Oregon Public Broadcasting

Transit riders in Portland are about to get a 5 cent fare increase according to TriMet. As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, the agency is facing a $27 million shortfall.

TriMet already cut $30 million out of its budget for this fiscal year. Now, because of the poor economy, it has to cut a similar sum from the budget starting in July.

President, Fred Hansen, says they're freezing hiring and salaries and cutting administration by five percent. But he says they also have to cut services.

Fred Hansen: "It's something that we in transit dislike doing more than anything else. Because service is what we're all about. It's also in this region been much more than just that transport, it's been a part of who we as a community are."

He says TriMet will hold a series of public meetings, but the current plan would cut four bus lines and have fewer buses run on other lines -- that would increase weekday waits from two to 10 minutes longer.