Ride free on TriMet to honor Rosa Parks

Ride free on TriMet to honor Rosa Parks

Published 11:15 am Tuesday, February 3, 2026

TriMet is inviting riders to sit down, mirror, and journey totally free on Wednesday, Feb. 4, in honor of Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks.

No fares will likely be collected on TriMet buses, MAX mild rail, WES commuter rail or LIFT paratransit companies as a part of the company’s sixth consecutive commentary of Rosa Parks Day. Portland Streetcar and C-TRAN can even be part of within the custom.

The day commemorates Parks’ brave refusal in 1955 to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus — an act that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped finish segregated seating nationwide.

On Nov. 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court dominated bus segregation unconstitutional as a violation of the 14th Amendment. Just over a month later, the courtroom ordered the town of Montgomery to combine its buses. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired those that had been boycotting to begin driving the bus once more.

“Every seat taken is a tribute to Rosa Parks’ courage,” TriMet wrote in press launch. “Simply step on board, take a seat, ride, reflect, and reconnect.”

Rosa Parks Transit Equity Day was formally established in 2020, and TriMet’s fare-free custom has continued since 2021. Students at Portland’s Rosa Parks Elementary School have beforehand celebrated the day with performances like “We Ride with Rosa,” highlighting Parks’ enduring legacy.

TriMet encourages riders to rediscover the comfort of public transit throughout Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. Trip planning help is on the market at trimet.org or by calling 503-238-7433.