Metro Riders Face Their First Monday Under TriMet's Historic Service Cuts

TriMet's biggest service reduction in years took effect Sunday, August 23, and Monday marked the first full weekday under the new system — the real test for commuters who rely on the agency to get to work and school on time.

The most visible change hits the MAX Green Line, which no longer runs downtown to Portland State University. Riders headed into Portland now have to transfer at the Gateway Transit Center, with the Green Line itself running only between Gateway and Clackamas Town Center. That's a direct hit for commuters in the Clackamas area who used to ride straight through.

TriMet says the cuts — which eliminated two bus lines outright and restructured dozens more across Beaverton, Gresham, Lake Oswego, West Linn, and the Clackamas area — are driven by a $300 million annual budget gap. Agency officials call it the largest single service reduction since April 2020, when TriMet temporarily cut service 20% at the start of the pandemic; this time, they say, the cuts aren't temporary.

More reductions are reportedly already being planned for next year, which makes this week as good a time as any to build a buffer into the morning commute. Riders who haven't already should check TriMet's trip planner for their specific route — a line that ran direct two weeks ago may now involve a transfer, and Monday's commute likely wasn't the last one with surprises.