Tag: MAX system

PORTLAND, OR – Over the past year, TriMet officials say crews have installed more blue-light security phone kiosks on MAX platforms.  The phone provide instant connection to dispatchers at public TriMet’s security operations center, which serves as the central hub for monitoring the transit system and dispatching public safety teams.

“Security incidents reported at the locations where we have installed the phones have decreased,” TriMet’s Chief Safety and Security Officer Andrew Wilson said. “We think seeing a security kiosk, which has a light on it, and knowing there’s someone you can reach, helps to create a safer experience and a safer location.”

The blue-light phones were introduced in October 2024 at a handful of MAX stations, and due to that successful rollout, an additional 30 phones are scheduled for installation on the MAX Yellow, Green, and Orange lines in the coming weeks.  Approximately 20 more are scheduled to be installed across the entire MAX system by June 2026.

According to Trimet, the technology is simple to use.  A person presses the red button on the front of the emergency station and within seconds a dispatcher is supposed to respond.  Inside the security operations center, TriMet staff can see who is calling, get a good look at their surroundings thanks to a camera mounted near the phone.

Along with providing people immediate access to security staff, the call stations are meant to provide deterrents.  The blue lights, similar to those used in shopping center parking lots and on college campuses, are easy to spot, especially at night.  The presence of cameras on the vibrant red towers, distinguished by the word “security,” are also supposed to discourage crime.

However, TriMet notes the blue-light cameras not meant to be a substitute for 9-1-1 services.

For more information about TriMet’s security efforts, visit trimet.org/security.