Hillsboro-area bus riders face longer walks, added transfers, and adjusted routes starting Sunday, Aug. 23, when TriMet permanently restructures 33 bus lines and the MAX Green Line to help close a $158 million budget deficit.
The changes mark the third round of TriMet service cuts in less than a year, following reductions in November 2025 and March 2026.
Weekly bus service hours will drop about 3.1% systemwide, and MAX service hours will fall nearly 9%, according to Beaverton Valley Times reporting by Lauren Bishop published July 30.
No Hillsboro-specific bus routes have been named among the affected lines. But riders who connect through Beaverton Transit Center will feel the impact directly: Line 76-Hall/Greenburg will take over Line 20-Burnside/Stark service between Beaverton Transit Center and Sunset Transit Center, with Line 20 ending at Sunset.
Two routes disappear entirely.
Other Washington County changes include eliminating Line 76 service between Legacy Meridian Park Hospital in Tualatin and Oregon City Transit Center, a segment that also serves the Tualatin Food Pantry and the Borland Free Clinic.
Line 97-Tualatin-Sherwood Rd will merge with Line 38-Boones Ferry Rd into a new route called Line 97-Tualatin-Sherwood/Kruse Way, running between Sherwood and Barbur Transit Center. Line 37-Lake Grove will combine with Line 96-Tualatin/I-5, with the merged route operating only during morning and afternoon commute times.
LIFT Paratransit Lines 82-South Gresham and 153-Stafford/Salamo will also be cut.
Deficit driving the cuts
TriMet said in a July 14 statement that the changes are part of a multi-year strategy to resolve the deficit by reducing expenses and increasing revenue. The agency's fiscal year 2027 budget totals $1.75 billion, with $187.4 million drawn from reserves to bridge the gap between expenses and revenues.
By the end of summer 2026, TriMet will have eliminated about 570 positions across the agency, including 170 employee layoffs. The agency expects to make another $44.4 million in internal spending cuts before next summer, on top of $17.7 million cut in 2025.
If the financial picture doesn't improve, TriMet is also considering a fare increase in 2028, after raising fares by 80 cents in 2024.
What riders should do
TriMet said riders should visit trimet.org/servicechanges and use the Trip Planner for Sunday, Aug. 23, to see how their specific route will change. Customer service is available weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. by call or text.
The transit agency plans to begin community engagement this fall on additional proposed cuts for August 2027.
The Aug. 23 restructuring is separate from the temporary MAX Blue and Red line track closures in Washington County that we reported July 26, which end Saturday, Aug. 8.
