TriMet dedicates new transit mobility center to lifelong advocate for people with disabilities

Named for TriMet Committee on Accessibility Transportation (CAT) Chair Jan Campbell, the new space will serve as an accessibility hub for riders unable to use TriMet buses and trains due to disability or a disabling health condition

TriMet is opening a new transit mobility facility, with a new location and a new name. Located in the heart of Portland's Lloyd neighborhood, the Jan Campbell Transit Mobility Center will provide a centralized location for people to interview and confirm eligibility for TriMet LIFT Paratransit Service. It will open for service on Monday, Nov. 25.

On Tuesday, Nov. 19, TriMet dedicated the new facility in Campbell's honor, acknowledging her pioneering advocacy for greater public transit accessibility. A native Portlander and lifelong public transit user with paraplegia, Campbell helped create TriMet's Committee on Accessible Transportation (CAT) in 1985 and has served as its chair ever since.

"This facility is a testament to the power of advocacy, resilience, and the unwavering dedication of one remarkable person, Jan Campbell," said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. "Her leadership has set a high standard for accessibility and inclusion at TriMet, shaping our services to reflect values that matter-equity, dignity, inclusion and opportunity for all."

Campbell has been instrumental in creating change that promotes independence, empowerment, and well-being.

"I feel so honored and wish I could mention each one of you individually," she said to the crowd gathered at the mobility center Tuesday afternoon.

"You are the wind beneath wings, meaning that you have given me strength and support so that I can fulfill my vision, along with others, in breaking down environmental and attitudinal barriers so our world is welcoming to everyone."

TriMet LIFT is a shared-ride transportation service for people who are unable to use our fixed-route buses and trains due to disability or disabling health conditions. It provides vital transportation to our riders who are most vulnerable, many of whom rely on transit to connect with vital health services, including chemotherapy and dialysis.

Relocated from Portland's Old Town neighborhood, the new mobility center at Northeast 7th Avenue and Holladay Street provides an easier-to-access location for in-person interviews and eligibility certification required to utilize the service. It is well served by transit, with MAX trains and Portland Streetcar rolling by every few minutes and buses coming and going from stops nearby, for most of the day.

The facility is equipped with new technology and features, including a specialized transit mobility course that simulates some of the challenges people with disabilities they may face when they ride our fixed-route transit service. The course also supports travel training for riders of those buses and trains.

"We just want to make the system safe, welcoming and totally accessible," said Campbell When we achieve that, we will have the best [transit] system in the country."

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, LIFT service covers all locations that are within the TriMet service area, including portions of Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. Last year, LIFT provided 50,000 of its 700,000 trips to vital medical appointments. The service scored a 98% approval rating in our latest Customer Satisfaction survey.

Since 2023, more than 7,200 people accessed the transit mobility center to conduct LIFT eligibility activities. Today, more than 21,500 people in the tri-county area have qualified to receive LIFT services. Learn more about TriMet's accessibility at trimet.org/access.

Campbell has used a mobility device since she was two years old, when a virus attacked her spine. She vividly remembers what the world was like before the Americans with Disabilities Act passed and how it influenced her education, employment opportunities, housing, and most of all, her independence.

Campbell has been instrumental in creating change that promotes the independence, empowerment, and well-being of people with disabilities. In addition to the CAT, she served as the Disability Project Coordinator for the City of Portland and Multnomah County for 23 years. She has served on the Board of Directors for Disability Rights Oregon and is a member of the Northwest ADA Center's Regional Advisory Committee.

The Daily Journal of Commerce recently recognized her as one of its 2024 Women of Vision. She holds a lifetime achievement award from the Oregon Disabilities Commission, and she received the 2015 Women of Achievement Award from the Oregon Commission for Women.

Campbell is also the recipient of a 2024 honorary membership into the American Society of Landscape Architects, an honor reserved for eight individuals annually with achievements of national or international significance to the profession of landscape architecture, joining the ranks of President Jimmy Carter, Vice President Al Gore, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Secretary of State Colin Powell and other dignitaries.

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