With the public feedback deadline days away, here’s what the many people who attended TriMet’s only outer East Portland ‘Service Changes’ public meeting learned – as they ‘voted’ on the proposed cuts …
Returning to the Rosewood Initiative Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative building, TriMet officials hold an open house and polling session about details the planned service reductions to take place on August 23.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
As they did at a meeting on October 17 – explaining planned November public transit service changes – officials from TriMet again chose the Rosewood Initiative (Rosewood) Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative building on January 28 as their site for an information and polling session about “proposed service efficiencies and cuts” to come on August 23rd.
As you may recall, in July of 2025, TriMet announced a $300 million annual budget gap, and set about reducing spending by about $150 million – mostly through cutting internal expenses, reducing staff, and pausing future bus service increases.
Checking in attendees at the TriMet “Service Changes” open house is Rosewood Initiative Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives Madalyn Bach.
At that time, TriMet made it clear that there would have to be further “changes in service” – and those changes would be based on ridership data, as well as the feedback they’d heard from riders and the community last fall.
According to TriMet Manager of Media Relations Tia York, their objectives include:
+ Preserving service as much as possible by first reducing where buses and trains run on the same route, or physically close together.
+ Keeping Frequent Service lines going which make TriMet service convenient and reliable.
+ Maintaining transit to reach critical destinations, like medical care and schools.
Jake Warr, TriMet’s Title 6 Program Manager, explains some of the proposed changes to be made to TriMet’s public transportation services to a guest at the meeting.
The about 60 people who attended learned that three of the proposed outer East Portland service changes are expected to involve the MAX Light Rail Green Line; Lines 4-10-19 Woodstock to Lents Town Center; and Lines 22-23, serving Parkrose and Gateway Transit Centers.
TriMet’s MAX Light Rail Green Line proposal:
Run trains only between Clackamas Town Center and Gateway Transit Center. Riders then would use bus lines that run between most MAX Green Line stations and Downtown Portland – or transfer to MAX Blue or Red Line trains for trips between Gateway Transit Center and Downtown Portland.
Southeast Portland proposal:
Line 4 Fessenden – Change
Line 10 Harold – Change
Line 19 Woodstock/Glisan – Eliminate
Eliminate Line 19 in Southeast Portland, extend Frequent Service Line 4 to replace Line 19 on SE Milwaukie Avenue, SE Bybee Boulevard, and SE Woodstock Boulevard, with new bus service on Woodstock between SE 45th and Lents Town Center. Eliminate service on SE Duke. Every other Line 4 bus runs between Downtown Portland and Lents Town Center, with buses arriving every 30 minutes, matching current Line 19 schedules.
Further, move Line 10 to run on SE 72nd Avenue between SE Harold and Flavel to serve Mt. Scott and Willamette National Cemetery, previously served by Line 19. Eliminate service on SE Harold Street and SE Foster Road between 72nd and 136th Avenues. Due to lower ridership and other nearby bus lines, Line 10 buses would now arrive only during the morning and afternoon rush hours, with weekend service eliminated.
Showing proposed changes to Parkrose transit is Som Nath Subedi, a prominent leader within Portland’s Bhutanese refugee community.
Parkrose/Gateway Northeast Portland proposal:
Line 22 Parkrose – Change
Line 23 San Rafael – Change
Combine Line 22 and Line 23 with the new Line 22 running between Gateway and Parkrose Transit Centers. Eliminate service on NE Rose Parkway. Buses would arrive more often on weekdays on NE San Rafael Street, NE Sacramento Street, and NE 148th Avenue, with added weekend service.
Buses would arrive less often on NE Shaver Street, NE Fremont Street, and NE 141st Avenue. Frequent Service Line 87 would continue to run on NE 102nd Avenue.
Helping to explain the changes in service is TriMet Manager of Media Relations Tia York.
Tells why these meetings are held
“It’s important to have meetings like this, because this is where we hear from the community about the proposals that we’ve put forward,” TriMet’s Tia York told East Portland News at the meeting.
“Transit is very important to these people, and [any changes] affect their lives because they use these [public transit] services to get to work, education, shopping and other needs,” York continued. “So, when we are looking at proposals that could change services, we need to engage with the community and hear their feedback.
“These proposals are not set in stone, and even though our feedback-gathering closes at the end of January on the 31st, it’s really important that we hear from people,” she said.
Although their feedback period has ended, see all of TriMet’s “changes in service” coming in August at their detailed webpage: CLICK HERE.
>> On our Front Page, Camila completes a written TriMet survey.
© 2026 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
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