TriMet reports that hundreds of LIFT riders have signed up for LIFT+, an extension of TriMet’s paratransit service that partners with providers such as Uber to fulfill some paratransit trips in recent months. Additionally, TriMet is reporting success with the accompanying delivery program it launched with Instacart last year to have food, prescriptions and other necessities delivered, rather than having riders booking multiple paratransit trips.

More than 450 riders have signed up for LIFT+ and 300 more opted into the Instacart grocery delivery program since April, according to TriMet. 

These alternatives are designed to expand options for older adults and people with disabilities who have relied on TriMet LIFT services to connect with employment, education, health care, shopping and other necessities while helping TriMet curb costs and address its long-term budget deficit.

Instacart partnership offers time savings

TriMet LIFT covers the cost of Instacart+ memberships, making it easier for pre-qualified LIFT riders to shop at grocery stores, pharmacies and other retailers, from the comfort of their home. Riders who helped test the grocery delivery service during the pilot project described it as a game changer, with one rider via a follow-up survey saying the app helps them “have physical energy to do other things I need to do and reduces my risk of getting sick too.”

Following the Instacart integration pilot, the American Public Transportation Association recognized TriMet’s Instacart program in 2024, for innovation and scalability, noting that it showed potential for significant savings. The program reportedly saved TriMet approximately $350,000 in the first six months.

TriMet notes it’s partnered with trusted transportation network companies (TNCs), such as Uber, to expand options for LIFT paratransit riders. With the LIFT+ program, riders can grant approval for our scheduling team to send some of their trips to transportation partners that meet TriMet’s safety and accessibility standards. The result for riders is shorter wait times and faster, more direct trips, all for the same fare as TriMet LIFT. 

For TriMet, the agency says the difference comes in the actual cost of the ride. Whereas the true cost of a single paratransit ride is estimated at about $68 per trip, rides can be provided with a trusted partner for about a third of that. TriMet estimates that as the need for paratransit service grows, LIFT+ could save the agency millions of dollars every year.

The agency notes it is continuing to pursue new opportunities to expand and improve options for riders while continuing to navigate budget challenges. Earlier this summer, the Uber Transit Innovation Fund awarded TriMet a $50,000 grant to bring new options for LIFT paratransit riders.

The agency says the grant will allow a select number of TriMet LIFT riders to take no-cost Uber rides to and from transit hubs, where they can connect with TriMet’s bus and light rail networks via a fully subsidized Honored Citizen reduced fare Hop Fastpass® card. If adopted, TriMet says it would help save money by replacing long and costly paratransit trips with shorter rides that connect riders to TriMet’s fleet of accessible buses and trains.

TriMet is already engaging with LIFT riders who may be good candidates for the new pilot, which is set to begin in the next month.