TriMet finalizes service cuts

After several open house discussions and thousands of comments, TriMet has finalized its list of MAX and bus service cuts.  Things look very similar to the original plan except for some changes to bus lines 31, 63, 89, 152 and 157 – the service cuts to these five bus lines won’t be as drastic as originally planned due to public comments about these lines serving as connections to services such as schools and jobs.

Again, here’s the run down of the proposed service cuts (with my comments in read):

Recession impacts TriMet

TriMet gets most of its revenues–55 percent–from the employer payroll tax. With the worsening economy and unemployment climbing, TriMet’s projected budget gap has grown from $13.5 million to $23.6 million for the FY10 budget. The agency has taken numerous steps to reduce costs and improve efficiency including an 8 percent across-the-board expense cut, a hiring and salary freeze, furloughs and projected staff layoffs.

TriMet is using a portion of federal stimulus funds to offset some planned agency investments, and in turn, reduce service cuts to about half of what would have been required without stimulus funds. If economic conditions worsen, additional service cuts will likely be needed. TriMet will have a better picture of actual payroll tax receipts for the first quarter of 2009 in mid-May. If additional service cuts are necessary, they would be proposed over the summer.

Service cut proposal

• The original proposal called for elimination of 12 bus lines that either had low ridership or alternative service nearby. Based on public feedback, TriMet is proposing to eliminate four lines: 41-Tacoma, 74-Lloyd District/Southeast, 86-Alderwood and 153-South End Rd Loop. (this seems reasonable; these lines are low ridership lines)
• 20 lines would have major changes to route, frequency and/or hours of operation: 1-Vermont, 15-Belmont, 18-Hillside, 19-Woodstock, 27-Market/Main, 33-Fremont, 34-River Rd, 36-South Shore, 37-Lake Grove, 55-Hamilton, 58-Canyon Rd, 59-Walker/Park Way, 60-Leahy Rd, 63-Washington Park, 70-12th Ave, 85-Swan Island, 88-Hart/198th Ave, 89-Tanasbourne, 156-Mather Road and 157-Happy Valley.  A new fixed route bus line will replace the Cedar Mill Shuttle and Line 60-Leahy Rd. (as a 15-Belmont rider, this worries me a bit.  But I’m assuming most of the change will be during late evening / middle of the day / weekend hours.  It remains to be seen what exactly the extent is to the language: “major changes to route, frequency and / or hours of operation.”)
• 15 bus lines would have some or all weekend service discontinued: 1-Vermont, 10-Harold, 17-NW 21st Ave/St Helens Rd, 33-Fremont, 34-River Rd, 39-Lewis & Clark, 43-Taylors Ferry Rd, 47-Baseline/Evergreen, 48-Cornell, 51-Vista, 59-Walker/Park Way, 63-Washington Park, 67-Jenkins/158th Ave, 156-Mather Rd and 157-Happy Valley. (My wife is a Lewis & Clark grad; she’s expressed concern over the 39 being on this list for students who do not own an automobile or another form of transportation who wish to go downtown during the weekends.)
• The Washington Park Shuttle that currently runs from Memorial Day through September will be extended to run weekends during May and October to provide connections to Washington Park attractions.

MAX service

• The start and end of MAX Blue, Red and Yellow Line service remains the same, but frequency of early morning and late evening service primarily on weekends changes from 15 to 30 minutes. (While this is a huge bummer, I’m OK with the time of day they’re planning on cutting down the frequency.  It’s really the only time that they could cut.)
• The future Green Line that will open in September 2009 will have less service than originally planned. (Maybe a lesson learned from the WES (i.e. not so spectacular ridership thus far)?  I will say in terms of line placement, the Green line is much more attractive for riders than the WES).

Next steps

A first reading and hearing of the service change ordinance is scheduled for the April 22, 2009, Board of Directors meeting. No formal action will be taken at this meeting. The board is scheduled to vote on the service cut proposal at its May 27, 2009, meeting.