TRIMET CUTS FORCE STUDENTS TO LOWER THEIR ASPIRATIONS

As TriMet grapples with a massive budget deficit of hundreds of millions of dollars, the resulting service cuts currently planned are creating a hostile environment for student success.

The reduction of bus frequency on key routes, particularly during early mornings and late evenings, starting Nov. 30, directly undermines student punctuality and academic efforts. For students at Mt. Hood Community College who rely heavily on public transit to reach the Gresham campus, these cuts are forcing a stressful trade-off between education and feasibility.

PUNCTUALITY VS. STUDENT PROSPERITY

Unreliable transit translates directly to lost learning time and reduced academic standing. Students are forced to over-schedule their commutes, sacrificing sleep or giving up opportunities entirely.

Student Joseph Kim used to take the No. 52-Farmington/185th route to the Portland Community College Rock Creek. “Now it’s closer to 30 minutes, and the schedule is completely unpredictable. I must leave my house at 5:00 a.m. now to have a 7:00 a.m. class just to absorb the delays.

“This isn’t just about a bus being late,” Kim said. “It’s about forcing me to lower my class attendance and my grade potential.”

The regional transit system says additional service reductions will be needed to make up for an estimated $300 million budget shortfall the next few years. And the pressure from TriMet’s instability erodes the confidence needed for demanding schedules.

For Northeast Portland high school junior Maria Rodriguez, the choice was stark, she said.

“I had to drop my after-school robotics club because the evening service on my route was one of the first things they cut. I had to choose between my ride home and my future career.” That is the true cost of these cuts.

EVENING SERVICE CUTS ON THE NO. 81 LINE

Beyond these personal struggles, the cuts are hitting critical routes for MHCC students, such as the No. 81 bus, which stops directly in front of the Gresham campus. Currently, this bus only runs twice in each direction between 9 and 10 p.m. As of Nov. 30, it will come only once an hour after 9 p.m., making it extremely difficult for Mt. Hood students in evening classes to get home reliably.

ADAPTING TO A LESS RELIABLE SYSTEM

TriMet has indicated that future service changes, including reduced MAX Green Line service and potential elimination of some bus lines, are only just beginning, with deeper reductions planned for March 2026 and beyond.

Transit-dependent students face a tough choice: skip activities, risk long waits, or pay for purchasing a car or taking rideshares like Uber and Lyft, which can be too expensive for daily commuting.

As a result, students are adjusting their lives by:

• Leaving hours early: Padding commutes with extra time.

• Limiting extracurriculars: Abandoning evening clubs and tutoring.

• Prioritizing transfers: Mapping convoluted walking routes to reach the few remaining frequent lines.

By chipping away at the system’s dependability, TriMet’s cuts are creating a direct barrier to student prosperity, turning a guaranteed, predictable ride into a daily trial and forcing ambitious young people to make choices that limit their potential. 

The full TriMet schedule, to be updated Nov. 30, can be found at: TriMet.org/home/routes.