TriMet outlines service cuts and outreach as operating shortfall grows

Tom Mills, service planning director at TriMet, told the Washington County Coordinating Committee on Oct. 13 that TriMet is facing a structural funding shortfall and must cut service to balance its budget over the next several years.

Mills said TriMet oes not yet have enough fare revenue to match pre-pandemic levels and faces rising operating and maintenance costs, an expanding security budget and a growing backlog of capital maintenance. "We still need to cut a minimum of 10% of service by the 2027, and we are looking to do that in 2 separate cuts," Mills said.

Why it matters: TriMet is the region—s primary transit provider. Reductions in frequency, evening and late-night span, or coverage could affect long-distance commutes and late-shift workers in Washington County, and will interact with locally funded shuttles and paratransit requirements.

What TriMet described - Forward Together: Mills reviewed TriMet—s post-pandemic reallocation plan, Forward Together, which shifted some service away from downtown-oriented peak commutes toward more frequent, all-day service in suburban corridors. "We added 2 frequent service lines, line 48 on Cornell and line 54 on BH Highway," he said, and listed other service changes that had been implemented in Washington County. - Financial pressures: Mills said operating costs have risen since 2019 and fare revenue has not fully recovered. He described higher expenses for security, vandalism repairs and increasing maintenance needs on aging MAX infrastructure. - Short-term adjustments and timeline: TriMet will implement a set of small changes that add up to roughly 1 percentage point of the 10% target without board action in late November (Mills said, "In November, November 30, we will be cutting, some, trips"). Larger, ordinance-backed reductions are planned in two phases: an initial set in 2026 and a second, larger round going into effect in late 2027; Mills said the first larger cut is scheduled to go into effect on 11/29/2026. - Examples of likely local impacts: For Washington County, Mills identified possible reductions that would mostly affect early-morning and late-night service on lines serving Farmington/180th (line 52), Cornell (line 48) and Hall/Greenburg (line 76). He said some frequent-service trips would be "cherry picking" lower-ridership runs, often at the margins of the schedule. - Outreach: TriMet is running an outreach campaign through Oct. 31, with a proposed-line package due Jan. 5, 2026; the board will consider ordinances in March and April, and the agency—s FY2027 budget will be adopted in May. Mills said the outreach includes an online survey, QR codes at stops and a mix of in-person open houses and translated events.

Reaction from local officials Commissioner Fai asked for a clearer, local-level description of immediate impacts to Washington County riders; Mills replied that the earliest changes would mostly affect late-night and early-morning trips and reiterated the three lines most likely to be affected.

Mayor O'Neil and several city leaders pressed TriMet on outreach scope and urged direct contact with operators of county shuttles and smaller transit agencies. "That appears to be fairly disingenuous if you're not looping them in as part of this dialogue communication," O'Neil said, and asked for a follow-up report on outreach to shuttle riders. TriMet staff agreed to coordinate with county and shuttle operators and asked elected officials to help distribute the survey to their constituents.

Several mayors and councilors urged TriMet to prioritize frequency cuts over reductions in coverage, warning that removing route coverage can trigger cascading impacts on paratransit and transit-dependent riders.

Fares and capital strategy TriMet confirmed it raised fares once since 2019 and is again considering fare changes. Mills said TriMet will likely extend timelines for zero-emission vehicle purchases and other capital programs if service cuts are required.

What's next TriMet's online outreach remains open through Oct. 31. TriMet plans to publish a specific proposal Jan. 5, 2026, and to bring proposed service-reduction ordinances to the board in March and April 2026, with the first larger cuts to take effect Nov. 29, 2026, if approved.

Ending Local officials told TriMet they will press it to target reductions that preserve essential coverage for workers and vulnerable riders while pursuing administrative savings. TriMet said it will return with additional detail after the ongoing outreach and analysis are complete.