An Evaluation of Comprehensive Transit Improvements — TriMet’s Streamline Program

Transit performance is influenced by a variety of factors in an urban environment. Making transit more convenient and competitive with automobile travel is a key objective for the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet). TriMet’s goal is to have a “Total Transit System” that makes transit an attractive choice for riders. Portland’s Streamline program has been a significant effort toward meeting these goals. The program has resulted in operating and capital cost savings for TriMet by delaying the need to add more buses to the fleet as well as operating savings due to reductions in running time variability. Further, the way the program was implemented resulted in a greater increase in ridership than would have been achieved had the service increases been spread more evenly around the system, confirming that the BRT approach serves transit agencies effectively by concentrating improvements on corridors.