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TriNet officials outline $300M shortfall and propose service cuts; Green Line and paratransit impacts discussed
Summary
TriNet staff told Milwaukie council about a roughly $300 million structural deficit, proposed administrative and service reductions and a public process that includes a March board listening session and an April vote; staff said some MAX Green Line segments and bus routes may be reconfigured to reduce redundancy.
TriNet officials told the Milwaukie council on March 3 that the transit agency faces a roughly $300 million structural deficit and is proposing administrative savings, revenue increases and service reductions to close the gap over the next several years.
TriNet presenters said ridership remains about 70% of pre‑pandemic levels, fare revenue is down and payroll‑tax receipts have declined. They described a range of options developed from public outreach and an online survey, including trimming frequent‑service hours, reassigning certain bus segments and reducing redundancy on MAX Green Line segments where parallel service exists.
Why it matters: agency leaders said cuts are intended to achieve a multi‑year fiscal balance but could affect riders who depend on frequent service and paratransit; staff emphasized that they attempted to prioritize changes that cause the least harm while preserving essential connections.
Key details: staff said the agency has reduced discretionary spending and identified internal savings and is targeting a mix of cuts and new revenue. The presentation listed administrative reductions (about $93 million in efficiencies so far), hoped‑for revenue increases (approximately $48 million target) and service changes that could amount to a minimum 10% reduction in a high‑cut scenario. A planner said some proposals now under consideration would produce roughly a 5% cut in the near term but that further cuts remain possible if additional revenue is not secured.
Several local impacts were raised: planners noted potential changes to the Green Line that would require transfers but aim to maintain comparable frequency via other lines; they also reported an estimated 2,463 annual Lift (paratransit) boardings affected and named areas that could lose fixed‑route coverage (Stafford, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tualatin and parts of Pleasant Valley/Gresham). Agency staff said they would work directly with affected paratransit users and that county or local shuttles might help backfill gaps.
Public process and next steps: TriNet staff said they conducted thousands of outreach contacts (8,100 respondents and 5,500 comments were cited), plan a board listening session on March 18, a first reading and public hearing on March 25, and a board vote in April with implementation of any approved changes on Aug. 23. Staff also described state legislative efforts including HB 4008, proposed to create a transit funding task force, and asked local officials to help advocate for funding solutions.
Representative quotes: Jason Panetta, a TriNet presenter, framed the scale of the problem: “We are facing a roughly $300,000,000 structural deficit that we need to solve for.” Planning staff described outreach methods (ZIP‑code validation, QR codes on station signs) and said the proposal was informed by thousands of public inputs. The agency asked local leaders to help pursue broader funding solutions to avoid service erosion over the long term.
The council thanked TriNet staff and the meeting adjourned at about 6:30 p.m.
