TriMet

File:Portland Trimet Map.png

TriMet is "a municipal corporation of the State of Oregon", with powers to tax, issue bonds, and enact police ordinances and is governed by a seven-member board of directors appointed by the Governor of Oregon.[https://trimet.org/about/organization/boarddirectors.htm Board of Directors.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314073417/http://trimet.org/about/organization/boarddirectors.htm |date=March 14, 2016 }} TriMet It has its own boundary, which currently encompasses an area of about {{convert|533|sqmi|km2}}. The TriMet district serves portions of the counties of Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas; it extends from Troutdale to Forest Grove east to west, and from Sauvie Island to Oregon City and Estacada north to south.

For more than 30 years the agency called itself Tri-Met, but it formally dropped the hyphen from its name in 2002, as part of a new corporate identity strategy involving a redesigned logo and new color scheme for its vehicles and other media.{{Cite news |last=Leeson |first=Fred |date=August 14, 2002 |title=Tri-Met is changing its stripes |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8810381_ITM |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830105924/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8810381_ITM |archive-date=August 30, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |work=The Oregonian}}

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TriMet was formed in 1969 after disputes between the Portland City Council and the Rose City Transit Company, the private company that previously operated the bus system serving the city (but not its suburbs). The new public agency was created by an ordinance of the Portland city council, under provisions of a law enacted by the 1969 Oregon Legislature, and took over all of Rose City Transit's service and fleet effective December 1, 1969."Tri-Met Takes Bus Control; Strike Averted" (December 1, 1969). The Oregonian, p. 1. Bus service in the suburban portions of the metropolitan area was operated by four smaller private companies which had a common union and were collectively known as the "Blue Bus" lines: Portland Stages, Tualatin Valley Buses, Intercity Buses and Estacada-Molalla Stages. These were taken over by TriMet on September 6, 1970."Federman, Stan (September 2, 1970). "Tri-Met Action Averts Strike Of Bus Drivers; Agency To Assume Operation Of Four Suburban Blue Lines". The Oregonian, p. 1. Eighty-eight buses owned by the four suburban companies were transferred to TriMet,"Tri-Met To Get Blue Buses Sunday; New Suburban Runs To Start Tuesday" (September 5, 1970). The Oregonian, Section 1, p. 15. but many were found to be in poor condition"Tri-Met Takes Over Operation Of Blue Buses, Finds Rolling Stock In Bad Condition" (September 9, 1970). The Oregonian, p. 9. and the TriMet board soon took action to replace them with new buses.{{Cite news |last= |date=October 6, 1970 |title=Tri-Met Purchases 75 New Buses |work=The Oregonian |at=Section 1, p. 10}}

File:1976 AM General bus, TriMet 1091, in 1984.jpg

As of January 2024, TriMet operates a total of 695 buses on 84 routes,{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} 145 MAX light rail cars on five lines, and 253 LIFT paratransit vehicles. Each of the five MAX and 17 of the bus lines are designated as "Frequent Service" lines, scheduled to operate at headways of 15 minutes or less for most of the service day (service is less frequent in the early morning and late evening).

TriMet connects to several other public transit systems:[https://www.trimet.org/schedules/othertransit.htm Other Local Transit Services.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810005403/https://trimet.org/schedules/othertransit.htm |date=August 10, 2016 }} TriMet. Retrieved October 2, 2009.

• Portland Streetcar, a circulator streetcar service in downtown Portland and nearby neighborhoods
• C-Tran, serving Vancouver and Clark County, Washington
• Canby Area Transit, serving Canby and rural areas south of Oregon City along Highway 99E (formerly within the TriMet district)
• Cherriots, the public transit service for Salem and Keizer, connecting at the Wilsonville WES station
• Columbia County Rider, serving Scappoose, St. Helens, and Columbia County{{Cite web |year=2014 |title=Schedules & Routes |url=http://www.columbiacountyrider.com/schedules.html |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826030101/http://www.columbiacountyrider.com/schedules.html |archive-date=August 26, 2013 |access-date=March 28, 2014 |publisher=Columbia County Rider}}
• Sandy Area Metro, serving Sandy (formerly within the TriMet district)
• SMART, serving Wilsonville (formerly within the TriMet district)
• South Clackamas Transportation District, serving Molalla and rural areas south of Oregon City along Highway 213 (formerly within the TriMet district)
• Tillamook County Transportation District, serving Tillamook County
• Yamhill County Transit Area, serving Yamhill County

File:TriMet, Average Daily Ridership, All Modes, 2002-2016.pdf

TriMet also links to various local shuttle services operated by the following: Ride Connection, which serves Banks, Gaston, King City and North Plains; the Swan Island Transportation Management Association; the Tualatin Transportation Management Association; Intel; Nike; and Oregon Health & Science University, including the Portland Aerial Tram.

Long-range transportation planning for the metropolitan area is provided by Metro, an elected regional government. Metro also has statutory authority to take over the day-to-day operations of TriMet, but has never exercised that power, as past studies of such a merger have found it to be problematic.{{Cite news |last=Federman |first=Stan |date=January 18, 1988 |title=Pathway to altar for Tri-Met, Metro filled with financial, legal potholes |work=The Oregonian}}

{{See also|MAX Light Rail|WES Commuter Rail|Portland Streetcar}}

File:portlandTriMetMAX.jpg train traveling on the Yellow line (Interstate Avenue)]]

TriMet runs the MAX Light Rail (short for Metropolitan Area Express) system, and contracts with Portland and Western Railroad to operate the WES Commuter Rail line (short for Westside Express Service). Fares on MAX (as well as WES) are the same as TriMet bus fares, and fare collection uses a proof-of-payment system (or honor system) with ticket vending machines at each station. Fare inspectors patrol the system randomly. Incidents of violence on the system have led to calls for more security,{{Cite web |last=Mitchell |first=S. Renee |date=December 13, 2007 |title=TriMet Safety |url=http://blog.oregonlive.com/reneemitchell/2007/12/trimet_safety.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303132654/http://blog.oregonlive.com/reneemitchell/2007/12/trimet_safety.html |archive-date=March 3, 2008 |access-date=May 29, 2008 |website=The Oregonian}} and some have argued that more thorough checking of fares would improve riders' overall feeling of safety.

The TransitTracker system uses satellite tracking on buses and sensors in the MAX tracks to predict arrival times at stops and stations.{{Cite web |title=TransitTracker |url=https://trimet.org/transittracker/about.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315131701/http://trimet.org/transittracker/about.htm |archive-date=March 15, 2015 |access-date=April 5, 2015 |publisher=TriMet}} Additionally, TriMet is partnering with Google Maps to install Bluetooth low energy beacons on MAX platforms, allowing nearby Android device users to directly receive schedule and alert information.{{Cite news |last=Fetsch |first=Mary |date=March 9, 2015 |title=TriMet to provide riders with another way to access real-time transit information |url=http://news.trimet.org/2015/03/trimet-to-provide-riders-with-another-way-to-access-real-time-transit-information/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710001352/http://news.trimet.org/2015/03/trimet-to-provide-riders-with-another-way-to-access-real-time-transit-information/ |archive-date=July 10, 2017 |access-date=April 5, 2015 |publisher=TriMet}}

TriMet trains operate using reporting mark TMTC.

TriMet's rail lines include:

File:TriMet, Average Daily Ridership, Light Rail, 2002-2016.pdf

;Light rail

• {{Color box|#0169AA}} Blue Line: Hillsboro – Beaverton – City Center – Gresham
• {{Color box|#018752}} Green Line: Portland State University – City Center – Clackamas
• {{Color box|#DE8934}} Orange Line: Union Station – City Center – Milwaukie
• {{Color box|#D11241}} Red Line: Hillsboro – Beaverton – City Center – Portland International Airport
• {{Color box|#FEC423}} Yellow Line: Expo Center – City Center – Portland State University

;Commuter rail

• WES: Beaverton – Tigard – Tualatin – Wilsonville

From 1991 until 2014,{{Cite web |date=September 2014 |title=Vintage Trolley Has Ceased Operation |url=http://myplace.frontier.com/~trolley503/VTSchedule.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201170503/http://myplace.frontier.com/~trolley503/VTSchedule.html |archive-date=February 1, 2013 |access-date=January 2, 2015 |publisher=Portland Vintage Trolley website}}{{Cite news |date=November 2014 |title=Portland double-track is brought into use |work=Tramways & Urban Transit |publisher=LRTA Publishing |page=454}} TriMet also operated the Portland Vintage Trolley service, which ran on a portion of the MAX system on most weekends.Tramways & Urban Transit, February 2014, p. 92. UK: LRTA Publishing Ltd. It was reduced to only seven dates per year in 2011 and was discontinued entirely in July 2014.

Additionally, the Portland Streetcar system, which is owned and managed by the City of Portland, not TriMet, is operated and maintained by TriMet under contract with the City of Portland. TriMet also provides a portion of the funding for the streetcar lines.

File:TriMet Number 15 bus stop sign, Portland, Oregon.JPG

File:TriMet bus stop on 229th - Hillsboro, Oregon.JPG

{{As of|September 2024|url=https://trimet.org/bus}}, TriMet operates 75 bus routes (plus five routes that replace the MAX light rail service in late-night hours).{{Cite web |title=TriMet: Bus Service |url=https://trimet.org/bus/index.htm |access-date=November 21, 2024 |website=}} Each route is identified by both a number and a name. The numbers are mostly in the range 1–99, but there are currently eight routes with three-digit numbers. From 1969 until 1973, TriMet bus routes were named but not numbered, a practice inherited from Rose City Transit and the "Blue Bus" lines, but route numbers were assigned to all routes in August 1973.{{Cite news |date=August 7, 1973 |title=Tri-Met directors discontinue little-used experimental route |work=The Oregonian |page=15}}{{Cite news |date=August 28, 1973 |title="Take a number .... It's a winner" (Tri-Met advertisement) |work=The Oregonian |page=6, Section 2}}

Seventeen bus routes are designated as "Frequent Service Lines", which the agency defines as having a headway of 15 minutes or less most of the service day (service is less frequent in the early morning and late evening).{{Cite web |title=TriMet: Frequent Service Lines |url=https://trimet.org/schedules/frequentservice.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109065214/https://trimet.org/schedules/frequentservice.htm |archive-date=January 9, 2019 |access-date=September 12, 2015}} Fifty-eight percent of all bus trips are on the frequent service lines. Bus stops that are served by a frequent service line are identified with an additional green sign.

The bus system includes 15 transit centers, that allow passengers to transfer between bus routes and, at many transit centers, MAX routes.

TriMet buses began carrying bicycles on the front in 1992, on a trial basis on eight routes;{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Dee J. |date=June 18, 1992 |title=Tri-Met to kick off one-year trial of bike project |work=The Oregonian |page=C6}} the experiment was judged a success and within three years the entire bus fleet had been fitted with bike racks.{{Cite news |date=February 21, 1995 |title=People will bike, walk (editorial) |work='The Oregonian |page=B6}}

TriMet added a temporary free shuttle service connecting between Rose Quarter Transit Center and a temporary bottle redemption facility in industrial district in Northwest Portland specifically to address people redeeming empty containers while grocers have been relieved from the Oregon Bottle Bill during the COVID-19 pandemic. This service was created at the request of Governor Kate Brown{{Cite news |last=Mesh |first=Aaron |title=TriMet Launches a Bus Line to Take People to Return Bottles and Cans |url=https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/04/26/trimet-launches-a-bus-line-to-take-people-to-return-bottles-and-cans/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502125155/https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/04/26/trimet-launches-a-bus-line-to-take-people-to-return-bottles-and-cans/ |archive-date=May 2, 2020 |access-date=April 30, 2020 |work=Willamette Week |language=en-US}} and it went into service on April 29, 2020.{{Cite news |date=April 29, 2020 |title=Most Portland stores stop accepting bottle returns; TriMet creates free shuttle to bottle drop |url=https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/trimet-shuttle-can-returns-bottle-deposit-obrc/283-e64a7313-38d0-4de0-8375-6dc732ecbf21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505224752/https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/trimet-shuttle-can-returns-bottle-deposit-obrc/283-e64a7313-38d0-4de0-8375-6dc732ecbf21 |archive-date=May 5, 2020 |access-date=April 30, 2020 |publisher=KGW}}

On September 18, 2022, TriMet started its FX (Frequent Express) service, a limited-stop bus route with some bus rapid transit features. FX replaced the 2-Division, the sixth busiest bus route in the system, and features articulated buses, all-door boarding, transit signal priority, bus lanes and frequent service (12-minute headways all day).{{Cite news |last=Hasenstab |first=Alex |date=April 5, 2022 |title=TriMet starts driver training on super-sized buses along Division Street |url=https://www.opb.org/article/2022/04/05/trimet-starts-driver-training-on-super-sized-buses-along-division-street/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619042840/https://www.opb.org/article/2022/04/05/trimet-starts-driver-training-on-super-sized-buses-along-division-street/ |archive-date=June 19, 2022 |access-date=June 22, 2022 |work=Oregon Public Broadcasting |language=en}}

TriMet uses a flat fare system, with a single price (for each category of rider: adult, youth, senior or disabled) regardless of the distance of the trip. Single-fare tickets permit unlimited transfers to other routes within 2½ hours, and passes are valid until end of the service day.

Several different methods of fare payment are available. On buses, riders can pay with cash, but no change is given.{{Cite web |title=Paying Fare Using Paper Tickets and Passes |url=https://trimet.org/fares/howtopay.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126135201/https://trimet.org/fares/howtopay.htm |archive-date=November 26, 2018 |access-date=November 25, 2018 |publisher=TriMet}} On the MAX Light Rail system, in common with most other North American light rail systems{{Cite web |year=2002 |title=Chapter 1 (Introduction and Overview), in TCRP Report 80: A Toolkit for Self-Service, Barrier-Free Fare Collection |url=http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_80.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923201130/http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_80.pdf |archive-date=September 23, 2020 |access-date=November 25, 2018 |publisher=Transportation Research Board |at=p. 1-1}} and on the WES Commuter Rail line, TriMet uses a proof-of-payment fare system, requiring riders not already in possession of a valid fare to purchase or validate one before boarding. Ticket vending machines at MAX and WES stations accept cash and credit and debit cards.{{Cite web |title=Ticket Machines |url=https://trimet.org/fares/ticketmachines.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103133615/https://trimet.org/fares/ticketmachines.htm |archive-date=January 3, 2018 |access-date=November 25, 2018 |publisher=TriMet}} For both bus and rail riders, a number of other payment methods are available as an alternative to cash.

TriMet tickets and passes are also valid on the Portland Streetcar, which is owned by the City of Portland but operated mostly by TriMet personnel under a contract with the city.Austin, David (July 20, 2001). "Streetcar safety". The Oregonian, "Back on Track" special section, p. 20.

TriMet also has a mobile ticketing app, allowing riders to purchase and use tickets for buses, light rail, and commuter rail on their smartphones.{{Cite magazine |last=Barry |first=Keith |date=September 16, 2013 |title=Portlandia, Rejoice! Smartphone Fare System Coming to Mass Transit |url=https://www.wired.com/2013/09/trimet-portland/ |access-date=April 5, 2015 |magazine=Wired}} The app, called TriMet Tickets, was developed by Portland startup GlobeSherpa (now Moovel Transit) and released in September 2013 at no cost to TriMet. Instead, Moovel Transit will take a commission on every ticket sale through the app.{{Cite news |last=Rose |first=Joseph |date=May 13, 2013 |title=TriMet unveils e-ticket app from Portland's GlobeSherpa, says technology is future of fares (video) |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2013/05/trimet_unveils_e-ticket_app_fr.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412041853/http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2013/05/trimet_unveils_e-ticket_app_fr.html |archive-date=April 12, 2015 |access-date=April 5, 2015 |work=The Oregonian}}

An e-fare system named "Hop Fastpass" was introduced in July 2017.{{Cite news |last=Njus |first=Elliot |date=July 3, 2017 |title=Slow rollout begins for Hop Fastpass, the new transit fare system |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2017/07/slow_rollout_begins_for_hop_fa.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617043009/https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2017/07/slow_rollout_begins_for_hop_fa.html |archive-date=June 17, 2018 |access-date=July 5, 2017 |work=The Oregonian}} Developed by INIT (Innovations in Transportation){{Cite web |last=Altstadt |first=Roberta |date=April 16, 2018 |title=Portland's Virtual Hop Fastpass™ transit card now available to all Google Pay users |url=http://news.trimet.org/2018/04/portlands-virtual-hop-fastpass-transit-card-now-available-to-all-google-pay-users/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809021735/http://news.trimet.org/2018/04/portlands-virtual-hop-fastpass-transit-card-now-available-to-all-google-pay-users/ |archive-date=August 9, 2018 |access-date=June 16, 2018}} for TriMet, the City of Portland, and C-Tran, at a cost estimated (in 2015) to be about $30 million,{{Cite news |last=Njus |first=Eliot |date=July 6, 2017 |title=TriMet's new electronic fare system dubbed 'Hop Fastpass' |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2015/09/trimets_new_electronic_fare_sy.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907002604/http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2015/09/trimets_new_electronic_fare_sy.html |archive-date=September 7, 2015 |access-date=September 4, 2015 |work=The Oregonian}} the new Hop Fastpass system enables riders to pay with a fare card, using card readers on buses and train platforms and, as of August 2017, using a smartphone equipped with NFC (near field communication) via a digital wallet.{{Cite web |title=Hop Fastpass: Your new ticket to ride |url=https://myhopcard.com/home |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711185802/https://myhopcard.com/home/ |archive-date=July 11, 2017 |access-date=July 6, 2017 |website=Myhopcard.com |publisher=TriMet}}{{Cite news |last=Redden |first=Jim |date=August 22, 2017 |title=TriMet: Hop passes now work on phones |url=https://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/369827-253014-trimet-hop-passes-now-work-on-phones |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830101828/http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/369827-253014-trimet-hop-passes-now-work-on-phones |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=September 24, 2018 |work=Portland Tribune}} The name is said to evoke both the speed of the rabbit and the hop plant used as an ingredient in the craft beer brewed in Portland.

File:TriMet bus 3913 in new paint scheme, at Beaverton TC on 2-16-2019.jpg-model bus 3913.]]

File:TriMet XE40 electric bus 3803 charging at Sunset TC on line 62 (2019).jpges, five New Flyer XE40s that entered service in 2019, using the overhead charger at Sunset Transit Center]]

File:TriMet FX bus.jpg]]

{{As of|July 2022}}, TriMet's fleet included 696 buses, in lengths of either 40 or 30 feet (12 or 9 meters) for use on traditional fixed-route services. TriMet also owns a fleet of 253 minibuses and 15 vans for use on LIFT Paratransit service.

By March 2017, the entire active fleet of regular buses were low-floor models and equipped with air-conditioning.{{Cite web |date=March 2017 |title=Better Buses |url=https://trimet.org/newbuses/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407043217/https://trimet.org/newbuses/index.htm |archive-date=April 7, 2017 |access-date=May 11, 2017 |publisher=TriMet}} This was the culmination of a plan launched 20 years earlier. In 1997, the TriMet board decided that all buses purchased in the future should be low-floor type and equipped with air-conditioning.Oliver, Gordon (June 26, 1997). "Tri-Met steers toward easy-access, air-conditioned fleet". The Oregonian, p. D1. The decision was for a gradual phase-out of high-floor, non-air-conditioned buses as they reached the ends of their normal lifespan (about 18–20 years) and in 2013 TriMet was anticipating that by 2017 all buses would have low floors without steps.{{Cite web |date=July 22, 2013 |title=The first batch of 70 new buses rolls into service Tuesday, July 23 |url=http://news.trimet.org/2013/07/the-first-batch-of-70-new-buses-rolls-into-service-tuesday-july-23/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042642/http://news.trimet.org/2013/07/the-first-batch-of-70-new-buses-rolls-into-service-tuesday-july-23/ |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |access-date=September 10, 2014}} TriMet retired its last non-air-conditioned buses in late December 2015.{{Cite web |date=December 31, 2015 |title=The Year in Review: 2015 |url=http://howweroll.trimet.org/2015/12/31/the-year-in-review-2015/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302223738/http://howweroll.trimet.org/2015/12/31/the-year-in-review-2015/ |archive-date=March 2, 2016 |access-date=January 11, 2016 |website=How We Roll |publisher=TriMet}} The last series of high-floor buses in service were taken out of regular use in June 2016, but with some kept serviceable{{Cite web |date=July 12, 2016 |title=Renewing our bus fleet |url=http://howweroll.trimet.org/2016/07/12/renewing-our-bus-fleet/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714071053/http://howweroll.trimet.org/2016/07/12/renewing-our-bus-fleet/ |archive-date=July 14, 2017 |access-date=August 27, 2016 |publisher=TriMet}} through the summer for use on temporary shuttles used during construction-related disruptions to MAX service that took place between August and September.

While most of TriMet's fleet uses diesel motors for propulsion, the agency has also experimented with hybrid electric buses. The first two hybrid buses entered service in 2002,Boone, Jerry F. (May 6, 2002). "Tri-Met rolls out diesel-electric bus". The Oregonian.{{Cite news |last=Tribune staff |date=May 10, 2002 |title=PDX Update |url=http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=11365 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608053354/http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=11365 |archive-date=June 8, 2011 |access-date=April 5, 2015 |work=Portland Tribune}} but in 2008 TriMet stated that the buses had not performed sufficiently better than its newest diesel buses to justify the estimated 50-percent-higher purchase cost, and that consequently the agency had no plans to purchase additional hybrid buses at that time.{{Cite news |last=Hansen, Fred (TriMet General Manager, op-ed column) |date=April 1, 2008 |title=TriMet stays innovative |url=http://portlandtribune.com/component/content/article?id=65166 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819193639/http://portlandtribune.com/component/content/article?id=65166 |archive-date=August 19, 2016 |access-date=April 5, 2015 |work=Portland Tribune}} These first two hybrid buses were retired in 2012.{{Cite web |year=2013 |title=Building a better bus |url=https://trimet.org/newbuses/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809054817/http://trimet.org/newbuses/ |archive-date=August 9, 2013 |access-date=August 13, 2013 |publisher=TriMet}} However, with hybrid technology having improved since that earlier purchase, TriMet acquired four new hybrid buses in 2012 and placed them into service in January 2013 on line 72,{{Cite news |last=Oberman |first=Lily |date=January 31, 2013 |title=TriMet unveils new hybrid buses; transit union responds with safety concerns |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/01/trimet_unveils_new_hybrid_buse.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208035447/http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/01/trimet_unveils_new_hybrid_buse.html |archive-date=February 8, 2013 |access-date=August 13, 2013 |work=The Oregonian}} a long, mostly level north–south route. TriMet acquired four more hybrid buses in 2015 with even greater electronic technology on board.{{Cite news |last=Njus |first=Elliot |date=October 15, 2015 |title=TriMet shows off new generation of hybrid buses |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2015/10/trimet_shows_off_new_generatio.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122004459/http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2015/10/trimet_shows_off_new_generatio.html |archive-date=November 22, 2015 |access-date=February 4, 2017 |work=The Oregonian}}

Since October 30, 2006, all TriMet buses and paratransit minibuses have been fueled by a B5 biodiesel blend.{{Cite web |date=October 30, 2006 |title=TriMet becomes state's #1 biodiesel fuel user |url=https://trimet.org/news/releases/2006/oct30biodiesel.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607032714/https://trimet.org/news/releases/2006/oct30biodiesel.htm |archive-date=June 7, 2011 |access-date=April 5, 2015 |publisher=TriMet}} Plans to increase to a B10 or higher mix were later put on hold as a result of cost increases and problems experienced in a trial use of B10 blend in about one-quarter of the fleet.{{Cite news |last=Budnick |first=Nick |date=May 15, 2008 |title=TriMet's biodiesel ambitions hit wall |url=http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=121080126676807200 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608053905/http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=121080126676807200 |archive-date=June 8, 2011 |access-date=April 5, 2015 |work=Portland Tribune}}

The agency delayed new bus purchases for four years due to the Great Recession and the resulting decrease in income from taxes.{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Angela |date=June 20, 2013 |title=New TriMet buses to begin service in less than a month |url=http://news.trimet.org/2013/06/new-trimet-buses-to-begin-service-in-less-than-a-month/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429091818/http://news.trimet.org/2013/06/new-trimet-buses-to-begin-service-in-less-than-a-month/ |archive-date=April 29, 2018 |access-date=April 28, 2018 |publisher=TriMet}} In 2012 TriMet began to replace buses on an accelerated schedule.{{Cite web |last=Angela |first=Murphy |date=September 26, 2013 |title=New TriMet buses will continue to roll into service every year through 2019 |url=http://news.trimet.org/2013/09/new-trimet-buses-will-continue-to-roll-into-service-every-year-through-2019/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203002327/http://news.trimet.org/2013/09/new-trimet-buses-will-continue-to-roll-into-service-every-year-through-2019/ |archive-date=February 3, 2018 |access-date=June 8, 2015 |publisher=TriMet}} By that time some of the buses in the fleet were more than 20 years old and had become more expensive to maintain and less reliable. The first order of 55 40-foot Gillig buses began to enter service in fall 2012,{{Cite news |last=Rose |first=Joseph |date=October 3, 2012 |title=TriMet rolls out new state-of-the-art buses in Portland on Thursday |url=http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2012/10/trimet_rolls_out_new_state-of-.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020124658/http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2012/10/trimet_rolls_out_new_state-of-.html |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |access-date=November 16, 2012 |work=The Oregonian |page=C2 |orig-year=print edition October 4}} followed by 70 buses in 2013,{{Cite news |last=Rose |first=Joseph |date=July 23, 2013 |title=A new look and a new ping for TriMet's buses |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2013/07/new_trimet_buses_ditch_old_sto.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822210350/http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2013/07/new_trimet_buses_ditch_old_sto.html |archive-date=August 22, 2013 |access-date=August 13, 2013 |work=The Oregonian |page=1 |orig-year=online date July 22}} 60 in the summer of 2014,{{Cite web |date=June 5, 2014 |title=Our new buses are hitting the road! The first of 60 new buses went into service this morning |url=http://news.trimet.org/2014/06/our-new-buses-are-hitting-the-road/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407144537/http://news.trimet.org/2014/06/our-new-buses-are-hitting-the-road/ |archive-date=April 7, 2018 |access-date=August 10, 2014 |publisher=TriMet}} followed by another 30 in October 2014.{{Cite web |date=October 10, 2014 |title=TriMet's newest fleet of buses begins to roll into service |url=http://news.trimet.org/2014/10/trimets-newest-fleet-of-buses-begins-to-roll-into-service/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414135754/http://news.trimet.org/2014/10/trimets-newest-fleet-of-buses-begins-to-roll-into-service/ |archive-date=April 14, 2018 |access-date=October 12, 2014 |publisher=TriMet}} In early 2015, TriMet received its first new 30-foot buses in more than 20 years.{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Angela |date=March 24, 2015 |title=New 30-foot TriMet buses are now in service in areas with tighter turns and terrain |url=http://news.trimet.org/2015/03/new-30-foot-trimet-buses-are-now-in-service-in-areas-with-tighter-turns-and-terrain/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402133215/https://news.trimet.org/2015/03/new-30-foot-trimet-buses-are-now-in-service-in-areas-with-tighter-turns-and-terrain/ |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |access-date=May 15, 2021 |publisher=TriMet}} These 22 Gillig buses are similar to the rest of TriMet's new buses, but their shorter length allows them to serve routes with tighter turns and difficult terrain.

By mid-2016 TriMet planned to have 326 buses on the road under four years old, which would allow the agency to meet the industry standard of an average age of eight years. TriMet's 3900-series buses, an order of 64 diesel buses built in 2018 and 2019 and entering service in February 2019, introduced a new paint scheme for the agency, of all-over blue with a trio of semi-upright orange stripes near the rear on each side.{{Cite news |last=Theen |first=Andrew |date=February 15, 2019 |title=Orange is the new bus: TriMet goes retro with new bus colors |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2019/02/orange-is-the-new-bus-trimet-goes-retro-with-new-bus-colors.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216153349/https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2019/02/orange-is-the-new-bus-trimet-goes-retro-with-new-bus-colors.html |archive-date=February 16, 2019 |access-date=September 15, 2019 |work=The Oregonian}}

The Frequent Express service operates a fleet of {{convert|60|ft|m|1|adj=on}} articulated buses;{{Cite press release |title=TriMet unveils new look coming with better bus service in the Division Street corridor |date=June 25, 2021 |publisher=TriMet |url=https://news.trimet.org/2021/06/trimet-unveils-new-look-coming-with-better-bus-service-in-the-division-street-corridor/ |access-date=June 29, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630234421/https://news.trimet.org/2021/06/trimet-unveils-new-look-coming-with-better-bus-service-in-the-division-street-corridor/ |archive-date=June 30, 2021}}{{Cite news |last=Gordon |first=Tim |date=September 3, 2022 |title=TriMet gets ready to launch FX2-Division bus line, running between downtown Portland and Gresham |url=https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/division-transit-bus-line-trimet-portland-gresham/283-1fbd2e53-9a63-48d8-bcf5-beae9de9e60c |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905152208/https://www.kgw.com/amp/article/news/local/division-transit-bus-line-trimet-portland-gresham/283-1fbd2e53-9a63-48d8-bcf5-beae9de9e60c |archive-date=September 5, 2022 |access-date=September 5, 2022 |publisher=KGW}} they were manufactured by Nova Bus in Plattsburgh, New York. Each bus can carry up to 115 passengers, 60% more than TriMet's standard {{convert|40|ft|m|1|adj=on}} bus,{{Cite web |last= |date=August 26, 2022 |title=The return of the bendy bus |url=https://blog.trimet.org/2022/08/26/the-return-of-the-bendy-bus/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902184133/https://blog.trimet.org/2022/08/26/the-return-of-the-bendy-bus/ |archive-date=September 2, 2022 |access-date=September 2, 2022 |publisher=TriMet}} and features all-door, right-side boarding via three doors along the front, middle, and rear.{{Cite web |title=Introducing Frequent Express – The bus and station |url=https://trimet.org/fx/#station |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506170648/https://trimet.org/fx/#station |archive-date=May 6, 2022 |access-date=August 15, 2022 |publisher=TriMet}} Up to two bicycles can be stored inside the bus using roll-in racks located near the rear.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3PdEEPXw4s |title=How to load your bike on an FX bus |date=August 8, 2022 |publisher=TriMet |access-date=September 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826210713/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3PdEEPXw4s&gl=US&hl=en |archive-date=August 26, 2022 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}

TriMet's buses operate out of three garages:

• Center Street Garage (in inner Southeast Portland); current facilities opened in 1978, replacing former RCT facilities at same site{{Cite web |last=Selinger |first=Philip |date=October 2019 |title=Making History: 50 Years of Transit in the Portland Region |url=https://trimet.org/history/pdf/making-history.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225160919/https://trimet.org/history/pdf/making-history.pdf |archive-date=February 25, 2020 |access-date=February 25, 2020 |publisher=TriMet}}{{rp|25}}
• Merlo Garage (in Beaverton to the west); opened in 1980 with temporary facilities, and full-service maintenance building opened in 1983
• Powell Garage (located in East Portland); opened in 1977;{{rp|25}} completely rebuilt 2018–2022 (with main building and most other structures replaced){{Cite news |last=Huish |first=Scott |date=June 1, 2023 |title=Project of the Year: TriMet Bus Maintenance Facility |url=https://djcoregon.com/news/2023/06/01/project-of-the-year/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607180213/https://djcoregon.com/news/2023/06/01/project-of-the-year/ |archive-date=June 7, 2023 |access-date=January 3, 2024 |work=Daily Journal of Commerce}}

{{Main|TriMet rolling stock}}

TriMet's fleet includes 145 light rail vehicles, of 5 general types: TriMet Type 1, Type 2/Type 3 (almost identical), Type 4 and Type 5.{{Cite news |last=Vincent, John M. |url=http://publications.pmgnews.com/fpubs/trimet-orange-line-2015/#p=44 |title=Portland catches the Orange Line: Orange Line brings new railcars, updated originals |date=September 10, 2015 |work=Portland Tribune |publisher=Pamplin Media Group |location=Portland, Oregon |pages=44–45 |access-date=October 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915035910/http://publications.pmgnews.com/fpubs/trimet-orange-line-2015/#p=44 |archive-date=September 15, 2015 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=March 2015 |title=PMLR Type 5 LRV Fact Sheet |url=https://trimet.org/pdfs/max/Type5_LRVs.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503093823/http://trimet.org/pdfs/max/Type5_LRVs.pdf |archive-date=May 3, 2015 |access-date=May 3, 2015 |publisher=TriMet}} The first two cars of Type 5 entered service in April 2015.Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, July 2015, p. 289. UK: LRTA Publishing. {{ISSN|1460-8324}}. TriMet placed an order for new cars to replace the Type 1 trains in 2019.{{Cite news |last= |date=July 31, 2019 |title=Siemens to supply S700 light rail vehicles to Portland |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/siemens-to-supply-s700-light-rail-vehicles-to-portland/54295.article |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216085703/https://www.railwaygazette.com/siemens-to-supply-s700-light-rail-vehicles-to-portland/54295.article |archive-date=December 16, 2019 |access-date=January 16, 2023 |work=Railway Gazette International |language=en}} The first car arrived in December 2022, to be tested.{{Cite magazine |last=McKinney |first=Kevin |date=February 2023 |title=Rush Hour [transit news section] |magazine=Passenger Train Journal |publisher=White River Productions, Inc. |page=69 |volume=47 |issue=1 – First quarter 2023 |issn=0160-6913}}{{Cite web |date=December 2022 |title=Meet the New MAX |url=https://trimet.org/max6/index.htm |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227054450/https://trimet.org/max6/index.htm |archive-date=December 27, 2022 |access-date=January 16, 2023 |website=trimet.org |language=en-US}}

{{notelist}}

Notes on capacities:

• The capacities given are for a single car; a two-car train has double the capacity.
• The Type 2 cars originally had 72 seats, but eight seats were later removed, to make space for bicycles.Stewart, Bill (August 20, 2001). "MAX will add racks for bikes, not bags". The Oregonian.
• All of these capacity figures are based on "normal" loading conditions (defined as 4 standing passengers per square meter by industry standards{{Cite web |date=October 2003 |title=Glossary section, Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual, 2nd Edition (TCRP Report 100) |url=http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp100/part%208.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070112191754/http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp100/part%208.pdf |archive-date=January 12, 2007 |access-date=May 17, 2022 |publisher=Transportation Research Board |at=page "8–9" ("car weight designations") }}); under so-called "crush" loading conditions (6-8 standees per m²), all of these cars are capable of carrying many more passengers than stated here.

File:WES 1002 on SW Lombard Avenue, February 2018.JPG car in central Beaverton]]

{{Main|WES Commuter Rail}}

The commuter rail line between Beaverton and Wilsonville is operated primarily with trains made up from a fleet of four Colorado Railcar Aero diesel multiple unit railcars. TriMet also owns four Budd RDC diesel multiple-unit railcars, of which two have entered service and are used as a backup.

File:TriMet 30-foot Gillig buses.jpg buses (a type of bus now retired in TriMet's fleet)]]

TriMet has had four main paint schemes during its five-decade history. The agency's first paint scheme, adopted in April 1970,{{Cite news |last= |date=April 8, 1970 |title=Buses Wear New Colors |work=The Oregonian |at=Section 1, p. 24}} featured a tangerine (or orange) base with silver (unpainted metal) along the middle portion of the lower half and a white stripe below and above the windows. The windshield also had a white outline around it. The white above the windows curved upward to the roof at the first door, leaving the bus's front section all orange at the roof.

TriMet's second paint scheme, which was adopted in August 1980{{Cite news |last=Guernsey |first=John |date=August 12, 1980 |title=Tri-Met approves bus fare increase |work=The Oregonian |page=1}} and was the agency's standard paint scheme from 1980 to 2002 (but remains in use on most of the Type 2 MAX cars in 2021), features a white base with a three-color stripe below the windows. The stripe colors are (in order from top to bottom) burgundy, red and orange,{{Cite news |last=Federman |first=Stan |date=May 7, 1983 |title=Light-rail cars' colors to be 'brightened up' |work=The Oregonian |page=C3}} and near the front on each side the stripe makes a sharp bend and angles upward to the roof (except on MAX cars). The logo of TriMet{{spaced endash}}which at that time was still using the hyphenated spelling Tri-Met{{spaced endash}}was shown on the front end.

TriMet's third paint scheme, of white with blue and "buttery" yellow, was adopted in August 2002.{{Cite news |last=Leeson |first=Fred |date=August 14, 2002 |title=Hyphen and '70s hues left by wayside |work=The Oregonian |page=C1}} It features a white base with a large blue semi-circle at the top, curving downward, and a smaller pale yellow semi-circle at the bottom, curving upward. This was the first paint scheme to use the current logo.

TriMet's current standard paint scheme was introduced in early 2019. It is all-over blue with three orange vertical, and slightly angled, lines in the rear portion on each side, with the middle line being thicker than the two outer lines.{{Cite magazine |last=Wanek-Libman |first=Mischa |date=February 18, 2019 |title=TriMet ready to roll out 64 new buses in 2019 |url=https://www.masstransitmag.com/bus/vehicles/article/21068780/trimet-ready-to-roll-out-64-new-buses-in-2019 |access-date=September 15, 2019 |magazine=Mass Transit}} TriMet's Frequent Express (FX) buses have a similar paint scheme, but with green and blue colors.{{Cite web |date=June 25, 2021 |title=TriMet unveils new look coming with better bus service in the Division Street corridor |url=https://news.trimet.org/2021/06/trimet-unveils-new-look-coming-with-better-bus-service-in-the-division-street-corridor/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630234421/https://news.trimet.org/2021/06/trimet-unveils-new-look-coming-with-better-bus-service-in-the-division-street-corridor/ |archive-date=June 30, 2021 |access-date=June 26, 2021}}

There have also been other paint scheme variations. TriMet's 3800-series battery-electric buses use an all-blue paint scheme with several blue stripes and wind turbine graphics to call attention to their being all-electric buses.{{Cite web |title=Converting to a Greener Bus Fleet |url=https://trimet.org/bettertransit/greenbusfleet.htm#short-range |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611190153/https://trimet.org/bettertransit/greenbusfleet.htm#short-range |archive-date=June 11, 2021 |access-date=June 11, 2021}} The WES RDCs use a paint scheme of mostly bare metal with a large white stripe along the windows, and a smaller blue stripe above the white stripe. The front of the train has a blue and yellow stripe pattern.{{Cite web |last=Craghead |first=Alexander |date=November 18, 2019 |title=Budd Cars for Portland |url=https://railfan.com/budd-cars-for-portland/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127060847/https://railfan.com/budd-cars-for-portland/ |archive-date=November 27, 2019 |website=Railfan & Railroad}}

{{prose|section|date=October 2021}}

• 1969 Tri-Met takes over for the nearly bankrupt Rose City Transit Company. The system has 175 buses and a daily ridership of about 65,000.

• 1970 Tri-Met takes over the "Blue Bus" companies, the four companies which had been providing bus service to and within Portland's suburbs, adding another 88 buses to the agency's fleet.
• 1973 Route numbers (or Line numbers) are adopted for the first time; previously, routes had been designated only by names.
• 1974 The first shelters at bus stops are installed.
• 1975 The "Fareless Square" is created in downtown Portland, with the goal of reducing short automobile trips within the city core and attracting more riders. Fares outside the Square are 35 cents.Colby, Richard (January 12, 1975). "Tri-Met eliminates fare zones, offers free rides downtown". The Sunday Oregonian, p. A38. The zone-based fare system was discontinued at that time, but was reinstated less than four years laterHortsch, Dan (August 27, 1978). "Tri-Met riders will start paying higher fares on Sept. 3". The Sunday Oregonian, p. B7. and remained in use until 2012.
• 1977/78 The 22-block Portland Transit Mall opens on downtown's Fifth and Sixth Avenues."Mall makes it". (December 12, 1977). The Oregonian, p. A1."Mall enters future – and it works!" (March 19, 1978). The Sunday Oregonian, p. M11. Excerpt: "Although the Portland Mall has [now] been officially dedicated, it has been in full operation since December." The mall includes bus-only lanes and provides a hub to make it easier for riders to make connections. Tri-Met also introduces the seven "sector symbols", for different areas of the transit district, used at stops on the new mall: Brown Beaver (SE), Green Leaf (S), Yellow Rose (SW), Orange Deer (W), Red Fish (N), Purple Raindrops (NE) and Blue Snowflake (E)
• 1978 After 3½ years using a "flat" fare system, a zonal fare structure is reinstated, with three fare zones. Zone 1 consisted of downtown Portland and extending about one to two miles (3 km) out. Zone 2 was a ring around Zone 1 out two to three more miles. Zone 3 wrapped around Zone 2 and consisted of the rest of the system within the suburbs of Portland.

• 1981 24-hour recorded schedule information becomes available over the phone.

File:Crown-Ikarus bus of Tri-Met, Portland.jpges, in service 1982–99.]]

• 1982 Tri-Met introduces articulated buses for the first time.Federman, Stan (January 24, 1982). "Introduction of articulated buses kicks off Tri-Met expansion". The Oregonian, p. B1. The buses were manufactured by Crown-Ikarus, a now-defunct partnership between Ikarus, of Hungary, and Crown Coach, of California, but they proved to be sufficiently trouble-plagued that the agency later sues the manufacturer to recover expenses tied to excessive repairs;Federman, Stan (March 4, 1984). "No wonder the sour look: Tri-Met bendable buses 'lemons'". The Sunday Oregonian, p. 1.Federman, Stan (November 5, 1985). "Tri-Met sues over articulated bus defects". The Oregonian. a settlement was reached in 1987. The last bus was retired in 1999 and TriMet did not purchase articulated buses again until 2019 (for the Division Transit Project, to enter service in 2022).
• 1982 In September, Tri-Met introduces a proof-of-payment (or "self-service") fare system for all service,Federman, Stan (August 29, 1982). "All eyes will be on Tri-Met's new self-service plan". The Sunday Oregonian, p. C2. but discontinues it in June 1984, due to fare evasion, high equipment repair costs and other problems.Federman, Stan (June 16, 1984). "Inspectors bid goodbye to Tri-Met test". The Oregonian, p. C5.
• 1983 Completion of the installation of two-way radios on the entire fleet; 100 buses already had radios by 1980, and all others were equipped in 1982–83."$1.7 million grant awarded Tri-Met [for two-way radios]". The Oregonian, May 20, 1980, p. B3."Tri-Met directors tour bus repair complex". The Oregonian (West Metro edition), October 14, 1983, p. B1.
• 1986 As part of a package of budget cuts,Federman, Stan (May 23, 1986). "Tri-Met plans to lay off 81, cut bus lines". The Oregonian, p. A1. Tri-Met discontinues its all-night "Owl" service,Hayakawa, Alan R. (July 1, 1986). "Tri-Met approves $71.9 million budget". The Oregonian, p.B1. making Portland the second largest U.S. city without all-night transit service. Seven regular (daytime) bus routes also were eliminated.
• 1986 The 15-mile (24 km) long MAX Light Rail line between Portland and Gresham opens. It reintroduces rail transit service to the Portland area, missing since the 1950s.
• 1989 Tri-Met is named the best large transit system in North America by the American Public Transit Association."Transit professionals single out Tri-Met" (September 27, 1989). The Oregonian.

File:1992 Flxible bus, TriMet 1714, in downtown Portland in 2013.jpg, an example of which is the 1992 Flxible Metro shown in this 2013 photo.]]

• 1992 The first bike racks are installed on the fronts of some Tri-Met buses, as part of a one-year trial project.
• 1995 Tri-Met's website goes online, hosted by local ISP Teleport (which eventually becomes acquired by OneMain.com, later to become part of Earthlink). At the time when Internet access was less ubiquitous, Tri-Met also offered a dial-up information service through Teleport using a Unix shell and Lynx.
• 1996 Tri-Met begins to equip its bus fleet with vehicle tracking system equipment, to enable monitoring of buses in service, using GPS technology.Oliver, Gordon (August 18, 1996). "Tri-Met adopts global technology to track bus fleet". The Oregonian, p. D1.
• 1997 The first low-floor buses and light-rail cars go into service.O'Keefe, Mark (September 1, 1997). "New MAX cars smooth the way for wheelchairs". The Oregonian, p. B12."Easy-access buses hit the streets in Portland" (December 15, 1997). The Oregonian.
• 1998 Westside MAX (now known as the Blue Line between Portland and Hillsboro) opens. Tri-Met also establishes bus lines that come every 15 minutes or sooner everyday, lessening the need to consult a schedule when using them.
• 1999 Satellite-assisted bus arrival time displays (later to be named Transit Tracker) are installed at select major bus stops in North Portland and downtown.

• 2001 Fareless Square is expanded to a small portion of Northeast Portland between Lloyd Center and the Steel Bridge. Airport MAX (the Red Line) begins service on September 10 after a public/private partnership, prompted by a proposal from Bechtel Corporation, enables its construction years ahead of TriMet's plans for the use of public funds. Bechtel received exclusive development rights to 120 acres (486,000 m²) near the entrance to Portland International Airport. The original MAX line began to be referred to as the MAX Blue Line upon the opening of the Red Line. Bus sector symbols began to be phased out from maps and publications.
• 2002 With the September schedule change, Tri-Met launches a new corporate identity strategy. It is renamed TriMet (without a hyphen) and a new logo and blue, white and yellow livery are introduced. An improved automated phone service is introduced.
• 2004 Interstate MAX (the Yellow Line) opens along Interstate Avenue. The fleet has grown to 638 buses, 208 paratransit vehicles, and 105 trains with a daily ridership of over 300,000.
• 2005 TriMet introduces biodiesel fuel into its fleet, using a B5 blend (5 percent pure biodiesel, 95 percent petroleum diesel), initially on LIFT (paratransit) minibuses only. Use of B5 biodiesel was expanded to the entire bus fleet in late 2006.
• 2007 The Portland Mall, on 5th and 6th Avenues, is shut down for rebuilding and southward extension (to PSU), including adding a second light-rail alignment through downtown. The rebuilding, to take over 2 years, is part of the MAX Green Line project, but will also replace all infrastructure for buses on the already 29-year-old transit mall.{{Cite news |last=Redden |first=Jim |date=January 12, 2007 |title=Bye-bye, bus mall as we know it |url=http://portlandtribune.com/component/content/article?id=81323 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410142956/http://portlandtribune.com/component/content/article?id=81323 |archive-date=April 10, 2015 |access-date=April 4, 2015 |work=Portland Tribune}} Most bus routes serving downtown are detoured to other streets until 2009.
• 2009 The {{convert|14.7|mi|km|adj=on}} WES Commuter Rail opens on February 2. WES (Westside Express Service) provides service between Beaverton and Wilsonville with stations in Tigard and Tualatin in between.
• 2009 In May, the Portland Mall reopens for buses, and testing and training runs for the new Mall MAX tracks begin, for opening August 30.{{Cite news |last=Redden |first=Jim |date=May 21, 2009 |title=TriMet: Mall can be safe, orderly |url=http://portlandtribune.com/component/content/article?id=49851 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410160204/http://portlandtribune.com/component/content/article?id=49851 |archive-date=April 10, 2015 |access-date=April 4, 2015 |work=Portland Tribune}}
• 2009 Due to the Great Recession's effect on the agency's finances, the board approves a series of service reductions, to take effect in September.Rivera, Dylan (May 28, 2009). "TriMet adopts cuts, warns of more later". The Oregonian, p. B1. The board votes on August 12 to discontinue Fareless Square for bus service beginning in January 2010, while retaining fare-free rides in the downtown area on MAX and the Portland Streetcar.{{Cite news |last=Rivera |first=Dylan |date=August 12, 2009 |title=The days of a free bus ride are over |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/no_more_free_bus_rides_in_port.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090816143355/http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/no_more_free_bus_rides_in_port.html |archive-date=August 16, 2009 |access-date=August 13, 2009 |work=The Oregonian}}
• 2009 On August 30, MAX service on the transit mall is introduced, with the shifting of the Yellow Line to the new alignment.{{Cite news |last=Tribune staff |date=August 28, 2009 |title=New MAX line opens downtown |url=http://portlandtribune.com/component/content/article?id=54413 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304070923/http://portlandtribune.com/component/content/article?id=54413 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=April 4, 2015 |work=Portland Tribune}} September 12 brings the opening of the Green Line, also using the new transit-mall tracks, running from downtown (PSU) to Clackamas Town Center.{{Cite news |last=Rivera |first=Dylan |date=September 12, 2009 |title=Riders pack MAX Green Line on first day of service |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/riders_pack_max_green_line_on.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922191206/http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/riders_pack_max_green_line_on.html |archive-date=September 22, 2009 |access-date=September 27, 2009 |work=The Oregonian}} It is TriMet's first light rail line serving Clackamas County.{{Cite news |last=Redden |first=Jim |date=September 13, 2009 |title=Leaders heap praise on new MAX Green Line |url=http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=125287334832689400 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608054136/http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=125287334832689400 |archive-date=June 8, 2011 |access-date=May 13, 2014 |work=Portland Tribune}}

File:Tilikum Crossing from north sidewalk with MAX train 2016.jpg, built as part of the MAX Orange Line project, opened in 2015.]]

• 2012 TriMet purchases 55 new Gillig diesel buses to begin replacing buses dating back to 1990. The last four of the new buses are hybrid-electrics estimated to be 20-50% more fuel-efficient and produce 95% fewer emissions; they replaced hybrid buses that were in service since 2002.
• 2012 TriMet discontinues "Free Rail Zone" (formerly known as the "Fareless Square") in Downtown Portland and ends use of three-zone, distance-based fare system.{{Cite news |last=Bailey Jr. |first=Everton |date=August 30, 2012 |title=TriMet boosts most fares starting Saturday; some routes changing |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/roadreport/index.ssf/2012/08/trimet_boosts_most_fares_start.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902193556/http://www.oregonlive.com/roadreport/index.ssf/2012/08/trimet_boosts_most_fares_start.html |archive-date=September 2, 2012 |access-date=April 28, 2018 |work=The Oregonian}} Until this time, the TriMet district was divided into three fare zones, with fares based on the number of zones in which a passenger traveled.{{Cite web |title=Adult Fares and TriMet's Fare Zones [2012] |url=https://trimet.org/fares/zones.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626172110/https://trimet.org/fares/zones.htm |archive-date=June 26, 2012 |access-date=April 28, 2018 |publisher=TriMet}}
• 2015 TriMet opens the new MAX Orange Line from Downtown Portland to Milwaukie, and the Tilikum Crossing,{{Cite news |last=Njus |first=Elliot |date=September 12, 2015 |title=The wait's over: TriMet's Orange Line, Tilikum Crossing up and running |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2015/09/orange_line_tilikum_crossing_o_1.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801190516/https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2015/09/orange_line_tilikum_crossing_o_1.html |archive-date=August 1, 2018 |access-date=September 16, 2015 |work=The Oregonian}} used by the Orange Line and two bus lines
• 2018 After 32 years without any all-night transit service, TriMet extends service hours on lines 20-Burnside/Stark and 57-TV Highway to run 24 hours a day. The agency also establishes Line 272-PDX Night Bus to provide early-morning service between NE 82nd Avenue and the Portland International Airport.{{Cite news |last=Mesh |first=Aaron |date=August 19, 2018 |title=In Two Weeks, Some Portland Buses Will Run 24 Hours a Day—Including a Line to the Airport |url=https://www.wweek.com/news/2018/08/19/in-two-weeks-some-portland-buses-will-run-24-hours-a-day-including-a-line-to-the-airport/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008015915/https://www.wweek.com/news/2018/08/19/in-two-weeks-some-portland-buses-will-run-24-hours-a-day-including-a-line-to-the-airport/ |archive-date=October 8, 2018 |access-date=March 15, 2019 |work=Willamette Week}} (This service was discontinued April 5, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has not returned.){{Cite web |title=ORDINANCE NO. 362 OF THE TRI-COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT OF OREGON (TRIMET) RETROACTIVELY ADOPTING APRIL 2020 AND AUGUST 2020 SERVICE CHANGES AND UPDATING ROUTE DESIGNATIONS (FIRST READING AND PUBLIC HEARING) |url=https://trimet.org/meetings/board/pdfs/2020-01-27/Ord%20362%20-%20FY%202020-2021%20Pandemic%20Service%20Reductions.pdf}}
• 2019 TriMet introduces a new paint scheme, the first such change since 2002.
• 2019 TriMet's first battery-electric buses, numbered 3801–3805, go into service.{{Cite news |last= |date=April 17, 2019 |title=TriMet's New Flyer electric buses powered entirely by wind |url=https://www.metro-magazine.com/technology/news/733793/trimet-s-new-flyer-electric-buses-powered-entirely-by-wind |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417192341/https://www.metro-magazine.com/technology/news/733793/trimet-s-new-flyer-electric-buses-powered-entirely-by-wind |archive-date=April 17, 2019 |access-date=September 15, 2019 |work=Metro Magazine}}

• 2022 on September 18, TriMet's 14-mile Frequent Express line opens.{{Cite web |title=Introducing Frequent Express service |url=https://trimet.org/fx/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116060915/https://trimet.org/fx/index.htm |archive-date=January 16, 2023 |access-date=January 16, 2023 |website=trimet.org |language=en-US}} 31 60-foot Novabus LFSA buses are put into service for use on the line.{{Cite web |last=Nance |first=Scott |date=August 26, 2022 |title=The return of the bendy bus |url=https://blog.trimet.org/2022/08/26/the-return-of-the-bendy-bus/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902184133/https://blog.trimet.org/2022/08/26/the-return-of-the-bendy-bus/ |archive-date=September 2, 2022 |access-date=January 16, 2023 |website=TriMet Blog |language=en-US}}
• 2024 on August 25, TriMet completed the A Better Red project.{{cite news |last1=Plante |first1=Amiee |last2=Salk |first2=Ariel |title=Major changes coming to MAX, bus service as TriMet completes Hillsboro Airport expansion |url=https://www.koin.com/news/trimet-max-a-better-red-line-expansion-beaverton-hillsboro-airport/ |access-date=August 28, 2024 |publisher=KOIN |date=August 26, 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Luisa |title=TriMet's MAX Red Line from PDX airport to Hillsboro officially opens |url=https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/trimet-max-red-line-extension-pdx-hillsboro/283-2e35985c-a21b-405f-9198-8068178cc446 |access-date=August 28, 2024 |publisher=KGW |date=August 28, 2024}}

{{See also|MAX Light Rail#Future_plans}}

TriMet works with local jurisdictions and agencies to identify and recommend priority transit projects to include in Metro's Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The 2018 RTP is Metro's latest iteration, and it lists three funding scenarios that divide the region's proposals into three priority levels. The highest priority projects, which are referred to as "2027 Constrained", are proposals the region expects to have funding for by 2027. The "2040 Constrained" lists projects that fit within the region's planned budget through 2040, while the "2040 Strategic" are projects that may be built if additional funding becomes available. TriMet also has a page on their [https://trimet.org/bettertransit/index.htm website] discussing the future plans for their rail and bus lines.

TriMet has indicated that other extensions and improvements have been studied or discussed with Metro and cities in the region.{{Cite report |url=https://www.oregonmetro.gov/sites/default/files/2018/06/29/RTP_Ch6_Investment_Prioritiespublicreview.pdf |title=Public Review Draft, 2018 Regional Transportation Plan, Chapter 6: Regional Programs and Projects to Achieve Our Vision |date=June 29, 2018 |publisher=Metro |pages=15, 19 |access-date=April 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423163603/https://www.oregonmetro.gov/sites/default/files/2018/06/29/RTP_Ch6_Investment_Prioritiespublicreview.pdf |archive-date=April 23, 2019 |url-status=live}}{{rp|17}}{{Cite news |last=Rivera |first=Dylan |date=September 5, 2009 |title=MAX Green Line signals decades of rail growth |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/green_line_max_signals_decades.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193755/http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/green_line_max_signals_decades.html |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=May 15, 2019 |work=The Oregonian}} These proposals include the following, with light rail and alternatives being considered:

• Extension to Forest Grove via Cornelius and Tualatin Valley Highway (OR 8)
• Extension to Oregon City via McLoughlin Boulevard (OR 99E)
• Extension to Bridgeport Village via I-205
• Extension to Hillsboro via Sunset Highway (US 26)
• Extension to Vancouver, Washington

The following cities and unincorporated communities (*) are in the TriMet service area:

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

• Aloha*
• Beaverton
• Bethany*
• Cedar Hills*
• Cedar Mill*
• Clackamas*
• Cornelius
• Durham
• Estacada
• Forest Grove
• Fairview
• Gladstone
• Gresham
• Hillsboro
• Happy Valley
• Johnson City
• King City
• Lake Oswego
• Milwaukie
• Maywood Park
• Oak Grove*
• Oregon City
• Portland
• Rivergrove
• Sherwood
• Tigard
• Troutdale
• Tualatin
• West Linn
• Wood Village

{{div col end}}

TriMet buses and commuter rail also serve Wilsonville, Oregon, which is outside the TriMet district, in order to provide connections to transit services operated by SMART in that city.

A state law that went into effect on October 1, 1987, enabled communities with a population of less than 10,000 to petition to leave the TriMet district. A petition, which needed to be signed by at least 15 percent of registered voters in the affected area, must demonstrate that a community is not receiving adequate service and that TriMet's payroll tax is adversely affecting business activity for the withdrawal from the transit district to be approved.{{Cite news |last=Boyd |first=Malcolm |date=September 30, 1987 |title=Sandy City Council to ponder secession from Tri-Met |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=EANX-NB&docref=image/v2%3A11A73E5827618330%40EANX-NB-13298BD05455A553%402447069-1328D7C5DF93D6BD%4028-1328D7C5DF93D6BD%40 |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230915040324/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/user/login?destination=document-view%3Fp%3DEANX-NB%26docref%3Dimage/v2%253A11A73E5827618330%2540EANX-NB-13298BD05455A553%25402447069-1328D7C5DF93D6BD%254028-1328D7C5DF93D6BD%2540 |archive-date=September 15, 2023 |access-date=April 9, 2022 |work=The Oregonian |page=B7 |via=NewsBank}} The first three areas to make use of the law and withdraw from the TriMet district, effective January 1, 1989, were Damascus, Molalla, and Wilsonville.Federman, Stan (December 1, 1988). "Tri-Met approves withdrawal of three communities". The Oregonian, p. C16. The Boring area was removed from the TriMet District on January 1, 2013.{{Cite news |last=Fuggetta |first=Emily |date=December 14, 2011 |title=TriMet board votes to approve Boring withdrawal |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/happy-valley/index.ssf/2011/12/trimet_board_votes_to_approve.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203171236/http://www.oregonlive.com/happy-valley/index.ssf/2011/12/trimet_board_votes_to_approve.html |archive-date=February 3, 2012 |access-date=January 3, 2013 |work=The Oregonian}}

TriMet employs a transit police division to patrol its services. Officers in this division normally serve with local law enforcement agencies and are assigned terms with the transit police; this partnership with local police enables the closest available unit to respond to incidents. TriMet also partners with the Transportation Security Administration, which provides a canine unit to detect explosives and deter acts of terrorism. Riders are encouraged to alert TriMet employees using on-board intercoms or to dial 9-1-1 when witnessing crime or suspicious activity.{{Cite web |date=April 2017 |title=Keeping You Safe |url=https://trimet.org/pdfs/publications/security.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112034638/https://trimet.org/pdfs/publications/security.pdf |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |access-date=October 30, 2020 |publisher=TriMet}} TriMet operates over 4,000 security cameras. All TriMet vehicles became fully equipped with cameras in 2014.{{Cite news |last=Rose |first=Joseph |date=April 2014 |title=10 things to know about TriMet's latest security-camera upgrade at MAX stations (video) |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2014/04/10_things_to_know_about_trimet.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103235233/https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2014/04/10_things_to_know_about_trimet.html |archive-date=November 3, 2020 |access-date=October 30, 2020 |work=The Oregonian}}

In the aftermath of the 2020 George Floyd protests, TriMet reallocated $1.8 million in police contracts and established a transit public safety committee to reevaluate safety and security.{{Cite news |last= |date=November 23, 2020 |title=Committee makes recommendations for TriMet's reimagined approach to public safety |url=https://www.masstransitmag.com/safety-security/press-release/21163738/trimet-committee-makes-recommendations-for-trimets-reimagined-approach-to-public-safety |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413224844/https://www.masstransitmag.com/safety-security/press-release/21163738/trimet-committee-makes-recommendations-for-trimets-reimagined-approach-to-public-safety |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |access-date=November 23, 2020 |work=Mass Transit}} In June 2020, an audit by Portland's Independent Police Review concluded that accountability for the transit police, which the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) oversaw, "fell short of the community's expectations". According to the audit, PPB's management "led to some adverse outcomes with community members when they have a negative encounter with a transit officer and learn that accountability is elusive."{{Cite news |last= |date=June 9, 2020 |title='Accountability is elusive': Audit calls for Portland transit police reform |url=https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/audit-calls-for-portland-transit-police-reform/283-ea68e349-3ac9-4a41-bb0f-feac1cf0d461 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320060809/https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/audit-calls-for-portland-transit-police-reform/283-ea68e349-3ac9-4a41-bb0f-feac1cf0d461 |archive-date=March 20, 2022 |access-date=March 22, 2022 |publisher=KGW}} The following March, TriMet reassigned control of the transit police to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. In fall 2021, TriMet deployed a Safety Response Team on MAX. The 24-member team is unarmed and aims to "connect riders in need with social services, reduce 911 calls for non-emergencies, and provide emergency supplies to those who need them."{{Cite news |last= |date=March 19, 2022 |title=TriMet's unarmed safety team has been on the job for months, so what does it look like? |url=https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/trimet-safety-response-team-policing-max-unarmed/283-59d78331-f25f-4ff6-981c-c5d20549fc9c |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322164738/https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/trimet-safety-response-team-policing-max-unarmed/283-59d78331-f25f-4ff6-981c-c5d20549fc9c |archive-date=March 22, 2022 |access-date=March 22, 2022 |publisher=KGW}}

An investigation by The Oregonian in 2013 led to the revelation that some TriMet drivers were working as many as 22 hours in a 24-hour period. There have also been 22 reported cases of drivers falling asleep at the wheel.Rose, Joseph (January 9, 2013). [http://www.oregonlive.com/roadreport/index.ssf/2013/01/trimet_board_member_demands_ac.html "TriMet board member demands action in light of investigation by The Oregonian."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113014221/http://www.oregonlive.com/roadreport/index.ssf/2013/01/trimet_board_member_demands_ac.html |date=January 13, 2013 }} The Oregonian.Rose, Joseph (January 10, 2013). [http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2013/01/trimet_fatigue_reaction_to_the.html "TriMet driver fatigue: Reaction to The Oregonian's 'culture of exhaustion' investigation."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111021104/http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2013/01/trimet_fatigue_reaction_to_the.html |date=January 11, 2013 }} The Oregonian.Rose, Joseph (January 5, 2013). [http://www.oregonlive.com/roadreport/index.ssf/2013/01/trimet_overtime_exhaustion_has.html "TriMet overtime: 'Exhaustion has become part of the culture' at transit agency."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130107220145/http://www.oregonlive.com/roadreport/index.ssf/2013/01/trimet_overtime_exhaustion_has.html |date=January 7, 2013 }} The Oregonian. In response, the agency adopted a new policy restricting the number of hours a driver is permitted to work within a 24-hour period.{{Cite news |last=Rose |first=Joseph |date=December 23, 2013 |title=TriMet driver fatigue: New work rules spurred by Oregonian investigation end marathon shifts behind the wheel |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2013/12/trimet_driver_fatigue_new_work.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823130817/http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2013/12/trimet_driver_fatigue_new_work.html |archive-date=August 23, 2016 |access-date=July 11, 2017 |work=The Oregonian}}

File:BrokenWESTVM.jpg

An investigation by several local Portland news outlets found that several of the MAX Light Rail ticket machines have extremely high failure rates. Many riders have claimed that they have received a fare evasion citation after boarding the MAX train without a fare after they have attempted to pay for a ticket. The official statement from TriMet is to ride to the next MAX station, de-board the train, pay for a ticket there, and wait for the next train. That response has been deemed unacceptable both by riders and bus/rail operators. TriMet has begun replacing all of its older machines with newer machines and cites a 50% drop in complaints.{{Cite web |title=Transit Investment Priorities (TIP) FY15 |url=https://trimet.org/tip/ |date=2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150105002625/http://trimet.org/tip/ |archive-date=January 5, 2015 |access-date=April 24, 2024 |publisher=TriMet}}

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