Portland Transit | TriMet/Mass Transit News

[deasine]

Visiting Portland (still in) and I decided to experience the MAX LRT system (my first LRT experience). I have to say I was very impressed - the LRT system is very efficient with many signal priorities. The automated messages were really detailed which helped me a lot in terms of transit planning.

It's a shame that TriMet doesn't have enough buses serving the region (regular buses, express buses, and bus rapid transit [there are none right?]) which I was expecting from Portland. Thank god the LRT will be extended south. I was also shocked to see that there aren't any HOV lanes (at least not on I-5, I-405, 26, and 217). Some park and rides also need to be expanded (i.e. Sunset).

Today was a gloomy day but I captured a few shots from my cell phone. Thanks for having me Portland!


MAX LRT Bike Area (Vertical Bike Stand) ~ Picture taken by me on March 20, 2008 ~ Image Resized and compressed

MAX LRT Oldtown Station with "Real-Time" Schedule Display ~ Picture taken by me on March 20, 2008 ~ Image Resized and compressed


MAX LRT ~ Picture taken by me on March 20, 2008 ~ Image Resized and compressed


MAX LRT Oldtown Station~ Picture taken by me on March 20, 2008 ~ Image Resized and compressed


MAX LRT Lloyd Center Station~ Picture taken by me on March 20, 2008 ~ Image Resized and compressed

MAX LRT Train Interiors (new)~ Picture taken by me on March 20, 2008 ~ Image Resized and compressed


MAX LRT Train Interiors (new) ~ Picture taken by me on March 20, 2008 ~ Image Resized and compressed

This work i(above) is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence.

[bvpcvm]

isn't there an HOV lane on I-5 (left lane, going st to delta park)?

[PacificNW]

Yup...I think it is only really an HOV at certain times of the day/evening....I think...

[deasine]

Yes there is sorry. But it was only from 3PM - 6PM. And it's a pretty short distance so it's not too helpful. Gosh is rush hour really a bummer in Portland or was there a car crash that day. Because I-5 northboud between the Cable Car to South Protland was basically a parking lot - I'm guessing everyone's trying to exchange to I-205?! =O

Scary...

[bvpcvm]

Originally Posted by deasine

Yes there is sorry. But it was only from 3PM - 6PM. And it's a pretty short distance so it's not too helpful. Gosh is rush hour really a bummer in Portland or was there a car crash that day. Because I-5 northboud between the Cable Car to South Protland was basically a parking lot - I'm guessing everyone's trying to exchange to I-205?! =O

Scary...

....do you mean from the tram to *north* portland? i'm guessing that's what you mean. yes, it's always like that, thanks to the bridge over the columbia. you might have seen some comments here about the columbia crossing project, which is supposed to replace the bridge. it's a boondoggle in the making.

[MarkDaMan]

if more people rode transit, there would be less of a mess between the tram and Vancouver.

I don't have the slightest bit of sorrow though. Maybe a bit for the truckers and tourists. Otherwise, if you sit in that shit 3 or more times a week...don't bitch!

[deasine]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

I don't have the slightest bit of sorrow though. Maybe a bit for the truckers and tourists. Otherwise, if you sit in that shit 3 or more times a week...don't bitch!

Neither do I. I only feel sorry for the commuters on the express buses that are stuck in the traffic. It would be nice to see a HOV lane for them.

Originally Posted by bvpcvm

....do you mean from the tram to *north* portland? i'm guessing that's what you mean. yes, it's always like that, thanks to the bridge over the columbia. you might have seen some comments here about the columbia crossing project, which is supposed to replace the bridge. it's a boondoggle in the making.

I wasn't at North Portland at the time: I only saw that I-205 exchange at I-5 was packed with single occupancy vehicles!!!

[bvpcvm]

i have sympathy for some of them. my employer, for example, moved OUT of downtown, to tigard, several years ago. so now my choice in the morning is a 15 minute drive or *three* buses and an hour and a half. yes, in the afternoon it backs up and, in extreme cases, takes as much as an hour to get home, but when that happens the streets are just as bad and any bus is stuck as well. unfortunately, there seems to be very little push to build a max line down to that part of town, and little-to-no incentive to concentrate offices near stations where max currently goes (are they building anything other than houses along the westside max? doesn't seem like it). when WES opens i may try it, but here's my route, each way: #15 montgomery park to civic stadium, max to beaverton TC, wes to tigard, then a mile walk or bike ride to the office. as much as i'd like to do the right thing, i suspect i will end up trying this one time only.

AND, an issue for many is getting the kid to childcare on the way to work and picking it up after. try doing that on the bus. yes, there are a few daycare centers near max stations, but the american public is so fearful that many people will go well out of their way to find that one particular child care provider they deem safe (for whatever reason). if you live in portland and work in portland, it's doable, but unfortunately, when out in the suburbs, it's fairly impossible. i've brought up the childcare issue here before and it's been thoroughly ignored.

i am in no way saying we should build more freeways or disinvest in public transit, but there are issues that complicate the picture which haven't even gotten to the back burner.

[deasine]

See I don't mind cities investing in freeways - and I think Portland should begin doing so. But it's important to know that when designing the freeways, one should make sure they also design for public transit integration, whether it is light rail or bus rapid transit. Seattle is doing this (although they are over doing it): they have an amazing HOV system and have many express buses that run on it. Portland should start developing a HOV system so that buses can be on time. TriMet should work with this and increase the number of buses or start new routes. How about starting off with allowing future light rail on Columbia bridge?

And I think they should begin to start increasing the frequency of some routes too. From the hotel I lived in Lake Oswego (near 217 exchange with I-5), the closest bus only comes every half an hour during peek periods. That's just unacceptable. And the 96 (or w/e route that was an express on I-5) does not have a stop at Kruss Way! How do you expect people to ride transit without reliable and accessible transit nearby? Having said that, there is no excuse not to ride transit sometimes. If you aren't riding transit, at least carpool with someone else. There are too many single occupancy vehicles on the road.

Please don't take me serious if you think all this is idealistic as I only visited Portland for a few days in my life. But already, I can see ample room for improvement.

[zilfondel]

^ Try driving in Seattle rush hour.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

^ Try driving in Seattle rush hour.

Been through it countless times. I hate it. But at least the HOV lanes were moving faster than the regular lanes.

[bvpcvm]

Originally Posted by deasine

See I don't mind cities investing in freeways - and I think Portland should begin doing so.

um, no thank you. here are some reasons why we don't need any more freeways: 1. extremely expensive materials and labor these days, to say nothing of land 2. only reduce congestion until people take up the slack and start driving more 3. wipe out existing neighborhoods 4. global warming, peak oil, etc 5. after investing so much in means of combating and/or ameliorating the effects #4, why invest money in a system that will compete with it? transit supports social equity; driving supports the aristocraticization of society. we should be building more max lines, more streetcar lines, more commuter rail, and upzoning around every transit station. all those libertarians may not ride transit the day its opened, but as gas approaches $5 they may gain an appreciation for our preparations for the inevitable.

[zilfondel]

Well, there's always this reason:

[zilfondel]

Freeways are expensive. Eugene just built a new I-5/Beltline overpass for $72 million. Which doesn't even go half a mile... thats more than the entire streetcar system to date! Compare that to the Westside Commuter rail line:

$72 million - half mile of freeway
$110 million - 15 miles of rail

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

[deasine]

LOL. Sorry if I didn't deliver a clear message. AHEM *clears throat* Let's start over:

I don't mind spending on freeways that integrate transit and carpooling. I tried taking transit in Portland, which worked really well. That's until you go out of Portland. I just feel there's a lack of express buses or many buses being stuck in traffic. I was appalled that there is not too much bus priority other than a few queue-jumpers here and there off the ramps.

In a sense, I don't think we need to see some highway expansions. A third lane of I-5 and 26 could be converted to HOV. Are there such plans for this?

Please don't get me wrong. I know expanding freeways does go to nowhere. But if it's expansion that give priority to carpooling, buses, light rail, etc., then I'll support it (depending on the demand for such project/cost factors).

I tried taking transit in Portland and its suburbs, just didn't work out too well.

[pdxtraveler]

Originally Posted by deasine

I tried taking transit in Portland and its suburbs, just didn't work out too well.

I think if you were using transit in Portland you would be fine. But you were staying off Kruse Way on the edge of an affluent suburb that LOVES SUVs, Lexus, BMWs, Hummers, etc. I think the ridership in that area doesn't support that much transit. Hopefully the mindset will start changing in that particular area and Tri-Met will be able to beef up the schedule. But I really think it is mainly the isolated area you were in that had substandard service. Mostly Portland is well known for its public transit, buses as well as MAX.

[bvpcvm]

Originally Posted by deasine

LOL. Sorry if I didn't deliver a clear message. AHEM *clears throat* Let's start over:

[...]

Please don't get me wrong. I know expanding freeways does go to nowhere. But if it's expansion that give priority to carpooling, buses, light rail, etc., then I'll support it (depending on the demand for such project/cost factors).

I tried taking transit in Portland and its suburbs, just didn't work out too well.

Ah, OK. Now I get it. Yeah, actually, Portland is awesome - Portland, that is. Beaverton and Gresham and Oregon City are pretty much no different from any other American suburb.

Also (I guess I didn't include it in the quote) - 12 lanes? I was pretty sure it's supposed to be 6 + 2 for LRT (or "rapid bus" - whatever). Maybe things have changed.

[MarkDaMan]

Originally Posted by The Oregonian

The 12-lane bridge will reduce congestion in North Portland and Vancouver by 2030 below the levels motorists experience today, project forecasters say. Instead of traffic chugging along at less than 30 mph for six hours a day, by 2030 the bridge area would be clogged only 5.5 hours -- but with many more vehicles.

Don't know if that includes MAX lanes? It did say a lane or two in each direction would start in North/Hayden Island and end in DT 'Couver.

[MarkDaMan]

Neighborhood briefs
The Portland Tribune, Mar 25, 2008 (2 Reader comments)

EAST
MAX makes more tracks

Although the transit mall renovation project has received a lot of media coverage, the Interstate-205 portion of TriMet’s downtown-to-Clackamas Town Center light-rail project is well under way, as everyone who drives the east-side freeway can see.

All of the 127 girders for the seven bridges have been placed, and utility construction is nearly complete. The foundation for the parking garage in the shopping center is complete, and its columns and decks are under construction.

In coming weeks, construction crews are scheduled to do overhead work on the Southeast Crystal Springs Boulevard and 92nd Avenue bridge deck, requiring single lane shifts on 92nd.

In April, new light-rail tracks will be connected to the existing east-side line at the Gateway Transit Center. Crews also are building the substation and signal buildings east of Northeast 97th Avenue between Glisan and Burnside streets.

The new line is scheduled to open in fall 2009. The I-205 portion is budgeted at around $350 million.
http://portlandtribune.com/news/stor...39470505338500

[deasine]

Originally Posted by pdxtraveler

I think if you were using transit in Portland you would be fine. But you were staying off Kruse Way on the edge of an affluent suburb that LOVES SUVs, Lexus, BMWs, Hummers, etc. I think the ridership in that area doesn't support that much transit. Hopefully the mindset will start changing in that particular area and Tri-Met will be able to beef up the schedule. But I really think it is mainly the isolated area you were in that had substandard service. Mostly Portland is well known for its public transit, buses as well as MAX.

I guess so. Hopefully the area will be exposed to more transit. You can only expect riders if you build the infrastructure.