TriMet LIFT Paratransit
Door-to-door paratransit rides (LIFT)
What it pays or provides
LIFT gives you shared, door-to-door rides using a personalized LIFT Hop card. A ride costs $2.80, and you ride free for the rest of the month once you've spent $74. If you transfer to a regular TriMet bus or train within 2.5 hours of boarding LIFT, that transfer is free with your LIFT Hop card; after 2.5 hours, you pay the $1.40 Honored Citizen fare. LIFT doesn't accept Honored Citizen, Adult, or Youth Hop cards as payment -- only a personalized LIFT Hop card works.
Who qualifies
Having a disability or health condition by itself doesn't make you eligible -- you have to show that it keeps you from using regular buses or MAX, whether that's getting to and from a stop or station, or boarding and getting off. TriMet certifies people into one of four categories: Unconditional (you can't use fixed-route service for any trip, certified for three years), Conditional (you can't use it under certain circumstances and decide per trip), Temporary (for a condition expected to change), or Visitor (if you're in the Portland area 21 days or less in a rolling year).
How other benefits affect it
TriMet's Honored Citizen reduced fare covers regular buses and MAX, not LIFT rides themselves, but it applies to LIFT-to-fixed-route transfers made more than 2.5 hours after boarding. Ride Connection offers a similar free door-to-door ride option in the Portland metro area, mainly for seniors and people with disabilities, and can be an alternative or supplement to LIFT.
How to apply
Apply online at trimet.org/lift/application.htm, download the paper application (also available in Spanish), or call 503-962-8000, option 2 to have one sent to you. Every applicant has to complete an in-person interview and physical assessment at the TriMet Mobility Center, 710 NE Holladay Street -- LIFT provides a free ride to and from that appointment. For questions about eligibility, call 503-962-8200.
Go to the official page →or call 503-962-8000
Keeping it (renewal)
Unconditional eligibility is certified for three years at a time.
If you’re denied
If TriMet determines you're not eligible, you can appeal -- the appeal has to be filed within 65 days of the date of the initial eligibility determination.
Programs that combine with it
- TriMet Honored Citizen reduced fare — up to 72% off the bus & MAX
- Ride Connection — free door-to-door rides for seniors and people with disabilities
Sources
- TriMet LIFT fares
- TriMet LIFT overview and booking
- Official rule text “The presence of a disability or a disabling health condition by itself does not make you eligible.” (checked July 6, 2026)