PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
TriMet board members voted Tuesday to adopt a fiscal year 2013 budget that will enact a flat fare system and eliminate the Free Rail Zone.
Several bus lines will also be reconfigured to eliminate overlapping routes, and some fares will be increased.
The budget cuts are expected to close a $12 million shortfall. According to the agency's website, TriMet has already made internal cuts, including layoffs, to save $1.2 million.
In a statement, TriMet spokesperson Mary Fetsch said that the agency had received an unprecedented 16,000 comments since inviting public input on the proposed budget nearly eight months ago. She said the shortfall stems from the slow economic recovery, potential cuts in federal operating funds and an unresolved union contract.
Fare changes, including the elimination of the Free Rail Zone, take effect on Sept. 1. Bus service cuts and changes begin on Sept. 2.
A full list of TriMet service changes can be found on the agency's website.
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