Rider News

Cracking Down on Fare Evasion

We're adding more fare inspectors and stepping up enforcement

Many riders have expressed concerns about fare enforcement on the system, particularly on MAX. We're listening. In addition to expanding the number of staff dedicated to checking fares, we're shifting our focus from education to enforcement. That means riders caught without a fare will now get a citation instead of a warning—even first offenders.

“Due to the recession, we’ve had fewer people checking fares and the primary focus was on issuing warnings. We were in effect telling riders to ‘take a free ride on us.’ That sends the wrong message. It’s not fair to the riders who do pay their fares.”

—Neil McFarlane
TriMet General Manager

We've hired 6 more fare inspectors, so we now have the equivalent of 18 full-time staff checking fares. There are also 58 transit police officers who check fares as they patrol the system.
Inspectors will no longer issue warnings. They will issue citations and exclusions (meaning the rider is prohibited from using the system for up to 90 days).
Even first offenders may face a fine and/or exclusion.
The base fine for not having a valid fare is $175, but fines may go as high as $250.
Fare inspectors can check remotely, in real time, to see if a specific ticket machine is out of service before issuing a ticket or asking a rider to exit and purchase a fare.

As always, be prepared to show valid and correct fare when asked by an operator, fare inspector, supervisor or transit police officer.