Trimet to expand their low-fare program




Transportation is an important element to any community.  It is how people access schools, work, healthcare and everyday necessities.  Making sure our most vulnerable communities have access to safe, affordable and reliable transportation is an important key to building a happy, thriving community.  Thanks to input from advocates, community members, and elected leaders, Trimet, Portland’s metropolitan area public transportation provider, has recently announced that it is expanding their reduced-fare program to cover people with limited income. 

The reduced-fare program which will take effect on July 1st will be funded by additional revenue generated from a new payroll tax in the transportation funding package.  People who earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level will qualify for half-price fare – that is, $1.25 per ride or $2.50 for a day pass.  Under the current federal poverty guidelines, this means individuals earning up to $24,120 would qualify.


Those interested in the low-income fare must register and have their eligibility confirmed by a third party. TriMet will be announcing the details over the next few months, including a targeted pre-registration and outreach period in June.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community

Understanding Homelessness

Air pollution caused by wildfires may increase risk of dementia