Major TriMet Service Cuts Planned for August
TriMet, the state agency that provides bus, light rail, and commuter rail service in the Oregon portion of the Portland Metropolitan Area, is planning a round of major service cuts to take effect on August 23 after the 2025 Oregon State Legislature session failed to pass a funding package that could have maintained current service levels amidst rising costs and declining revenue. A significantly watered down version of the transportation package that did eventually pass is now on hold and likely headed for repeal as TriMet faces a $300 million budget deficit. The agency says catastrophic, unpredictable cuts could be forced within several years if the agency does not make strategic cuts now. Proposed cuts that would directly affect Reed include the elimination of the Line 19-Woodstock/Glisan bus, with the portion of the route serving Reed to be replaced by an extension of the Line 4 bus, and the end of midday and weekend service on the Line 10-Harold St bus. The public comment period for the upcoming round of service cuts ran through January 31 and included both an online feedback form and a series of in-person and remote workshops.
In the fall, TriMet conducted a large-scale survey on riders’ priorities to inform its approach to the service cuts. Riders largely preferred maintaining geographic coverage, avoiding reductions to Frequent Service lines (those that run every 15 minutes or more frequently), and preserving access to major destinations like schools and hospitals, suggesting that TriMet cut service in places where riders would still have other, albeit less convenient, transportation options. Those results informed the currently proposed August 2026 cuts. The most notable change proposed is the elimination of MAX Green Line service between Portland State University and Gateway Transit Center, with trains instead only running between Gateway and Clackamas Town Center. The Green Line cut would be a dramatic rollback of what was once an ambitious capital project for the region when it introduced light rail service to the I-205 corridor and downtown Transit Mall in 2009. Just six years ago, TriMet was in the advanced stages of planning an 11-mile Green Line extension to the southwest when the ballot measure that would have helped fund it failed.
If the results of the public engagement process do not result in any changes to TriMet’s plans, Reedies will have to adapt to two major changes to service from campus in August, plus a smaller change already baked in for March 1. TriMet plans to eliminate the 19 and replace its Southeast Portland portion with an extension of the Line 4-Fessenden bus that currently runs every 15 minutes between St. Johns and downtown. Every other 4 bus would continue from downtown along the existing 19 route, but terminating at Lents Town Center instead of going further southeast to Mt. Scott Blvd. There will be no service on the portion of NE Glisan St. currently served by the 19, meaning the end of direct service to Providence Medical Center. Line 10, which already has low frequencies and minimal off-peak ridership, will shift to weekday rush-hour service only. Additionally, its southeastern terminus will be shifted from Lents to Mt. Scott via SE 72nd and SE Flavel, replacing the 19 on that portion of its current route. Reed stated in a January 29 mass email that the 19 and 10 “are vital for students, faculty, and staff who rely on public transit – and these cuts could mean longer trips, reduced access, and fewer sustainable commuting options.”
Bus service reductions in March will also reduce Reed’s transit access, but less severely than the proposed August cuts. The Line 75-Cesar Chavez/Lombard bus, which currently runs every 15 minutes until the late evening, will have its frequency reduced to every 20 minutes after 6:00pm on weekdays.
The proposed Line 10 service reductions disturbed a number of Reedies who rely on the bus for connections to Central Eastside to the west and Foster, 82nd, or Lents to the east. Ray Perry ‘27, who takes TriMet to the Kaiser Permanente medical campus in Clackamas, told the Quest, “The proposed cuts would make it way more difficult for me to get to my medical appointments, since taking the 10 or 19 to the MAX Green Line, or the 10 to the 72, is the fastest way for me to get there.” Perry said that TriMet is the only way for them to travel long distances in the Portland area, since they can’t walk or bike long distances and don’t have a car. “I’m not usually going to Kaiser during normal commute hours so the 10 being cut and the 19 no longer going to Flavel is going to make things way more difficult for me,” they said.
In a statement to the Quest, Sunrise Reed said “We believe that the cutback of bus lines will disincentivize Portlanders from using public transportation as it gets less practical, and worry that decreased ridership will be used as an excuse for further funding cuts and for investment in more car-centric infrastructure... For this reason, we urge Reedies to continue using buses whenever they can, even if that involves a little bit more planning ahead than previously! Choosing to grab your homework and read on the bus instead of reading at home before jumping in your car could be what keeps Portland buses running more reliably for folks who don’t have the option or ability to drive.” They added that they will monitor for opportunities to protect public transportation from additional cuts at the city and county level.
TriMet says that all of its existing service is justified by ridership or equity and is still attempting to forge ahead with a handful of major capital projects that could help breathe some new life into the system. These include the 82nd Avenue Transit Project bringing TriMet’s limited version of bus rapid transit to Oregon’s busiest bus corridor, the TV Highway Transit and Safety Project doing the same from Forest Grove to Beaverton, and the planned extension of the MAX Yellow Line to Vancouver as part of the troubled Interstate Bridge Replacement megaproject. Funding for these projects is separate from TriMet’s normal operations budget and cannot be used to avoid service cuts.
However, the beginning of the service cuts halted implementation of TriMet’s Forward Together bus service improvement plan, which would have provided enhanced bus service throughout the Portland area, including Reed. Replacing the 19 with the 4 in Southeast Portland and shifting the terminus to Lents was part of TriMet’s previously ongoing service improvement plan, but would have included an increase to 15-minute frequencies, according to the Forward Together service concept available on the TriMet website and the Forward Together 2.0/Strategic Transit Vision service concept I have previously reported on.
TriMet reports that its financial crisis is a result of operating costs rising faster than the rate of inflation, reduced revenue from state payroll taxes, lack of reliable federal funding, and declining ridership. Operating costs per vehicle hour increased 53% from 2019 to 2024, including 35% for bus fuel and tires, 71% for facilities maintenance, and a “staggering” amount for software license fees. Comparison of the 2019 and 2026 budgets shows security spending has increased about 85%. The result is a $300 million annual deficit, which TriMet managed to cut in half to $150 million before the upcoming round of major service cuts.
The Oregon Legislature failed to pass an increase to the payroll taxes that fund TriMet during the 2025 legislative session, and focused mostly on rescuing ODOT in the limited funding package it passed during a special session in September. Even that drastically inadequate package is now the subject of a Republican-backed referendum which has led Oregon Democratic leadership to propose preemptively repealing it. TriMet says it considers service reductions a last resort and has prioritized cutting administrative costs, not including security, in an effort to balance the budget after three years without significant new funding. TriMet will hold a “board listening session” to discuss the service cuts on March 18, followed by a first reading and public hearing on March 25. The board will vote on the August cuts on April 22.
Readers can check trimet.org/servicecuts for the latest updates.