PORTLAND, Ore. — TriMet began holding a series of public open house meetings this week to gather feedback on a proposed fare increase that the transit agency first revealed in November.
The agency's current flat fare rates of $2.50 for a 2-and-a-half hour ticket or $5 for an all-day pass have been in place for more than a decade, and TriMet says it needs to raise prices to keep up with rising costs.
"TriMet has stayed the same for those adult fares at those 2012 prices, that's despite inflation," said TriMet communications director Roberta Altstadt. "And TriMet has been affected by inflation as well. Our operating costs have gone up 37% in that time, yet we haven't raised our base fare."
The proposal would see prices jump to $2.80 for the short passes and $5.60 for day passes. LIFT paratransit single ride tickets would also go up by 30 cents, and Honored Citizen and Youth tickets would each go up by 15 cents. Monthly and annual fares would not change.
The public meetings are intended to focus on both the fare increase and a series of bus service improvements that TriMet plans to roll out starting later this year.
The first four public meetings — three in-person and one virtual — were scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but anyone who missed those gatherings will have several more chances to weigh in on the proposal.
More information about the proposal and public input schedule can be found on TriMet's website, and riders can also provide feedback through an online form. The remaining public meeting times and locations are:
- Jan. 24, 5-7 p.m. – Clackamas Community College-Harmony, 7738 SE Harmony Rd., Milwaukie
- Jan. 25, 5-7 p.m. – Washington St. Conference Center, 102 SW Washington St., Hillsboro
- Jan. 26, 5-7 p.m. – Fairview City Hall, 1300 NE Village St., Fairview
- Jan. 28, 9-10 a.m. – Virtual meeting
- Jan. 28, 1:30-3 p.m. – Virtual meeting
- Feb. 1, 5-7 p.m. – Muslim Educational Trust, 10330 SW Scholls Ferry Rd., Tigard
- Feb. 4, 9-10 a.m. – Virtual meeting
TriMet's board of directors is scheduled to vote on the fare increase at its May 24 meeting, with a first reading at the April 26 meeting. Both meetings will include forum sessions for public testimony. If approved by the board, the new fares would take effect Jan. 1, 2024.