"I think the public needs to understand that as an agency, we are exploring what [a fareless system] could look like," [TriMet board member Kathy Wai] said. "These conversations are happening at a high level. … I think we are further along in 2019 on the conversation about the funding, what that could look like, and what those mechanisms could be." — Portland Mercury
Officials with the TriMet regional transit agency in Portland, Oregon have begun to discuss the possibility of embracing free public transit for area residents. The move comes after Kansas City, Missouri announced it would make its public transit free to ride.
Running alongside the push to make transit accessible and free, however, is a recently increase in fare-enforcement efforts in Portland itself and in other major cities nationwide, including Los Angeles and New York City. TriMet receives roughly 18% of its operating budget, roughly $90.9 million, from fare revenue. TriMet recently increased its Safety & Security budget by $4.7 million to $29.4 million in order to have "more people on the system checking fares and enforcing the TriMet Code."
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