There is a common misconception that no one pays to ride Portland Streetcar. Every month Streetcar Fare Enforcement Officers and Customer Service Agents are out on the Streetcar checking fares and recording their findings. Since March 2016, over 17,800 people have been surveyed to determine how people pay their fare on Portland Streetcar. The results, which remain consistent with past surveys, show that nearly 70% of riders board with a TriMet fare, either a pass, ticket, or transfer. An additional 19% have a Streetcar Only pass in their wallet, on their phone, or through their employer/school. That leaves 11% of riders who need to purchase some sort of fare on-board or at the platform ticket machines. Of those only 3% do not purchase a fare (including those who did not validate their ticket or wait to purchase until they see the fare surveyor). Of the 8% that purchase a fare, only 1 or 2 out of every 100 riders will purchase a fare from the on-board fare machines. Due to the number of fares accepted as valid on Portland Streetcar, it is very easy to have valid fare in a wallet or on your smart phone where no one else sees it. See the chart below for an exact breakdown from the survey.
