In a new interview with Lars Larson, Rep. John Ley questions TriMet’s financial direction and calls for a renewed focus on affordable, practical transit service.
Rep. John Ley recently joined Lars Larson on the Lars Larson Northwest Podcast to discuss TriMet’s reported $224 million deficit, proposed job cuts, administrative spending, declining ridership, and continued investment in light rail and other transit expansion projects.
During the interview, Ley said TriMet has been “out of control for a decade or more.” He noted that ridership peaked back in 2012, while the agency continued increasing costs year after year. Ley also pointed to employee pay raises and pandemic-era relief funding, saying federal and state money allowed TriMet to delay the painful financial decisions that should have been made sooner.
The discussion also covered TriMet’s proposed job cuts. While the agency is cutting 170 jobs, Ley and Larson discussed whether those cuts go far enough to address the size of the deficit. Ley argued that the deeper issue is not simply staffing, but administrative bloat and a failure to make hard decisions about the agency’s priorities.
Ley said TriMet should return to its core mission: providing transit service. In his view, bus service remains the most flexible and affordable option for many riders. Rather than continuing to expand costly rail projects, Ley argued that TriMet should focus on providing reasonable service that people in the Portland metro area can afford.
He also raised concerns about TriMet’s planned 82nd Avenue bus rapid transit system, saying the project could remove a lane of traffic in each direction and create long-term traffic problems for drivers.
For Ley, the broader issue is accountability. Public transportation agencies should be required to make financially responsible decisions, prioritize practical service, and respect what taxpayers and riders can afford.
