Transit Center Tribute Wall Advisory Committee chose Farahat and her team to complete the project. Farahat provided a conceptual rendering for the Tribute Wall; however, she and her team will receive input from the advisory committee and impacted family members in creating the final design.
Conceptual rendering subject to change
“I am deeply honored that the committee and TriMet have entrusted this project into our care. I look forward to sharing more about the project in the coming weeks after speaking in depth with the review committee. I have a very committed team of artists, educators and activists that will come together in the next few months to not only create a beautiful memorial, but also to cultivate further understanding across differences to celebrate our city’s richly diverse cultural heritage, and to demonstrate the fierce love that Portlanders are learning to show for each other in these difficult times.”
About Farahat
Sarah Farahat is an interdisciplinary Egyptian American artist and educator holding a B.A. in Psychology from Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, a B.F.A. in Intermedia Studies from Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon and an M.F.A. in Interdisciplinary Fine Art from California College of the Arts in San Francisco, California. Her work, grounded in grassroots activism, explores the location of the body within sociopolitical landscapes.
Hollywood Transit Center tributes
TriMet has planned two tributes at the Hollywood Transit Center but is slowing the timeline for a plaque to commemorate those at the center of the May 26 attack. While initially planned to for completion and unveiling on the one year anniversary of the attack, more time is needed to develop the most appropriate design and message. TriMet does not want to rush a tribute that is so important to us, the community, the families of the men who died and those who survived that day. Once fully developed, the plaque will be part of a permanent tribute at the Hollywood Transit Center.
Work on the tribute wall got underway in April. The wall art will be completed before the end of the year. While it will last longer than the original chalk messages, this tribute wall is meant to be temporary due to plans to redesign and redevelop the aging transit center in the coming years.
HB 2777 reinforces TriMet’s commitment to bring equity to fare/code enforcement
Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed House Bill 2777 last week, clearing the way for TriMet to pursue new options that give individuals the opportunity to correct their behavior when cited for violations of the TriMet Code, including fare evasion. HB 2777 grants transit districts the authority to offer a new, administrative option for resolving citations. Read the text of HB 2777.
Currently, citations, including fare evasion, must be resolved through the courts. They can leave a permanent mark on a violator’s record that could affect their ability to get a job, rent property or serve in the military. That can be a severe penalty for not buying a $2.50 fare. HB 2777 provides a framework to make the system more equitable and bring the punishment in line with the offense.
“This law is about proportionality,” said Sen. Michael Dembrow (D) of Portland, one of the bill’s chief sponsors. “It gives TriMet new, less punitive tools to enforce fare evasion and other code violations.”
However, riders should not see this as a change to TriMet’s rules. Fares remain required on all TriMet vehicles and those who choose not to pay or repeatedly evade fare will be held accountable. Also, we continue working to increase fare enforcement on the transit system.
How we got here
TriMet began a thorough review of the fare enforcement process in 2016. We collaborated with Portland State University and other organizations to learn how our enforcement process affects the community. We wanted to understand the underlying causes of fare evasion and what we could do to improve our enforcement efforts.
Portland State issued a report in December that found no evidence of systemic racial bias in TriMet’s fare enforcement, but it recommended a closer look at factors like health and economics as precursors to fare evasion, especially for chronic offenders. It also called for a review of enforcement policies to ensure fairness.
Fairness in accountability
HB 2777 gives TriMet the authority to offer alternatives for some who violate TriMet’s Code. Under the law, TriMet can provide violators up to 90-days to engage in an administrative process that could reduce the fine or allow community service to resolve the citation. If resolved during this period, TriMet would not submit the citation to the court, which means the violation would not become part of a person’s court record. When the 90-day window closes, TriMet could still pursue unresolved violations through the court system.
“TriMet strives to be a model in the equitable application of its rules and response to violations,” said TriMet Director of Diversity and Transit Equity John Gardner. “Our aim is to get people to pay their fare, not unnecessarily funnel them into the judicial system.”
“We continually see data that shows that when people are given the chance to rectify their mistakes in a manner that acknowledges their humanity that they are much less likely to reoffend,” said Rep. Chris Gorsek (D) of Troutdale, who advocated for the legislation. “That’s what this bill does; it brings some compassion back into the process.”
What’s next?
TriMet’s Board of Directors will have to enact an ordinance to authorize the administrative options permitted by HB 2777. In the months ahead, TriMet will work with community partners to determine who qualifies, how to adjust fines, and which community service options to offer. We hope to have the administrative options in place when the new law takes effect on January 1, 2018.
Agency pursues opportunities to improve equity of overall fare enforcement efforts including making violations less punitive
TriMet has completed the most in-depth evaluation ever of our fare enforcement practices and according to an independent third-party analysis there is no evidence of systemic racial bias. We do, however, intend to use the report to make changes we believe will improve the equity of our fare enforcement efforts. The findings revealed a growing fare evasion rate, a need for more fare enforcement and opportunities to make consequences less punitive while still providing an effective incentive for riders to have appropriate fare.
No systemic bias, repeat offenders pose a challenge
TriMet heard concerns from the community that our fare enforcement actions were “uneven” across races and ethnicities. Working with the TriMet Board of Directors, our Transit Equity Advisory Committee and the community – we took an in-depth look at our fare enforcement program.
That extensive review included an onboard survey to determine the demographics of our riders as well as a fare evasion study to understand who is riding without paying, how often and why. That survey showed an overall 14.5 percent fare evasion rate, which includes those without fare, expired transfers or inappropriate fare. To get a holistic view, we reached out to the community and our customers through listening sessions and an electronic survey of riders for their thoughts and feelings on our fare enforcement including whether people of color are treated fairly. TriMet then engaged Portland State University’s (PSU) Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute for an independent analysis to determine whether racial/ ethnic disparities exist in TriMet fare enforcement outcomes and, if so, what are the contributing factors.
The reports key conclusions:
No systemic bias. “Conclusion 1: Differences between the fare evasion survey results and enforcement outcomes are small and indicate little disparity. Thus, it does not appear TriMet fare enforcement on the MAX is systemically biased towards certain races and ethnicities; however the elevated percentage of African American riders being excluded should be examined more closely.”
Repeat violators pose challenge. “Conclusion 2: Repeat violations (i.e. getting caught without fare/improper fare more than once in the two years of data) comprise 25.5% of all enforcement incidents and 36% of African American incidents. This percentage appears high and represents a unique challenge for TriMet fare enforcement.”
Continued assessment. “Conclusion 3: Although there were two positive significant relationships in the adult analysis, the size of the relationship and difference between significance and insignificance was relatively small enough that the results are unlikely based on a systemic bias in TriMet fare enforcement, future studies should continue to assess these relationships.”
While PSU’s Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute found no across the board bias in TriMet’s fare enforcement actions, it revealed opportunities for improvement as we strive to have enforcement that is equitably applied and not overly punitive, but that changes unwanted behavior.
“When it comes to fare enforcement, we do not want to set people on a path that puts them into the judicial system, rather we want practices that motivate riders to pay their fare,” said TriMet Chief Operating Officer Doug Kelsey.
We looked to our colleagues and reviewed fare enforcement practices across other transit systems including Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Buffalo, and San Francisco. We are now pursuing a number of initiatives including:
Seeking legislative authority to pilot an administrative option that will allow first-time violators to pay a reduced fine prior to the citation being forwarded to the court.
Evaluating a community service option that could be used in lieu of payment.
Researching the feasibility of a new regional Low Income Fare program.
Bringing exclusion hearings in-house.
Expediting the exclusion modification process by granting the Administrator and the Hearings Officer the authority to grant exclusion modifications.
Expanding the amount of fare inspections on our system.
Conducting a review of staffing levels to determine additional personnel needs.
Increasing training for TriMet personnel who conduct enforcement, on de-escalation practices, cultural competency and mental health issues.
Creating an awareness campaign to increase customer education of fare requirements, consequences for violations and options for requesting an exclusion modification.
Continuing coordination with jurisdictional partners on consistent application of TriMet Code.
“With the findings of our in-depth evaluation into past fare enforcement practices and with the new initiatives underway, I am confident we will continue to ensure TriMet’s fare enforcement efforts are both effective and as fair as possible for all of our riders,” said Kelsey.
Sarah Farahat