TriMet pares down admin staffing and plans future service reductions to address budget shortfall

TriMet is working through a round of organizational changes in an attempt to address a structural budget gap it faces and bring staffing levels in line with revenues. In total, TriMet says it eliminated 68 positions. While the agency notes that more than half of those positions were vacant, 26 employees were laid off as part of the reduction. No union employees were laid off during the round of reductions, but some union employees were transferred to other jobs under the Working and Wage Agreement as their positions were among those being eliminated.

According to TriMet, these reductions in staff came after months of challenging decisions and strategic planning following a workforce analysis. The agency says the changes were made based upon efforts of operational streamlining, and that they’re not a reflection of the contributions of individuals who held the positions. Where possible, TriMet notes that reductions were made through attrition to reduce the need for involuntary separations. For employees who were laid off, TriMet says it’s offering severance and reemployment assistance to support them. The staffing reductions have come after earlier cost-cutting measures such as a hiring freeze, spending cuts and efforts to identify internal efficiencies—work the agency says still continues today.

TriMet faces a $300 million shortfall between projected revenues and expenditures over the next several years. The internal budget cuts made so far have decreased spending by $17.7 million. Those cuts include staff reduction, internal reorganization of some work groups and reductions in discretionary spending.

“These administrative cuts are part of a broader recovery plan to stabilize TriMet’s finances and ensure long-term sustainability so we can continue providing the public transit service our region needs for decades to come,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr.

That plan includes pursuing new funding sources, a possible fare increase and a search for new revenue opportunities. TriMet’s goal is to balance its budget by July 1, 2028.

“Layoffs are always a last resort,” Desue said. “We’ve worked hard to limit them as much as possible, but the financial realities we face made some layoffs unavoidable.”

Some cost saving measures will begin taking effect on Nov. 30, 2025, and in March 2026 in the form of service changes to its bus lines. TriMet will scale back the number of buses on certain lines during off-peak hours when ridership is lower. TriMet says more extensive service cuts later in 2026 and 2027 will help bring service levels in line with its funding. The agency also notes that with scaled back transit service, staffing needs will shrink, though it plans to make any necessary employee reductions first through attrition to limit the need for involuntary separation.

“With rising costs and challenges around sustainable funding, our expenses have outpaced our revenue, despite our efforts to increase ridership and make riding easier and safer,” Desue said. “We remain committed to taking the action needed to protect the core transit services our community depends on.”

For its future service reductions, TriMet has sought community engagement, hearing the priorities its riders would like the agency to consider in its service decisions. TriMet will release proposals for the broader service cuts that could come in the second half of 2026 in January. The agency says it will also conduct another round of community engagement to hear rider feedback and public sentiment.