From Portland Afoot

TriMet's September 2010 cuts, approved by its board in May 2010 and effective Sept. 5, reduced its bus system's overall vehicle hours by 5 percent while hiking fares 5 cents, or 2 percent for an all-zone ticket.

It was the agency's fourth service cut in 12 months. In all, bus service hours fell 13.3 percent from October 2008 to October 2010.

As described by TriMet, bus routes 27 and 157 were eliminated and almost all other lines came less frequently at some times or saw shorter service hours.

[edit] Reasons for the cuts

In April 2010, TriMet said the cuts and fare hike were needed to help close a $27 million shortfall in its fiscal year 2011. The agency said the cuts were made based on which routes and times were least used, whether alternative service -- MAX or WES -- was available nearby and whether cuts would fall heavily on low-income and minority communities.

TriMet estimated that the service cuts saved the agency about $10.5 million over the remaining 10 months of fiscal year 2011: about $8 million from bus service and $2.5 million from rail service.

[edit] Resistance to the cuts

OPAL, an environmental justice group based in southeast Portland, began organizing a "Bus Riders Unite!" campaign against the cuts in 2010. They held a public rally against the cuts Sept. 1, 2010.

[edit] Which bus lines were most screwed in September 2010?

According to data requested from TriMet by Portland Afoot as part of its 2010 bus ratings, the bus lines most affected by the cuts (not counting the 27 and 157, which will be eliminated) are:

• 65-Marquam Hill, with a 31 percent cut
• 73-NE 33rd Ave., with a 27 percent cut
• 51-Vista, with a 26 percent cut
• 55-Hamilton, with an 18 percent cut
• 16-Front/St. Johns, with a 16 percent cut

The frequent service routes most affected are:

• 33-McLoughlin, with a 16 percent cut
• 6-MLK, with an 11 percent cut
• 57-Forest Grove, with a 9 percent cut
• 8-Jackson Park, with a 9 percent cut
• 14-Hawthorne, with a 9 percent cut

This data on the number of weekly vehicle hours projected to be cut from each bus line was provided by TriMet on Sept. 21, 2010. Click the triangles above each column to sort by that column.

Route number	Route name	summer 2010 vh	fall 2010 vh	change in vh	percent change
1	1-Vermont	110	103	7	6%
4	4-Division/Fessenden	2400	2310	90	4%
6	6-ML King Jr Blvd	946	845	101	11%
8	8-Jackson Park/NE 15th	1215	1107	108	9%
9	9-Powell/Broadway	1600	1546	54	3%
10	10-Harold	364	364	0	0%
12	12-Barbur/Sandy	2003	1866	137	7%
14	14-Hawthorne	873	793	80	9%
15	15-Belmont/NW 23rd	1314	1218	97	7%
16	16-Front Ave./St. Johns	174	146	28	16%
17	17-NW21st/Holgate	1222	1180	42	3%
18	18-Hillside	15	15	0	0%
19	19-Woodstock	1106	1118	-12	-1%
20	20-Burnside	1655	1570	85	5%
22	22-Parkrose	146	146	0	0%
23	23-San Rafael	55	57	-2	-4%
24	24-Fremont	209	176	33	16%
25	25-Glisan-Rockwood	50	47	2	5%
27	27-Market/Main	35		35	100%
28	28-Linwood	65	57	8	12%
29	29-Lake/Webster	79	81	-2	-2%
30	30-Estacada	229	228	1	0%
31	31-King Rd	299	308	-10	-3%
32	32-Oatfield	282	253	29	10%
33	33-McLoughlin	1114	941	173	16%
34	34-River Road	75	80	-5	-7%
35	35-Macadam/Greeley	869	865	5	1%
36	36-South Shore	84	85	0	0%
37	37-Lake Grove	36	38	-1	-3%
38	38-Boones Ferry Rd	125	124	1	1%
39	39-Lewis & Clark	66	66	0	0%
43	43-Taylors Ferry Road	269	239	30	11%
44	44-Capitol Hwy/Mocks Crest	836	759	77	9%
45	45-Garden Home	320	304	15	5%
46	46-North Hillsboor	71	72	-1	-1%
47	47-Baseline-Evergreen	151	151	0	0%
48	48-Cornell	199	191	8	4%
50	50-Cedar Mill	70	70	0	0%
51	51-Vista	133	99	34	26%
52	52-Farm/185th	675	655	20	3%
53	53-Arctic/Allen	39	35	4	11%
54	54/56 Beaverton Hilllsdale/ Scholls Ferry	762	754	8	1%
55	55-Hamilton	41	35	6	15%
57	57-Forest Grove	1181	1071	110	9%
58	58-Canyon Rd.	243	206	36	15%
59	59-Walker-Parkway	57	57	0	0%
61	61-MarqHill/Beav.	62	55	7	12%
62	62- Murray Blvd	527	477	50	9%
63	63-Wash. Park	50	51	-1	-2%
64	64-Marq Hill-Tigard	70	64	6	9%
65	65-Marquam Hill/Barbur Blvd	61	43	19	31%
66	66-MarqHill/Hollywood	68	84	-17	-25%
67	67-Jenkins/158th	202	186	16	8%
68	68-Marquam Hill/Collins Circle	101	100	1	1%
70	70-12th Avenue	585	528	57	10%
71	71-60th/122nd	1325	1286	39	3%
72	72-Killingsworth	2154	2156	-2	0%
73	73-NE 33rd Ave.	399	293	106	27%
75	75-Lombard/39th	1678	1628	51	3%
76	76-Beav./Tual.	476	476	0	0%
77	77-Broadway/Halsey	1108	1044	64	6%
78	78-Beav./Lake Oswego	474	474	0	0%
79	79-Clack./Oregon City	254	250	4	2%
80	80-Kane/Troutdale	109	99	10	9%
81	81-Kane/257th	66	65	0	0%
82	82-Eastman/182nd	69	71	-2	-3%
84	84-Kelso/Boring	26	28	-2	-8%
85	85-Swan Island	97	88	9	9%
87	87-Airport Way/181st	84	81	3	3%
88	88-Hart/198th	313	313	0	0%
89	89-Tanasbourne	158	158	0	0%
92	92-South Beaverton Express	114	99	14	12%
94	94-Sherwood/PacHwy Express	312	291	21	7%
96	96-Tualatin/I-5	307	304	3	1%
99	99-McLoughlin Express	149	130	19	13%
152	152-Milwaukie	88	88	0	0%
154	154-Willamette	40	40	0	0%
155	155-Sunnyside	137	131	6	4%
156	156-Mather Road	69	66	3	4%
157	157-Happy Valley	29	0	29	100%
TOTAL		35624	33677	1947	5.47%

[edit] See also

• 2010 TriMet ballot measure
• 2010 bus ratings
• history of TriMet fares

[edit] News articles about the cuts

• EnzymePDX story on Jim Howell's opposition to the cuts
• Oregonian story on the service cuts