TriMet News

frequent service

  • More buses, connections as TriMet rolls out new service in June

    More buses, connections as TriMet rolls out new service in June

    New and improved lines serve workers, residents in outer East Portland

    Image of a TriMet Line 87 bus at the intersection of Northeast 102nd Avenue and Prescott Street, on the Portland/Maywood Park city line.

    Riders will be able to catch a new TriMet bus line between Lents and the Columbia Corridor starting Sunday, June 1.

    Line 86-148th Ave will run between Lents Town Center, where it connects to the MAX Green Line, and Relay Resources near Northeast Airport Way. Riders can also transfer between Line 86 and the MAX Blue Line at the E 148th Ave MAX Station.

    Meanwhile, riders of Line 87-Airport Way/181st will see more buses arriving throughout the day, every day! Line 87 will become the 19th bus line in TriMet’s Frequent Service network on June 1.

    New and improved bus service

    Line 86

    Line 86 will connect workers with jobs in the Columbia Corridor area of Northeast Portland, including at Relay Resources — a vital jobs center for more than 800 people, many of whom live with disabilities. This new line will also provide an important north-south connection in outer East Portland, serving neighborhoods and businesses along 148th Avenue and Southeast Foster Road.

    The new service on Line 86 addresses community feedback we’ve been hearing for many years. TriMet has been planning for it since 2016.

    Line 87

    Line 87 will now stop at the Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center, while continuing to serve the Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center as well. This route will improve connections between bus and MAX service in Northeast Portland.

    More buses will arrive throughout the day, every day, as Line 87 becomes the first new addition to TriMet’s Frequent Service network since 2023. Buses on Frequent Service lines arrive every 15 minutes or better for most of the day, every day.

    Line 47 and more

    Additionally, on the west side, Line 47-Main/Baseline will better serve employees at Intel’s Ronler Acres campus. We updated the route of Line 47 in March to provide direct bus service to Ronler Acres. This new service has been popular, so we’re adding another bus trip in the morning and again in the evening on weekdays to meet demand.

    These improvements are part of TriMet’s Forward Together service concept, developed in consultation with community leaders and shaped by public feedback. Our goal is to increase ridership by improving service and connections where people, especially on low and limited incomes, need it most.

    Check your bus schedule

    As we improve bus service, we may adjust schedules and stops to keep buses on time and improve connections.

    Riders of the following lines may see bus arrival times shift by 4 minutes or more:

    Plan your trip now at trimet.org. Be sure to set your travel date on or after June 1 to see updated routes, schedules and stop locations.

    Find more information at trimet.org/servicechange.

  • Adding more bus service where our riders say they need it

    At TriMet, we’re improving some of our most popular lines starting next month

    Line 8-Jackson Park/NE 15th bus in Downtown Portland.

    TriMet riders say they want more service on our most popular, high-demand bus lines.

    We’re listening — and taking action! Four of our Frequent Service bus lines will soon see more buses arriving every 15 minutes or better earlier and later on weekdays, with more improvements on the way to make riding TriMet faster, easier and better.

    The improvements starting Sunday, June 2, are part of TriMet’s Forward Together service concept. Through Forward Together, we’re making bus service better for the riders who count on it every day — and a better option for more people throughout our service district. Forward Together is increasing ridership and connecting our region by taking what the community tells us they want and putting it into practice.

    Bolstering the bus

    We’re speeding up bus arrivals on the following lines on weekday mornings and evenings:

    These lines have among the highest ridership of all of TriMet’s more than 75 bus lines, with a combined average weekly ridership of about 102,000. All four number among our 18 Frequent Service bus lines. Buses on our Frequent Service lines arrive every 15 minutes or better for most of the day, every day.

    We’ll also add more service on weekday mornings along Line 21-Sandy Blvd/223rd. That improvement means workers on the early shift at the Amazon warehouse in Fairview can get to their jobs by bus.

    Several other bus lines will see schedule adjustments to keep buses running on time and help riders make their connections. Schedules could change by up to 12 minutes. Riders can always check their bus schedule and plan their trip at trimet.org. Make sure to set the date for June 2 or later!

    TriMet buses connect riders to jobs and school, as well as health care and other services. We know how important those opportunities are, and we are always working to improve the experience for commuters and other riders who depend on TriMet.

    Looking ahead

    With Forward Together, TriMet is taking the long view. We want to increase ridership and expand access to transit, especially for historically marginalized communities. We’re considering all of the resources at our disposal and deciding how to use them for the greatest benefit. We also know that we’re building a better bus system to serve people now, five years from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now, and well beyond.

    We always envisioned Forward Together as a multiyear program. However, we haven’t yet been able to implement many of the service improvements we had hoped to make by now.

    To add service, we need the staff to support it. TriMet is offering a $7,500 hiring bonus for new operators, as well as a $2,500 hiring bonus for many maintenance positions. These are vital positions for us to fill so we can meet the needs of our community and continue to move Forward Together.

    Come join us! Visit trimet.org/careers to learn more about the opportunities at TriMet.

    We have many more improvements yet to come — some in the second half of this year, and others in the years ahead. They include adding more bus lines, upgrading popular bus lines to Frequent Service and extending the MAX Red Line to Hillsboro. We look forward to welcoming you aboard!