Starting January 1st, 2024, TriMet riders will pay higher fares unless they use monthly passes. MAX, Bus, and Streetcar adult users will start paying 30 cents more for 2½-Hour Tickets, bringing the cost to $2.80. Adult Day Passes will also jump by 60 cents to $5.60. Honored Citizen and Youth fares will only increase by 15 cents for the timed tickets and 30 cents for Day Passes. This fare change is the first increase in TriMet’s base Adult Fare in more than a decade. It will help pay for rising costs, including an 11.5% wage increase for transit workers represented by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 757.
With these fare increases, riders have even more incentive to use Hop Fastpass™ cards. TriMet’s Board of Directors capped monthly Passes at $100 for adult riders. Most people only need to buy 18-day passes before earning a monthly pass. Each purchase on a Hop Fastpass™ account builds towards the next ticket level. Honored Citizen and Youth month-long passes cost $28, meaning they only need to ride for ten days before receiving free rides for the remainder of the month.
TriMet’s Board of Directors anticipates a $5.3 million annual increase in fare revenue with these changes. The added money will support increased service levels and help stabilize the transit agency’s finances post-pandemic. As inflation rises, employee compensation needs to grow, particularly for bus driver positions that are hard to fill. A year ago, nearly 80% of TriMet staff represented by ATU 757 received a 7.5% raise. On December 1st, those 2,538 employees received an additional 4% wage increase. ATU 757 workers drive buses, operate trains, perform vehicle and systems maintenance, and support riders.
Fare increases of any amount are rarely well received by riders. Some transit advocates support fare-less operation, and some US cities are trying it. However, TriMet is not ready to tackle that experiment. Instead, it focused its equity efforts on a reduced fare program serving those at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. TriMet also offers other programs to support riders who may qualify for additional discounts. Accessing those assistance programs is vital for people with mobility issues because riders who use the LIFT paratransit pickup and transport service will also see Single Ride Tickets increase by 30 cents to $2.80.
TrimMet has worked to mitigate the impact of the 2024 fare increases for their frequent users. Digital and physical Hop Fastpass™ cards will save riders money, but casual riders can not avoid paying more per trip. People should factor these changes into their budget for 2024. The increase will be difficult for some people. However, a monthly pass still provides cost savings over car ownership and helps fight traffic congestion.
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