The TriMet Board of Directors approved a tough proposal Wednesday morning that would alter or reduce dozens of bus routes, end others and shorten one MAX line. If adopted in the final budget, those cuts would hit in August.
Officials are weighing these reductions in the face of an estimated $245 million budget gap brought on by rising costs and a ridership decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the agency. TriMet already made a series of smaller reductions in November. Officials aim to reduce service hours by a total of at least 10% to address the shortfall, with this proposal bringing the agency halfway there, documents show.
The changes would save TriMet around $27 million a year, according to a memo from TriMet General Manager Sam Desue. The board of directors will vote on a final fiscal plan in May…