A rapid bus line between Portland and Gresham could move one step closer to reality Monday. A steering committee of community leaders is gearing up to vote on a route and station locations for a 12-mile bus rapid transit line from downtown Portland to downtown Gresham.
The Powell-Division Transit and Development Project Steering Committee's potential vote on Monday – known as a locally preferred alternative, or LPA – would be a significant step toward securing $100 million in federal funds to build what's expected to be a $175 million project.
Bus rapid transit uses longer accordion-style buses, faster boarding, less frequent stops, traffic signal technology and other improvements to create a quicker, more reliable trip than regular bus service. The proposed line would be the first in TriMet's system when it opens in 2021.
To approve an LPA, the steering committee would affirm its recommendation for transit type (bus rapid transit), route and station locations. Their recommendation would then go on to the Portland and Gresham city councils, Multnomah County Commission, ODOT and TriMet boards and the Metro Council for approval.
Update
The project steering committee will meet again Monday, Nov. 7 to make its final recommendation for the rapid bus line. Full story coming on Metro News.
Five more stations proposed
This week Metro and TriMet planners released a proposal that includes five additional stations on Division Street – at 30th, 119th, 125th, 135th and 145th avenues – for a total of 39 potential stations. See a station and route map in the meeting packet
The five stations were added after steering committee members and public feedback raised concerns that riders in some areas might have to go too far to access the line.
With the additional stations, 85 percent of today's 4-Division riders would get on and off the new bus rapid transit line at the same place they board a bus today. More than 99 percent would find a station within four blocks of their current stop.
Stations east of 82nd Avenue would be more robust, with improved weather protection, lighting and other amenities, plus better crossings, upgraded sidewalks and ADA access. West of 82nd, stations would be more modest to integrate into existing street character.
In August, TriMet test-drove one of C-TRAN's new long buses on inner Division to show how it could fit into the existing street width:
Rapid bus line could lead to better bus service elsewhere in corridor
Also on Monday, leaders will get an update on what could happen to the existing 4-Division when the bus rapid transit line begins operation.
Today, the 4-Division stops about six times a mile. The new bus rapid transit line would stop about three times a mile.
Some on the steering committee and in the public have raised concerns that even if it makes for a faster bus trip, reducing stops means reducing access to transit, particularly for the elderly and people with disabilities.
TriMet and Metro have studied whether service on the existing 4-Division could continue alongside bus rapid transit east of 82nd Avenue, but have found that the two services can't efficiently operate together. In part it comes down to geometry: Buses trying to get around each other at key intersections and at stations could slow each other down and create safety challenges.
Planners also note that bus rapid transit stations would serve the great majority of today's 4-Division riders with no change to where they get on and off. And that's true for riders with disabilities, too: The 4-Division stops that see more than 90 percent of today's wheelchair ramp deployments would become bus rapid transit stations.
Today, TriMet spends about $7 million annually operating the 4-Division. If the new rapid bus replaces existing 4-Division service, TriMet could reallocate that money toward improving or adding service on other streets in the corridor. Possible options could include adding north/south service on SE 148th Avenue where there is no service today, provide more frequent service on SE 122nd Avenue and Stark Street or making improvements to the 9-Powell such as operating later into the evening or a limited stop service during rush hour.
TriMet won't make decisions on reallocating 4-Division service until a community process occurs in a few years prior to the new rapid bus line opening, but the committee will discuss those possibilities Monday.
The campus of Mt. Hood Community College, in Gresham.
Improved service to East Multnomah County: Discussions continue
The steering committee will also return to an active conversation about east Multnomah County Monday.
Leaders and planners once hoped to have the line reach all the way to Mt. Hood Community College. But budget constraints have led planners to recommend a Gresham Transit Center terminus instead, stopping a couple miles short of the college.
TriMet, Metro and several East Multnomah County representatives have been discussing other improvements that could improve access to campus for students from throughout East Portland, Rockwood and other areas, such as increasing frequency on the Line 20-Stark, which travels from Rockwood to the campus and on to Gresham Transit Center. That discussion's participants will share a progress update Monday.
Southeast Powell Boulevard near 26th Avenue. Several improvements will be built on inner Powell in the near future, including improved crossings for people walking and biking. TriMet also plans to explore near-term bus service improvements on Powe.
More than a rapid bus: "Corridor-Wide Strategy" presented
The bus rapid transit line gets a lot of attention. But it's just one piece of what's in the works to make it easier, safer and more reliable for people to get around on the region's eastside.
Planners will present this bigger vision Monday, in what they call a "Corridor-Wide Strategy": Several maps of dozens of transportation, housing and economic development investments planned along Powell, Division and nearby neighborhoods. See the maps
Looking east on Southeast Division Street at 136th Avenue, in the Midway district. The Portland Bureau of Transportation plans to build better-protected bikeways along outer Division. Bus rapid transit would have seven stations between 122nd and 148th.
The maps show projects planned – and in many cases funded – by several agencies. In addition to bus rapid transit on Division, these include:
- potential new or more-frequent bus service on several north-south thoroughfares and Stark Street in East Portland and Gresham, with funds saved from the 4-Division (TriMet)
- potential Line 9-Powell bus service improvements, such as additional rush-hour service or limited-stop service, with funds saved from the 4-Division (TriMet)
- new crossings on inner Powell Boulevard (ODOT, funded)
- an overhaul of outer Powell with sidewalks and better bike facilities (ODOT and PBOT)
- five new north-south bikeways in Portland and separated bike lanes on Division between 52nd and 60th avenues and from 82nd Avenue to Portland city limits (PBOT)
- bus stop improvements on Powell, Stark, Division and at Mt. Hood Community College (TriMet)
- affordable housing and small business preservation strategies throughout East Portland and in the Jade District (Portland)
- supporting economic development and new housing around key stations in Gresham (Gresham)
- advancing Powell Blvd. in an update of the regional vision for high capacity transit investments (Metro)
See the maps:
Meeting details
The Powell-Division Steering Committee meets at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 9901 SE Caruthers St. in Portland. Public testimony will be heard at the beginning of the meeting. Get directions, materials and more info
The committee includes elected officials, community advocates and residents from throughout the region's eastside. The Powell-Division Transit and Development Project is a partnership of Metro, TriMet, Multnomah County, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the cities of Portland and Gresham.
If the steering committee doesn't wrap up its vote Monday, planners have tentatively scheduled another meeting on Nov. 7.