TriMet to cut services in response to lack of support for Oregon Transportation Reinvestment Package

The agency says it will begin cutting services later this year to begin closing a projected $300 million gap between its annual expenditures and revenues.
July 24, 2025
8 min read

TriMet will be making a series of budget reductions beginning this year as a result of the Oregon Legislature’s failure to pass House Bill (HB) 2025 — the Oregon Transportation Reinvestment Package. TriMet says the budget reductions, including service cuts, are necessary for the agency to avoid drastic cuts in the future and continue providing transit service.  

According to the agency, the failure of HB2025 leaves many of the state of Oregon’s transit agencies without the sufficient funding needed to sustain service levels in the years ahead. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has called for a special session to address funding for the Oregon Department of Transportation, local jurisdictions and transit districts, but TriMet notes the absence of legislative action in June has forced the agency to make service cuts this November and in March 2026, with additional reductions necessary in the years ahead to begin closing a projected $300 million gap between its annual expenditures and revenues.

“We are facing a fiscal cliff in 2030, so we must act now to balance our budget for the long term,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “As Oregon’s largest public transit provider, we have a tremendous responsibility to keep people in our region moving. Cutting service now means avoiding sudden, catastrophic cuts in the future.” 

A responsible approach to a growing deficit 

TriMet’s budget for the current year, fiscal year 2026, adopted by TriMet’s Board of Directors on May 29, did not assume an increase in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) that helps fund public transit, which had been included in HB 2025. TriMet began taking steps during the development of that budget to reduce the deficit for the year, identifying $24.2 million in savings via cuts to discretionary spending.  

TriMet notes it will continue looking at internal savings, but other budget reductions are also necessary. The agency says it is committed to balancing its budget in three years, by July 1, 2028. 

Budget reductions  

The agency says it must begin reducing service this winter, with a series of further cuts over the next few years that will result in at least a 10 percent overall cut to service by the end of August 2027. TriMet says it will be forced to cut another $48 million in service and other spending without additional revenue.  

Initially, TriMet notes service cuts will focus on reducing frequencies on some bus lines. Following that, the agency will need to eliminate some bus lines, adjust some bus routes and adjust MAX service. Because of the changes to bus and MAX service, the agency’s LIFT paratransit service will also be reduced. TriMet notes that if it is unsuccessful in increasing its revenue by fall 2027, more service cuts will be needed.   

Budget reductions – service cuts 

TriMet will reduce service on Nov. 30, 2025, by cutting the frequency on the following: 

  • Some frequent service lines during evenings and mornings 
  • FX2-Division bus line at night  
  • Up to eight other bus lines during all service hours 

The agency notes it will need to make additional service cuts, effective March 1, 2026.  TriMet will be engaging with riders and the public this fall to discuss those cuts, but proposed cuts would include: 

  • Eliminating some low ridership bus lines. 
  • Eliminating evening service on lower ridership bus lines. 
  • Changing routes on some bus lines to increase efficiency. 
  • Reducing the MAX Green Line route. According to the agency, Green Line trains would only serve stations between Clackamas Town Center and Gateway Transit Center. Riders would need to transfer to other trains at Gateway Transit Center. 

Further service cuts will be required between May 2026 and August 2027 to reach the needed 10 percent service reduction. Those service reductions will likely include: 

  • Additional cuts to frequency on at least a dozen bus lines 
  • Eliminating other bus lines or portions of lines 
  • Reducing the frequency on all MAX lines during some parts of the day 

TriMet says the anticipated service cuts add up to about an 18 percent overall reduction in MAX service — the largest cut to MAX in its history — and about an eight percent reduction in bus service — the third largest cut since at least 1986.   

Budget reductions – workforce needs 

TriMet says that as service levels decrease over the next two years, its workforce needs will be reduced by at least 140 operators, with additional staff reductions in maintenance and support functions. On the administrative side, the agency will perform an overall staffing analysis to right-size the agency, which will likely result in a reduction of non-union jobs. According to the agency, some of the staffing reductions will be handled through normal attrition due to personnel actions like promotions, resignations and retirements, but some layoffs will likely be necessary. The agency will also enact a hiring freeze, with only mission-critical positions being filled.  

Budget reductions – spending cuts 

TriMet will not add spending for new initiatives over the next three years as it works to balance its budget. The agency says it will also work to reduce its contract expenses with other businesses for everything from personnel to services to materials. According to TriMet, contract expenses will be cut by five percent annually while the agency works to mitigate any expense increases in those contracts.  

The agency notes it will evaluate further areas for budget reductions and reengage an internal effort to identify efficiencies and improve processes. The work will focus on eliminating duplication, reducing waste and streamlining operations, helping the agency become a leaner, more effective agency while responsibly continuing to deliver safe and reliable public transit service. 

Revenue increases 

TriMet will look at all available options to increase revenue. According to the agency, it has already identified two actions – raising fares and an increase in the STIF payroll tax – that would help close the operating budget deficit. If TriMet is not successful in gaining new revenue through those two actions, the agency will need to identify $48 million in additional service and spending cuts. 

Revenue increases – fares 

TriMet is not making changes to fares at this time. However, in alignment with the board-adopted strategic financial plan’s fare policy, the agency will pursue a 20-cent increase to its adult fare and 10-cent increase to its honored citizen reduced and youth fares in August/September 2028. The agency says public outreach would begin a year prior. 

Revenue increases – transit funding 

TriMet notes it is committed to working with lawmakers to ensure that transit funding is part of any future effort to increase state transportation revenue. The agency says an increase in STIF program funding would buy valuable time to pursue long-term efficiencies and additional resources, avoid deeper service cuts and preserve access to transit for thousands of Oregonians. 

“We are grateful to the lawmakers and advocates who stood with transit during the 2025 session, but we need more than support — we need action,” Desue said. “We urge the legislature to come together to pass a comprehensive transportation package that maintains public transit service for the people of Oregon.” 

Costs of providing public transit skyrocket 

TriMet has seen operating costs skyrocket, mainly due to inflation. The agency notes its operating costs per vehicle hour have increased 53 percent from 2019 to 2024. According to the agency, among the cost increases, fuel and tires are up nearly 35 percent for its bus service while facilities maintenance costs are up 71 percent. The agency notes software license fees are also growing at a staggering rate when compared to previous years, as the cost of contract personnel has also risen.  

TriMet’s LIFT paratransit service relies on contractors and the cost for those personnel has increased from 47 percent to 85 percent, depending on the role. TriMet notes its budget for safety and security has tripled in the last several years, as it has expanded its contracted unarmed safety and security workforce to address community-wide public safety challenges that affect its transit system. Additionally, TriMet says it has been unable to sustainably fund a growing backlog of capital maintenance projects, including replacement of buses and light-rail trains. According to the agency, the funding needed to keep pace with its long-term maintenance needs is now built into the budget forecasts.  

Next steps 

The special session called by Gov. Kotek is scheduled to begin on Aug. 29. 

In a statement, Kotek said, “In the weeks since the adjournment of the legislative session, my team and I have worked every day with legislators, local partners and key stakeholders to zero in on a solution and a timeline for the legislature to come back together and address the state’s most immediate transportation needs. Oregonians rely on these basic services, from brush clearing to prevent wildfires to snow plowing in winter weather, and they are counting on their elected representatives to deliver adequate and stable funding.” 

TriMet says it will launch a dedicated web page in the weeks ahead to provide information about the budget challenges, the steps the agency is taking to address them and what the changes mean for riders and the region.  

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