TriMet General Manager Doug Kelsey said Friday that a fareless transit system in the Portland area is a “really low priority” for the agency.

After a news conference at Portland City Hall where Kelsey detailed TriMet’s plans to reduce its carbon footprint, he said the agency was more committed to fulfilling that goal than providing free service.

“A free system is not free,” Kelsey told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “Someone is going to have to pay. But I think there are other areas that are far more significant and are more of a priority at this time."

Kelsey’s comments came after two TriMet board members Wednesday said agency officials were starting to consider talks about exploring free transit.

The possibility seemed at odds with TriMet’s decision in October to add nine more fare enforcement officers to its MAX train system. Scores of people turned to social media to criticize the increased enforcement. Some critics said the agency should focus less on targeting people who may not be able to afford fares and instead consider making the transit service free.

On Friday, Kelsey pointed to other examples of ways the agency is trying to address fare concerns, such as the reduced-cost fares for low-income riders. TriMet also announced Tuesday that it wouldn’t raise fares next year.

The agency will take steps next year toward achieving its clean-energy goals, Kelsey said during Friday’s joint news conference with the city of Portland and Portland General Electric.

The agency plans to reduce emissions in part by shifting the electric-powered MAX to wind energy by February and using renewable diesel fuel for all of its fixed-route buses by no later than April, he said. TriMet plans to buy the wind power supply from Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp. The agency already buys the supply from PGE for its five electric buses. Transitioning the MAX system to wind power will increase operating costs by an estimated $150,000 a year, Kelsey said.

“We have a very significant undertaking on reducing our carbon footprint,” he said. “We have to change the denominator first. No matter who rides the bus, we need to change the buses, and that’s job number one.”

Kelsey said the agency plans to stop buying buses that run on diesel fuel after 2025 and have at least 340 electric buses by 2030.

He said the agency still needs to find funding to transition fully from traditional diesel buses and estimated it would cost between $500 million to $600 million to do so.

-- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey

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