TriMet Cuts: The Grim Details

TriMet followed up today on yesterday's announcement about its latest budget shortfall -a $27 million hole - with some of the grim details about how and what it's proposing to do come September.

The transit agency proposes to increase fares by 5 cents; increase the time between MAX trains from 15 minutes to 17 minutes during midday, weekend and evening trips in off-peak hours; and adjust MAX schedules by as much as four minutes in the early morning and late evening.


Here are other lowlights among the proposals to be hashed out over the next three months, as well as the schedule of public hearings:

Discontinued: the #27, #65, #154 and #157 bus lines

Some or all weekend service eliminated: #32, #45 and #80 bus lines.

Reduced frequency on a lot more bus lines.

There are four open houses -scheduled from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm at each event- where you can at least gripe about this latest round of cuts:

Feb. 23 in Room C of the Portland Building, 1120 SW Fifth Ave.; Feb. 24 in Rooms 1 and 2 of the Pioneer Community Center, 615 5th Street, Oregon City; March 3 in the Beaverton Community Center, 12350 SW 5th St.; and March 4 in Gresham City Hall, 1333 NW Eastman Parkway.

If you can't attend any of those gripe sessions, you can scream at TriMet any other number of ways. Just be sure to make your comment before the end of the day April 23.