Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify the headline and description of TriMet's elevator access program.
Riders who count on TriMet elevators at some of the Portland area's busiest transit hubs will now need to show proof of fare before the doors open. TriMet has expanded its secured-elevator system to seven more locations across the metro, activating card readers at Clackamas Town Center Parking Garage, Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center Park & Ride, Gresham Central Parking Garage, SE Bybee Blvd MAX Station, SE Park Ave Park & Ride and both elevators at Sunset Transit Center. The change took effect Tuesday, May 5, and those elevators now open only after a rider presents a valid fare or a paper transfer with a QR code. TriMet says the goal is to keep elevators cleaner and more reliable for people who rely on them, including riders with mobility challenges and parents with strollers.
TriMet's rollout and reasoning
In a May 4 news release, TriMet said this latest expansion builds on a secured-elevator pilot that began in summer 2023 and is part of a phased deployment running through 2025. The agency again highlighted the seven new secured-elevator locations and described the system as a tool to boost safety, cleanliness and reliability, according to TriMet. As part of the broader security effort, TriMet also pointed to upgraded cameras and new blue-light security phones, and it urged riders to report concerns to its security hotline.
How riders will access elevators
To open a secured elevator, riders tap a valid Hop card, a contactless bankcard or a phone with a mobile wallet on the black reader mounted next to the elevator doors. The elevator ride itself is free, and the scan only checks that the rider has valid fare, per TriMet. Riders who pay cash on buses receive a paper transfer with a scannable QR code, which can be held under the same reader to gain access. The support documentation notes there can be a brief wait if the elevator has to travel between levels and directs riders to TriMet's 24-hour security hotline if they need help.
What riders and advocates say
Local reporting and community blogs have noted that access controls appear to have reduced misuse at test locations, even as some riders worry the system adds extra friction for people who do not carry contactless payment methods. Montavilla News reported that TriMet plans to keep rolling the system out to MAX elevators and that officials have at times discussed fare gates as a separate tool to address fare evasion. According to the agency's announcement, TriMet says it will station staff to help riders during the transition and is collecting feedback through its website and rider hotline.
