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TriMet tells West Linn council of $300M shortfall and proposed service cuts that could affect local routes
Summary
TriMet officials briefed the West Linn City Council on a roughly $300 million budget shortfall and a suite of proposed service cuts and revenue steps; TriMet said local lines with very low ridership, including one in West Linn, are on the list for elimination and changes to paratransit boundaries could affect vulnerable riders.
TriMet officials told the West Linn City Council on March 10 that the agency faces a roughly $300 million budget deficit and is pursuing a three‑part strategy of administrative cuts, new revenue and service reductions to close the gap.
John Sarah, TriMet local government affairs manager, and JC Veneta and Tom Mills—TriMet staff who led the presentation—said TriMet has already cut discretionary spending and made layoffs and will now target additional reductions if new revenue sources do not materialize. "We are at a $300,000,000 budget deficit, and we are, dealing with it head on in 3 different ways," JC said during the briefing.
TriMet officials said ridership is holding near 1,200,000 boardings per week but that fare revenue and other tax sources are lower than forecast. Mills, TriMet's director of mobility planning and policy, walked the council through a decision matrix that balanced potential savings against rider impact and equity considerations; he said the current proposal is likely to net a 5–5.5% cut in service after scheduling refinements but that the agency still needs to reach a 10% target unless revenue increases.
Council members thanked TriMet for the presentation and pressed staff on notification and mitigation for riders who rely on affected routes, particularly the most vulnerable. TriMet identified a public engagement timeline with a board listening session on March 18, a public hearing March 25 and a final board vote in April; service changes are scheduled to go into effect Aug. 23 if adopted.
The presentation emphasized outreach: TriMet cited thousands of survey responses and multiple public events used to shape the proposal and said it will increase targeted communications in July for affected customers. Councilors and TriMet staff discussed coordinating with Clackamas County and other local partners to reduce service gaps where possible.
