PORTLAND, Ore. — Add the Portland area’s Tri-Met to the list of transit agencies warning of dire consequences without an increase in funding.
The agency is warning that it could face a 15% cut in service beginning in 2027, with additional 5% cuts every two years after that, unless its funding is boosted. The agency is seeking a 0.4% increase in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund payroll tax — phased in over eight years — to avoid the cuts.
“We appreciate the efforts of the Oregon Legislature to assemble a package that balances funding for all modes of transportation,” TriMet said in a press release . “However, the amount of funding for public transit currently being proposed is not enough to avoid service cuts that will leave tens of thousands of Oregonians stranded without the transportation they depend on, including in TriMet’s tri-county service district.”…