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Transportation
Posted inNews

Portland Moves To Shake Up Transportation Funding With New Utility Fee

Portland City Council is expected to adopt the new fee to pay for road maintenance. It’s a plan that’s years in the making.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

Portland City Council is poised to adopt a new funding mechanism for the city’s cash-strapped transportation bureau, in the form of an extra charge on Portlanders’ utility bills. The new fee, expected to go into effect in January 2027, will be tacked onto residential and commercial water bills. Most Portland households can expect to pay […]

Posted inTransportation

Leaving the Station: TriMet Retires Its Oldest MAX Trains

Portlanders say “so long” to the MAX Type 1 train cars.
Avatar photo by Joe Streckert

It’s the end of the line for TriMet’s oldest MAX trains. On Saturday, April 18, transit fans came to Holladay Park to bid farewell to one of Portland’s oldest forms of public transportation. Attendees got a chance to see a Type 1 car one last time, take pictures, see inside the cab, and write farewell […]

Posted inTransportation Issue 2026

The (Somewhat) Amazing Race

Who will win in a battle of the transportation modes? Another completely scientific Mercury experiment!
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

[What follows is one of the many articles in the Mercury‘s 2026 Transportation issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds.]  How do you decide what mode of transportation to use on a daily basis? […]

Posted inTransportation Issue 2026

Street View: Lightning Round

Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

[What follows is one of the many articles in the Mercury‘s 2026 Transportation issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds.]  Welcome to Street View, the Mercury‘s somewhat-regular column on all things local transportation. Here’s […]

Posted inTransportation Issue 2026

Bridge Over Troubled Water

The plan to replace the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River is expensive and ever-changing.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

[What follows is one of the many articles in the Mercury‘s 2026 Transportation issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds.] In March, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Washington Governor Bob […]

Posted inTransportation Issue 2026

The Road to Improvement

Can the city fix East Portland’s transportation woes?
Avatar photo by Jeremiah Hayden

[What follows is one of the many articles in the Mercury‘s 2026 Transportation issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds.] If you ever venture out of Portland’s central city to […]

Posted inTransportation Issue 2026

BikePortland at 21

After more than two decades, what’s next for BikePortland’s Jonathan Maus?
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

What follows is one of the many articles in the Mercury‘s 2026 Transportation issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds. In 2005, Portland’s bike scene was weird and thriving. Pedalpalooza, […]

Posted inTransportation Issue 2026

Taking the Fast Lane on 82nd Avenue

Inside the ambitious plan for Portland’s busiest transit corridor.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

What follows is one of the many articles in the Mercury‘s 2026 Transportation issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds. In February, after years of planning and sometimes-contentious community conversations, […]

Posted inTransportation Issue 2026

Le Tour de Portland

A guide to Portland’s exciting and inviting bike racing scene.
Avatar photo by Cameron Crowell

What follows is one of the many articles in the Mercury‘s 2026 Transportation issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds. Even the most casual cyclist has, at some point, felt […]

Posted inTransportation Issue 2026

A Place To Skate and Belong

How DIYers made Portland a haven for skateboard culture and growth.
Avatar photo by Corbin Smith

What follows is one of the many articles in the Mercury‘s 2026 Transportation issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds. It is the crown jewel of Portland DIY tales. In 1990, a group of […]

Posted inNews

TriMet’s Present Crisis, and Uncertain Future

Portland’s public transit agency’s budget crunch is forcing major cuts to bus and MAX service. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

This story has been updated to clarify the sources of payroll tax revenue TriMet receives.  TriMet is facing a $300 million budget gap, and it’s unclear when—or if—the public transit agency can expect any new funding to help fill the void. As a result, the agency is planning to make some major cuts, set to […]

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