TriMet’s Brand New Bendy Buses Are Already Breaking

All 31 of the agency’s new buses have been taken out of service after mechanics discovered loose or missing “fasteners” on their frames.

Grand opening of the FX2 line on Division Street. (Mick Hangand-Skill)
By Lucas Manfield

On Sept. 18, TriMet’s launched a highly anticipated new $175 million bus line connecting Gresham with downtown Portland.

It’s had a rough start. A few weeks after it launched, WW reported that due to a series of compromises, the new FX2 line isn’t always faster than the route it replaced—despite eliminating dozens of stops.

Now, all 31 of the bright green 60-foot articulated buses purchased by the agency for the new line have been taken off the streets after mechanics found missing fasteners on their frames.

A driver first noticed the problems last week after hearing weird noises while turning.

“A mechanic then investigated and found that a fastener or bolt that connects a mounting plate to the frame of a bus was missing,” according to a statement released by the agency to media outlets this morning. Mechanics inspected six other buses and found the fasteners missing or loose on every one.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we removed all the FX articulated buses from service,” TriMet said. The agency is working with the buses’ manufacturer, Quebec-based Nova Bus, to solve the issue.

A notice announcing the service change was posted on the agency’s website on Nov. 2.

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