Trimet Reveals Final Downtown Mall Vision

NAfter receiving hundreds of public comments and completing additional traffic analysis, TriMet unveiled its final plan to relocate buses off the Portland Mall during construction of the Portland Mall Light Rail project.
The project is part of the 8.3-mile I-205/Portland Mall MAX Light Rail extension set to begin construction next January and continue through spring 2009.
TriMet updated earlier proposals after learning that riders wanted service to closely mirror existing Portland Mall operations, keeping buses close together to ensure convenient transfer between lines.
The new relocation plan contains these elements:
• Bus stops will be located approximately every four or five blocks;
• 17 bus lines will run on Third and Fourth avenues, carrying 85 percent of downtown riders on weekdays;
• Seven bus lines will run on Columbia and Jefferson streets, carrying 6 percent of weekday downtown riders;
• Line 14-Hawthorne will run on Southwest Second Avenue and cross the Morrison Bridge before returning to its regular route on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. 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 Boulevard will be added between Southeast 98th Avenue 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; and
• 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 as Line 44-Capitol Hwy.
The plan will keep traffic on these streets moving, provide access to parking garages and accommodate buses during construction. For full plan details and bus stop locations, visit www.trimet.org.
The 8.3-mile I-205/Portland Mall MAX Light Rail project will add light rail to Fifth and Sixth avenues between Union Station and Portland State University, and between Gateway Transit Center and Clackamas Town Center. The line will add 22 stations and extend the MAX system to 52 miles. The line is set to open in September 2009.