TriMet may reduce service, raise fares
TriMet’s board on Wednesday proposed a 5 percent administrative cut, a salary and hiring freeze, reductions to bus and MAX service, and a 5-cent fare increase.
TriMet faces a $27 million budget shortfall for fiscal 2011, and is using $7.2 million in federal stimulus funds to reduce the budget gap to $20 million. With the economy still in deep recession, TriMet expects payroll tax receipts to be down $15 million and passenger revenue down $8 million, with other assorted expenses adding up to a $27 million shortfall. TriMet gets 55 percent of its operating revenue from payroll taxes.
Last year, TriMet faced a $31 million budget shortfall and cut 9 percent to all areas except service, and implemented a salary and hiring freeze, layoffs and executive furloughs before looking to fill the balance of the shortfall by cutting bus and MAX service. In the past 18 months, TriMet staff has been reduced by more than 120 employees.
TriMet employs 2,526.
With a need to cut approximately $8.7 million in transit service, TriMet over the next three months is asking the public to help in the process. Service changes will take effect in September.
Four bus lines are proposed to be eliminated due to low ridership. They are 27-Market/Main, 65-MarquamHill/Barbur Blvd, 154-Willamette and 157-Happy Valley.
Three lines are proposed to have some or all weekend service eliminated due to low ridership. They are 32-Oatfield (Saturday service), 45-Garden Home (Sunday service) and 80-Kane/Troutdale (both Saturday and Sunday service).
Several other bus lines face frequency changes.
The start and end times of MAX service and rush hour service remain the same. TriMet is proposing to reduce frequency by two minutes on all lines midday, evenings and weekends, from every 15 minutes to every 17 minutes in off peak hours. In the early mornings and late evening, schedules would be adjusted by up to four minutes.
TriMet will have four public meetings this month and March to discuss the proposed reductions. Comments can be sent to comments@trimet.org or by calling 503-962-5806.
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