After reviewing all the comments, TriMet has released their complete plan, to go into operation in January of 2007.
- 17 bus lines will run on 3rd and 4th avenues, carrying 85 percent of downtown riders on weekdays.
- 7 bus lines will run on Columbia and Jefferson streets, carrying 6 percent of weekday downtown riders.
- Line 14-Hawthorne will run on SW 2nd Ave and cross the Morrison Bridge before returning to its regular route on SE Hawthorne. Line 14 carries 8 percent of downtown riders.
- Frequent Service on Line 9-Powell will be extended to the Union Station area to connect with Amtrak and Greyhound arrivals and departures. Night service on Powell will be added between SE 98th and Union Station, running every 15 minutes until about 10 p.m., seven days a week.
- Line 77-Broadway/Halsey will be rerouted to run in front of Union Station.
- Line 1-Greeley will become Line 35-Greeley and continue through downtown as Line 35-Macadam. Line 40-Mocks Crest will become Line 44-Mocks Crest and continue through downtown as Line 44-Capitol Hwy.
4 responses to “TriMet Finalizes Mall Bus Relocation Plan”
Kudos to Trimet for increasing the frequency
of #9 Powell at night. When I lived in SE, I
used to take it sometimes around 9 PM and it could get crowded. Even #17 Holgate had good patronage at that hour and could use 15 minute service.
Building up these frequent service lines is
what Trimet should be concentrating on.
BTW, is #76 Beaverton-Tualitan still definite
for frequent service this September? I don’t
know how fuel prices will affect Trimet’s plans.
Yeah, well…my #14 Hawthorne will now be routing home across the Morrison bridge. On the way IN it will be dropping us off at 2nd and no further…despite the fact that most riders go further. Tri-Met’s response is if you want to get to the central city core, you can switch to another bus!
I’d like to see an economic analysis that justifies the additional fuel costs, miles driven, –not to mention time wasted– by failing to take the Hawthorne bus home via the Hawthorne Bridge, and routing us out of our way over to the Morrison. AND what’s with forcing folks off the bus blocks before their destinations? Since the #14 is the most heavily used –and comprises 8% of the bus trips to downtown– I figure this is their way of thinning the herd (and, yes, they treat us like cattle) with the goal of forcing people OFF mass transit and back into their cars.
Yeah, that seem to be Trimet’s attitude–transfer,
transfer, and transfer. That’s what I hate about
the system in Washington County, and even the
Mayor of Hillsboro was complaining in the TRIB.
It appears that they are doing a lot of things
these days to make things harder for users.
Since the #14 is the most heavily used –and comprises 8% of the bus trips to downtown
That’s what miffs me… they say 8% of bus trips to downtown are on 14-Hawthorne – but they don’t provide any other figures to compare it to.
I had a different idea… I submitted a handwritten comment to TriMet, stating that I felt 14 should have been routed on 3/4th Aves. to Burnside – which is what they originally proposed – and move some of the other express/rush-hour only routes to the Hawthorne-2nd-Morrison alignment (namely, 31-Estacada, 32-Oatfield, & 99-McLoughlin Express), similar to what they’re doing with 16-Front Ave./St. Johns. I also suggested that some SE Portland routes that continue in either N or NE should be rerouted on the East side, except for some rush-hour trips, which would also use the Hawthorne-2nd-Morrison alignment.
Did anyone else read the 2nd (more recent) edition of their public comment summary? In it, they admit that there probably won’t be enough capacity for C-TRAN to use the bus mall even after construction is complete, and additionally, nobody will be able to run 60-footers (articulated buses) due to space limitations of the new design!
I really wish there was a way to bring this entire thing (including the Transit Mall light rail/bus/auto traffic pattern) to a public vote.
In the meantime, they’re holding an open house on July 18th at Clackamas Town Center. It’ll be interesting to see how they answer questions about all of this.