TriMet announces bus payment changes

Portland Oregon’s public transportation network, Trimet, recently made changes to how riders pay for tickets in late August of 2019.

And while changes are slight, there are few important details students of Pacific University should take note of before making any trips to the store or downtown Portland.

Trimet’s new payment system, Hop, encourages riders to use their smartphones or reloadable cards and requires them to tap their card or device on the little green Hop boxes before or while boarding Trimet. However, users can still buy 2.5 hour and all-day tickets when boarding buses and MAX stations.

There are two ways to pay via smartphone: one can simply pay via Google Pay, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay when they board, or one can pay through the Hop Fastpass app which is essentially a digital transaction card.

To pay directly, users must add a Hop pass on their payment app and automatically receive charges for an adult fare.

Using the app, riders can also select different fares and earn both day and month passes.

Riders can also purchase and reload their Hop cards locally at the Safeway or Plaid Pantry locations in Forest Grove.

Student riders should be advised that some locations are cash only for Hop card transactions. Additionally, tapping more than twice in a 24-hour period automatically changes the bus fare to all-day, instead of extending hours, for the remainder of the day.