TriMet to cut service, employees following failure of Transportation Bill

Published 1:48 pm Wednesday, July 23, 2025

In the wake of House Bill 2025 (Oregon Transportation Reinvestment Package) failing, TriMet has announced a series of cuts that will reduce service across the region.

The budget reductions will begin this fall as a way to “avoid drastic cuts in the future and continue providing vital transit service riders rely on.” Some of the future cuts could change based on the outcome of Gov. Tina Kotek’s call for a special session to address transportation funding.

However, with the failure of legislative action in June, TriMet stated that it will be forced to implement initial service cuts in November and March 2026. The goal is to close a projected $300 million budget shortfall. This will be achieved by cutting $159 million from service, $93 million in reduced spending (non-service), and $48 million in new revenue.

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

“Cutting service not means avoiding sudden, catastrophic cuts in the future,” he added.

Budget cuts

TriMet will begin reducing service this winter, with a series of further plans to cut at least 10% of service by the end of August 2027. Initial cuts will focus on reducing the frequency of some bus lines. Some bus lines will be eliminated, and other bus routes and MAX service will be adjusted. LIFT paratransit service will also be reduced.

November 2025

• Some “Frequent Service” lines will be cut in the evenings and mornings
• FX2-Division bus line will face nighttime service reductions
• Up to eight other bus lines will have reduced service hours

March 2026

• Elimination of some low-ridership bus lines
• Elimination of evening service on lower-ridership bus lines
• Changing routes of bus lines to increase efficiency
• Reducing the MAX Green Line route. Trains would only serve stations between Clackamas Town Center and Gateway Transit Center

May 2026 through August 2027

• Additional cuts to the frequency of at least a dozen bus lines
• Eliminating several bus lines/portions of lines
• Reducing the frequency on all MAX lines during certain parts of the day

Uncertain future

All of these anticipated service cuts add up to approximately an 18% overall reduction to MAX, which is the largest cut in MAX’s history. It also accounts for an 8% reduction in bus service, the third largest since 1986.

In the next two years, TriMet will also reduce its workforce by about 140 operators. Additional staff layoffs will occur in maintenance and support functions. Non-union administrative jobs will also face layoffs. The organization plans to enact a hiring freeze throughout the next few years.

TriMet will also cease spending on new initiatives for the next three years to balance the budget. To increase revenue, the transportation company is eyeing raising fares and increasing the STIF payroll tax.

Any change to fares — a proposed 20-cent increase to Adult fare and 10-cent increase to Honored Citizen/Youth has been bandied — won’t happen until fall 2028.

“We are grateful to the lawmakers and advocates who stood with transit during the 205 session,” Desue said. “But we need more than support — we need action.”

“We urge the Legislature to come together to pass a comprehensive transportation package that maintains public transit service for the people of Oregon,” he added.