Clackamas County
Clackamas County Transportation Providers
TriMet
TriMet’s district spans 533 square miles across Oregon’s three most populous counties (Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas) and nearly 30 cities with 1.65 million people – approximately 90 percent of the tri-county population and 39 percent of the state’s population.
TriMet provides 60 million rides annually. Notable destinations include the region’s major employment centers (downtown Portland, Hillsboro, Gresham, Clackamas Town Center, Bridgeport Village); institutions of higher education (Oregon Health & Science University, Portland State University, the University of Portland, Reed College, Lewis and Clark College, Pacific University, the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Portland Community College, Mt. Hood Community College, Clackamas Community College); and major health care and hospital systems (Adventist, Legacy, Kaiser, Tuality, OHSU and Providence).
Bus Service
TriMet’s bus service includes 80 lines and a Frequent Express (FX) high-capacity line that serve much of the Portland metro area. Many bus lines connect with MAX Light Rail, WES Commuter Rail, Portland Streetcar and the Portland Aerial Tram. In addition to the FX line, 17 other bus lines are frequent service lines that connect with regional hubs where many riders live and work and run every 15 minutes or less most of the day, every day.
MAX
MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) Light Rail consists of five lines connecting Portland City Center with Beaverton, Clackamas, Gresham, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, North/Northeast Portland and Portland International Airport. All MAX light rail lines are frequent service lines running every 15 minutes.
LIFT Paratransit
LIFT is TriMet’s shared-ride service for people who are unable to use regular buses and trains due to a disability or disabling health condition.
WES Commuter Rail
Westside Express Service is a commuter rail line serving Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville. WES runs weekdays during the morning and afternoon rush hours, with trains every 45 minutes.
“I don’t have a car and never will, so I want to thank TriMet for giving me the most freedom I’ve ever had in my life. You allowed me to go to so many places.”
“A LIFT operator showed kindness when a disabled woman dropped her drink and he stopped to get her a new one on New Year’s Day.”
“I suffered a stroke 12 years ago and I’m very appreciative when my driver takes pains to know where I need to go.”
“I’m 65 and found out that I can ride the bus for half price. I’m going to sell my car! Your drivers, your website, your customer service – it all rocks! I should have sold my car 20 years ago. You are all amazing. Thank you for being here for us.”
Sandy Area Metro
Sandy Area Metro is owned and operated by Sandy, Oregon (pop 12,000). SAM operates in Clackamas County with commuter routes to the Gresham Transit
Center and Estacada City Hall where it connects with TriMet buses and trains. At the Sandy Transit Center, SAM pulses with the Mount Hood Express service which travels to Mount Hood’s Timberline Lodge.
SAM operates an in-town Shopper Shuttle. This shuttle operates five runs Monday-Friday from noon to 7:15 pm, offering neighborhood transportation to local schools and shopping centers. This Shopper and the Estacada route can deviate 3⁄4 mile from the route to accommodate anyone not able to get to the fixed route bus stop. All in-town SAM fixed route services are free of charge. Travel out of town, or that originates out of town, is $1.
SAM operates an in-town dial-a-ride service, SAM rides. This dial-a-ride service is available to anyone within three miles of the city’s town center. Any rides that qualify as an ADA ride is free; non-ADA qualifying rides are $1. Our vehicles proudly state, “Call us, we’ll pick you up.”
SAM provides a non-emergency medical rides program for the frail elderly and/or disabled for medical services that are not available in city limits. These rides are commonly used for dialysis, hospital procedures and VA Hospital appointments.
Why SAM is so vital
When COVID hit, the Senior Center had no volunteers and few staff for Meals on Wheels, SAM delivered meals every Thursday for nine months.
SAM partnered with Sandy Helping Hands and Fred Meyer Click List to deliver groceries.
SAM maintained its service – and waived fares – during the pandemic and wildfires, despite moving the fleet to an alternate site due to evacuations.
SAM provided free rides for people to obtain vaccinations.
SAM provides free rides to warming centers during cold weather periods.
One grateful rider said, “During Covid and shutdowns, SAM has been amazing in keeping us connected and safe.”
