PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – With a new law in place, anyone caught using drugs on TriMet buses and trains could be facing up to a year behind bars.
TriMet championed the bill after conducting a survey that found roughly half of their riders had felt unsafe while riding on public transit.
TriMet General Manager Sam Desue said, “The changes passed in the last legislative session made it clear public drug use cannot be tolerated on transit systems.”
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Last year, the Oregon State Legislature passed a bill that made using drugs on public transit a Class A misdemeanor , meaning that someone caught using drugs on public transportation could spend up to 364 days in jail or pay thousands in fines.
This law followed the bills reversing Measure 110, making the possession of small amounts of hard drugs illegal.
TriMet partners with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office to lead the Transit Police division to enforce this new law.