This has already begun to impact passengers using the closest thing Portland has to “bus rapid transit” service. TriMet has been met with criticism for routing its new Division FX service across the rail line at SE 11th/12th Ave in between Division and Powell, an area frequently clogged by car traffic because of stalled freight trains coming through the area. The service concept includes changes to Line 70 through the Brooklyn and Sellwood neighborhoods, in part so the bus can avoid delays at the train tracks Here are a few big takeaways I gleaned from looking at the concept and hearing the buzz from TriMet aficionados online. There will be quite a few changes to bus service within inner Portland, but the big focus here is to expand public transit access throughout the farther reaches of the city and the metro area at large. TriMet has also put forth ideas for more than a dozen new lines to make up for the canceled routes and cover new service areas.

Several routes will be upgraded to frequent service, which means they’ll come every 15 minutes instead of every 30 or 60. 25 lines will be discontinued for low ridership or redundant service, and other buses rerouted to accommodate that service loss. There are a lot of changes encompassed in this concept – almost every bus line in the TriMet’s current roster will be impacted. If TriMet can’t hire more bus drivers, it won’t be possible to expand service.

But they acknowledge a major hurdle the agency will have to overcome first: their bus operator shortage, which has resulted in several bus lines eliminated from TriMet service this fall. TriMet says they might be able to expand service by more than 30% in the next few years. New lines serving areas far from transit today, like like 148th Ave in Portland and Cornelius Pass Rd in Washington County.Īccording to TriMet, the proposed Forward Together bus service concept would “bring bus service to 50,000 more people, weekend service to 100,000 more and significant increases to frequent buses service to connect people and jobs.”.Expanded weekend service, especially to accommodate workers in retail, service and industrial sectors.Better regional links to job centers like Marquam Hill, Airport Way, Troutdale Reynolds Industrial Park, Columbia Blvd, and the North Hillsboro Industrial District.New Eastside and Washington County grids to make it easier to travel east-west and north-south in these areas.More Frequent Service – TriMet plans to extend bus lines that run every 15 minutes to “reach more people and places,” including important corridors like Cornell Rd in Washington County, Woodstock Blvd in Southeast Portland, NE Halsey in East Portland and Gresham, and 82nd Drive in Clackamas County.

Expanding access to opportunity by “making the transit system more useful for reaching jobs and major destinations like college campuses, grocery stores and hospitals, particularly for people traveling from areas with more lower-income residents.”.

While the Forward Together service concept includes changes throughout the network, there are a few ‘big ideas’ that impact every area, which include: TriMet says people want the transit agency to “focus on ridership and improving connections to destinations for people with low and limited incomes.” TriMet has released its Forward Together Draft Service Concept ( DSC) based in part on community responses to a survey they released back in March.

Sure cuts a lot 5 upgrade