TriMet welcomes feedback on the plans at an in-person open house and online, starting Jan. 22

TriMet will share plans this month for faster, higher-capacity bus service on 82nd Avenue. We’re holding an open house, and people will have opportunities to provide feedback both in-person and online. On Wednesday, Jan. 22, we’re hosting an in-person open house on the 82nd Avenue Transit Project, our next TriMet FX® — Frequent Express – bus line. The event will be held at PCC Southeast. TriMet staff will be on hand to answer questions and share fact sheets and maps of the proposed route and station locations. We’ll also post the information at trimet.org/82nd, where you can leave feedback about the plan starting Jan. 22. If the project continues to move forward as planned, tens of thousands of riders along 82nd Avenue will be using the new and improved bus service in 2029.

82nd Avenue Transit Project Open House
Wednesday, Jan. 22, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
PCC Southeast – Community Hall Annex
2305 SE 82nd Ave.

What is the 82nd Avenue Transit Project?

TriMet’s 82nd Avenue Transit Project will bring high-capacity bus service to 10 miles of 82nd Avenue, between Clackamas Town Center and Northeast Portland’s Cully Neighborhood. Like our first Frequent Express bus line, FX2-Division, the future FX line along 82nd Avenue will use 60-foot articulated buses with three doors for faster boarding, bike storage on board and more room for riders to relax. Buses will arrive every 12 minutes or better and help riders reach their destinations faster, with next-generation transit-signal priority improvements that keep buses moving past traffic congestion. Riders will also have access to new bus stations with weather protections, lighting and real-time arrival information.

The 82nd Avenue corridor is currently served by Line 72-Killingsworth/82nd. It is the busiest of TriMet’s 78 bus lines, with more than 65,000 weekly rides. Line 72 is also among the most delayed in TriMet’s system, due to increasing congestion along 82nd Avenue. The busy thoroughfare was a state highway until 2022 when the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) transferred ownership to the City of Portland. The transfer came with a commitment of $185 million for critical, safety improvements along 82nd that lay the groundwork for TriMet’s next FX – Frequent Express – bus line.

Timeline and next steps

What’s next? TriMet will collect and review comments and take all of the feedback into consideration as plans move forward. We aim to reach 30% design of the project by mid-year. Construction is set to begin in 2027, with service opening to the public in the summer of 2029.

Join the 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee

TriMet’s recruitment for our 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee (CAC), a group that will play an important role in shaping the 82nd Avenue Transit Project, is ongoing. Members of the CAC will represent community interests and provide feedback to project decision-makers. Apply today through Monday, Jan. 27, at trimet.org/82nd.

Project funding and additional support

The total cost of the 82nd Avenue Transit Project is estimated at $320 million. TriMet expects up to $150 million to come from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Small Starts Program.

Last month, Portland’s Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) awarded TriMet $55.5 million for the 82nd Avenue Transit Project – the largest local funding allocation to date. 

The project gained momentum last summer after U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg toured the corridor and saw firsthand, the safety and congestion challenges people who live and work along 82nd experience daily. Within weeks of the visit, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded TriMet a $630,000 Areas of Persistent Poverty Grant, toward the project’s design.

Also last summer, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded TriMet $39 million to purchase up to 14 zero-emissions hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses and related infrastructure for the project. TriMet received an additional $25 million USDOT grant to develop our Columbia Operations Facility, where the fuel-cell electric buses will be based, and to support our goal of a 100% zero-emissions bus fleet.

Special thanks to our partners

Thanks to the continued support of project partners who coordinated planning efforts and funding opportunities, including Metro, the City of Portland, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), Multnomah County, Clackamas County and Port of Portland. 

Two of the new vehicles entered regular service for the first time on Thursday, Jan. 16

The first riders hopped on board TriMet’s new “Type 6” MAX trains on Thursday, Jan. 16, signaling another major advancement in our light rail system.

Two of the new vehicles, paired together to create one train, rolled out of TriMet’s Ruby Junction Rail Operating Facility at 6:06 a.m. to meet riders for the morning commute. In total, 30 new vehicles will enter service in the months ahead, operating on all five MAX lines. As TriMet’s most advanced trains, the Type 6s are part of an overall effort to boost reliability and the rider experience. 

TriMet is excited to introduce the new trains. Before service, each one undergoes thousands of miles of testing to ensure they will provide a safe and reliable ride. With these trains being our most advanced, they require an even more exacting level of attention.

The Type 6 trains hold another notable first. They’re the first that are not entering service alongside an extension of the MAX system. That has been the norm since TriMet introduced the MAX system in 1986. Testing took place after hours, during regular service and during a short disruption in June 2024.

 Better rides, more reliability

On the outside, the newest MAX trains look similar to our last generation of vehicles, the “Type 5,” introduced in 2015 when the MAX Orange Line opened. Both are manufactured by Siemens Mobility. They’re the same length – 96 feet, 11 inches – and the same width – 8 feet, 8 inches.  They’re also both blue with orange stripes. But look closely on the inside, and it’s a different story.

Video-enabled destination screens: On the ceiling are digital destination displays, enhanced by graphics and video. Not only do they show the station the train is approaching, they’re capable of displaying special messages and video packages. By using improved accessibility features, riders will have more information available to them as they ride.

Improved lighting and temperature control: New LED lights around the doors indicate when they’re available for boarding and getting off trains. The lights will display in green when a door is ready for use, red when it’s closed and cannot be used and flash yellow when the doors are operating to provide better visual aids for riders. Improved temperature controls will help the trains stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Predictive maintenance for reliability: One thing riders may not notice – at least not at first – is the ability to use predictive maintenance to improve the trains’ reliability. Sensors in the trains will communicate digitally with our maintenance teams, giving them better information to troubleshoot and solve issues before they occur.  

Advanced security system: On board security cameras are better, too. They will provide clearer pictures and feature wireless data for remote downloading of footage.

Here’s another way to know you’re on a Type 6: Check the train number! Every Type 6 is labeled with a three-digit number that starts with 6. From the outside of the train, you’ll see the number on the top near the light and on both sides of the vehicle. Inside, the train number is displayed on both ends near the operator cab

Introducing a better MAX

The new Type 6 trains are an investment in the future, as light rail vehicles typically last for decades. The Type 1s are evidence of this, serving the MAX system for nearly 40 years. 

Introduction of the Type 6 means our first generation MAX trains will retire. They have been a reliable source of transportation for riders across the MAX system since 1986, a 39-year period where some of the trains have surpassed 2 million miles. That’s the equivalent of about 80 trips around the Earth’s equator! 

The decommissioning process for the Type 1s began when the first Type 6 trains began arriving for their extensive testing period. TriMet will continue phasing out our original Type 1 vehicles in 2025. Not only have the trains exceeded their lifespan, parts for the vehicles are no longer available. 

TriMet plans to donate one of the Type 1 trains to the Oregon Electric Railway Museum in Brooks, Ore., for preservation. 

Improving the overall system

TriMet has been working on ways to reduce travel times and improve the overall rider experience on MAX. This is achieved through investments in technology and personnel, along with improvements projects that keep the MAX system running reliably. Recently, the multi-year A Better Red MAX Extension and Reliability project was completed, with the extension of the MAX Red Line to Hillsboro opening to riders on Aug. 28, 2024. 

Along with major reliability projects aimed at improving the light rail system, TriMet has also invested in enhanced cleaning efforts focused on our MAX system. Our Clean Team is out every day, power washing, removing graffiti, picking up litter and more to make our facilities feel safe and welcoming. 

We’ve also added more safety and security personnel than ever before, along with other safety resources, such as our Security Operation Center and blue-light security phones, for reporting issues. Remember, you can always text or call 503-238-7433 (RIDE) to report suspicious or illegal behavior.

Ingesting, inhaling, igniting, injecting or consuming an illegal controlled substance on public transit vehicles in Oregon is now punishable under the crime of Interfering with Public Transportation

Illegal drug use on board transit vehicles in Oregon, including on TriMet’s buses and trains, is now classified as a crime under the state’s Interfering with Public Transportation statute. The offense is now a Class A misdemeanor – the most serious of misdemeanors under Oregon criminal law – thanks to the implementation of Senate Bill 1553 on Jan. 1, 2025. Those found guilty face up to 364 days in jail, a $6,250 fine or both. TriMet and law enforcement partners with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office stood together on Jan. 7, to welcome the new effort to address the public use of illicit drugs.   

“What sets this drug law apart from others is its focus on public transit,” TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. said. “We believe public transit merits distinct treatment due to the greater harm on board drug use causes, as you cannot simply move away from it. This new law is helping make public transit vehicles into ‘safe zones,’ where not only is drug use illegal, it comes with stiffer penalties.”

“Every rider of public transportation has a right to breathe air that is not polluted with fentanyl or other illegal smoke,” Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said. “Smoking illegal drugs on a bus or train is dangerous and wrong. This new law does not allow deflection, and it’s a crime that we will prosecute.”

“Senate Bill 1553 provides law enforcement a valuable tool to address drug use on public transportation and in the community,” Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said.

Differences in recent Oregon drug law changes

The Oregon Legislature passed two laws in 2024 that recriminalized illicit drug use – House Bill 4002 and Senate Bill 1553. The laws gave law enforcement new tools to address open use of hard drugs, which has become both a public safety and a public health issue.  

Here are the differences between the two laws:

House Bill 4002:

• Recriminalized the possession of small amounts of hard drugs, giving law enforcement the authority to cite and arrest people for the Class B misdemeanor of unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
• Punishable by up to 180 days in jail or, where offered, a drug deflection program.

Senate Bill 1553:

• Added use of illegal drugs on board transit vehicles to the offenses that fall under the Interfering with Public Transportation criminal statute.
• Punishable by up to 364 days in jail, a $6,250 fine or both, and individuals may receive access to state-funded treatment.  

What riders should do if they see drug use on TriMet

If someone witnesses illicit drug use or possession, whether on board a TriMet bus or train, or at a train station, bus stop or transit center, text or call TriMet’s 24-hour security hotline at 503-238-7433 (RIDE).  

Please provide basic details, like the name of the MAX station or transit center, your vehicle number (located inside all buses and trains) and any other information that may be helpful.

In an emergency, always alert the operator or text or call 911.

Increased safety for transit riders and employees

Despite TriMet’s continued safety and security efforts, the open use of drugs in the communities we serve extends onto our transit system at times. That creates an unpredictable and potentially dangerous situation for transit riders and employees. Public spaces, including public transit, should feel safe and comfortable for everyone to use, particularly for families, essential workers, high school students, individuals with disabilities, and other Oregonians who depend on transit to reach jobs, education and health care.

The passage of Senate Bill 1553 was due to the hard work of the Oregon Transit Association, TriMet and our fellow transit agencies in Oregon, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757, the legislators who actively worked to get it passed and those who supported it, including state Sen. Kate Lieber, who sponsored the legislation, and Gov. Tina Kotek, who signed it into law.

TriMet continually works to improve security on our transit system for the safety of our riders and employees.

• We have more than doubled the number of safety, security and customer service staff on our transit system since 2022. Today, we have about 475 personnel who are dedicated to helping keep our system safe.

• We’ve recently added a 24-hour Security Operations Center, where dispatchers coordinate safety and security responses to issues such as vandalism and loud or disruptive behavior reported by riders via our security hotline set up in 2023.

• We have also improved lighting at stations and parking lots, upgraded security cameras and installed blue-light security phones as some MAX stations that connect riders directly with our Security Operations Center.  

Learn more about security on TriMet at trimet.org/security, and find more information about our teams at trimet.org/personnel.