TriMet Cut Details: 4 Bus Lines Doomed

To make up for the $27 million budget gap revealed announced yesterday, TriMet this morning spelled out a budget-slashing plan that would cut four bus lines, increase frequent service wait times by two to three minutes and add a nickle to the cost of bus and MAX fares.

The proposal would also cut administrative salaries by five percent and institute a hiring freeze.

One of the big issues with TriMet’s budget is that 55 percent of their revenue comes from the payroll tax. So when lots of Oregonians lose their jobs, TriMet’s budget takes a serious hit. In this coming year, TriMet projects it will lose $15 million because of lost payroll taxes.

Ridership, which funds 21 percent of TriMet’s budget through fares, also declined last year, in part because people have less jobs to travel to. Declining ridership means TriMet will bring in $8 million less from fares next year. Inflation costs and a union-mandated wage will eat up another projected $4 million.

• Jonathan Sperry

So is TriMet making the right cuts? Over the past two years, the agency has cut 120 jobs and four bus lines. “We dislike cutting service more than anything else,” says TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen. With the opening of the MAX Green Line and WES commuter rail, the cost of operating TriMet’s system has grown, but with no new money to work with, the agency is looking to cut other elements from its operating budget.

Reporters at this morning’s press conference asked Hansen whether the agency should instead be making cuts to WES commuter rail, since the Wilsonville line has been plagued with maintenance problems and lower-than-expected ridership. “It’s at a minimal level of service,” replied Hansen, saying that making bus service less frequent would create inconvenience but “still provide a level of service.” Reporters also asked how the public should understand TriMet’s expensive expansion of rail lines in recent years, only to come up with a budget gap now. “During tough economic times you can’t just hide and not prepare for the future,” countered Hansen. “The Green Line was 10 years in planning. When the recession hit, you can’t jut stop and say, ‘Oh, we shouldn’t do this.'” It’s also worth noting that much of the money for building rail lines came from federal funding, whereas the day-to-day operations budget that will be cut comes from strapped state and local sources.

TriMet is hosting a series of public input session on the cuts. More details at the TriMet website.

Update 2:05 pm The public transit agency zeroed in on four bus lines it may completely eliminate, focusing on the lowest ridership lines where they believe alternative service is available: the 27, 65, 154 and 157. All of those bus lines have less than 15 people riding them every hour. Service would be slightly cut back on 24 other lines.