The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet): Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties · Portland · Oregon
- Level
- Sector regulator
- Authority
- ORS ch. 267 (district powers); TriMet Code ch. 28 (rules for riding); OHA statewide face-covering guidance and EO 20-27 (masks on transit at OHA direction, MET-PDX-047)
- Issued
- 2020-07-18 July 18, 2020
- Effective
- 2020-05-15 (rider face coverings); 2020-04-02 (rider limits); 2020-03-27 (cash suspended); 2020-04-05 (reduced service) (read as 2020-05-15)
- End
- Face coverings on transit continued under OHA guidance, Oregon OSHA OAR 437-001-0744 and, from Feb. 1, 2021, the CDC conveyance order (86 Fed. Reg. 8025) through Sept. 30, 2021 and beyond (MET-PDX-013 and -016: masks 'still required... on public transit' on June 30, 2021 and Mar. 2022); end dates of the rider limits and cash suspension not shown in this set (read as 2021-09-30)
- In force
- May 15, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021
- Quarters
- 2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Capacity limitFace-covering requirementTravel and quarantineOther
- Addressees
- all TriMet riders (bus, MAX, WES, LIFT)
- TriMet employees
- employers whose workforce commutes by transit
- Functions reached
- WF workforce commuting (capacity-limited, mask-conditioned, reduced-frequency transit)
- TR travel within the metro
- CB customers reaching businesses by transit
- TV airport access (MAX Red Line)
- Collection
- Portland MET-PDX
Operative words
First things first: please only travel on transit for essential trips right now.... Buses are limited 10-15 riders at one time -- 10 individuals, or up to 15 if people are riding together (such as couples of parents with children). With everyone now wearing face coverings on board and with more frequent cleanings, we'll soon be able to carry 19-24 riders at one time. If a bus is at capacity, it will not pick up new passengers until someone exits.... Face coverings required. Scarfs, bandannas and fabric masks are all okay, so long as they cover your nose and mouth. As we recently announced, all TriMet employees must wear face coverings too.... Children under the age of two should not wear face coverings, and individuals may not use a covering if a medical condition prevents it.... We've temporarily stopped accepting cash on buses... Ridership has dropped as much as 70% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We've temporarily reduced service... Many lines now have service similar to what they'd have on a weekend.
Enforcement
TriMet Code rules for riding (exclusion from service; passengers at capacity refused boarding); OHA guidance enforceable under EO 20-27 and OAR 437-001-0744 (Oregon OSHA)
Notes
The transit-capacity instrument for the Portland metro: a bus limited to 10-15 riders, then 19-24, on weekend-level schedules, with masks mandatory, for the workforce of every employer in the tri-county district.
Retrieval noteThe agency's own statement of its rider rules; graded primary as an agency public notice. No TriMet Board ordinance or TriMet Code amendment was retrieved; the underlying legal mandate for masks on transit was OHA direction (MET-PDX-047) and, from Feb. 1, 2021, the CDC order (FED file). Level coded 'sector-regulator' following the Sound Transit precedent in the SEA file.