TriMet

TriMet, more formally the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. TriMet provides the region's bus system, the MAX light rail system, as well as LIFT paratransit service required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. As of April 2004, the system averages over 300,000 rides per weekday [1] (http://www.trimet.org/inside/ridership.htm).

TriMet serves portions of the counties of Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas; the district extends from Troutdale to Forest Grove east to west, and from Sauvie Island to Oregon City and Estacada north to south.

The TriMet district is divided into three zones, with fares based on the number of zones in which a passenger travels [2] (http://www.trimet.org/fares/zones.htm). Zone 1 consists of the Portland city center and surrounding area. Zone 2 is a ring around Zone 1 and includes approximately the rest of the city. Zone 3 wraps around Zone 2 and consists of rest of the system within the suburbs of Portland. Within Zone 1 is the Fareless Square, an area of downtown Portland within which all rides on the TriMet system are free.

TriMet tickets and passes are also valid on the Portland Streetcar, which is operated by the City of Portland.

TriMet was founded in 1969 after disputes between the city and Rose City Transit, the company that previously operated the bus system [3] (http://www.trimet.org/inside/history/keyevents.htm). Since then, TriMet has been "a municipal corporation of the State of Oregon", with powers to tax, issue bonds, and enact police ordinances. TriMet is governed by a board of directors appointed by the governor of Oregon [4] (http://www.trimet.org/inside/govern.htm).

TriMet connects to several other mass transit systems [5] (http://www.trimet.org/guide/othertransit.htm):

• C-TRAN, which provides service to Vancouver, Washington and surrounding Clark County;
• three systems providing service to cities which left TriMet: Canby Area Transit (for Canby), Sandy Area Metro (for Sandy), and South Metro Area Rapid Transit (for Wilsonville);
• South Clackamas Transportation District, for service between Clackamas Community College and Molalla;
• work site shuttles such as Clackamas Link Shuttle (serving Clackamas Town Center), Swan Island Evening Shuttle, and Tualatin TMA Shuttle (for Tualatin's western industrial area);
• two systems providing service to outlying counties: the Tillamook County Transportation District, and Yamhill County Transportation; and
• several shuttles providing specialized services.

Transportation planning for the metropolitan area is provided by Metro, an elected regional government. As of 2005, TriMet is planning the use of a Southern pacific Railroad rail line between Beaverton and Wilsonville for a commuter rail line. This would reduce traffic on Oregon Highway 217, which the rail line parallels.

Timeline

The following timeline is taken from TriMet's November/December 2004 newsletter, the Rider Insider:

• 1969 TriMet takes over for the bankrupt Rose City Transit. The system has 175 buses and a daily ridership of about 65,000.
• 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 attract more riders. Fares outside the Square are 35 cents.
• 1976 Bus drivers are allowed to grow facial hair.
• 1978 The 22 block Portland Transit Mall opens on downtown's Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The mall includes bus-only lanes and provides a hub to make it easier for riders to make connections. As of 2005, there are plans to put light rail tracks on the Transit Mall, which are scheduled to open in September 2009.
• 1981 TriMet introduces articulated buses for the first time. 24 hour recorded schedule information becomes available over the phone.
• 1986 The 15 mile (24 km) long MAX Blue Line between Portland and Gresham opens. It re-introduces passenger rail service, missing since the 1950s.
• 1989 TriMet is named "America's Best Transit Agency" by the American Public Transportation Association.
• 1995 TriMet's website goes online.
• 1997 The first low floor bus goes into service.
• 1998 Westside MAX (the Blue line between Portland and Hillsboro) opens. TriMet also establishes "Frequent Service" bus lines: they come every 15 minutes or sooner, eliminating the need to consult a schedule when using them.
• 2001 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 got development rights to 120 acres (486,000 m²) near the entrance to Portland International Airport; as of December 2004, the development has not yet happened, delayed at least in part by an economic slowdown exacerbated by terrorist attacks which occurred the day after the line opened.
• 2004 Interstate MAX (the Yellow line) opens along Interstate Avenue. The fleet has grown to 638 buses and 105 trains and a daily ridership of over 300,000.

External links

• Official website (http://www.trimet.org/)
• 2003 Transit profile (http://www.ntdprogram.com/NTD/Profiles.nsf/2003+All/0008/$File/0008.pdf) (in PDF format) from the National Transit Databasede:Trimet