Portland Transit Mall Construction

Dougall5505 · #1 Posted: **Oct 14, 2006, 2:51 AM**

background on the project: http://portlandmall.org/
I guess this is really pre-construction but I thought it was time for a thread
right now they are reinforcing the road on 4th avenue for the extra heavy traffic

i don't know what to call this but its new

hadn't seen this rendering before, the shelters do look a little lacking

Black Box · #2 Posted: **Oct 14, 2006, 6:24 AM**

I checked this out on Tri-Met's site and it looks awesome. I'm going to be in Portland tomorrow and the only thing that I don't like about the Mall is the slippery when wet sidewalks. I might have mentioned it before, but maybe it's because I walk too fast or something. Oh well.

asher519 · #3 Posted: **Oct 14, 2006, 6:35 AM**

i agree, they are quite slippery--though i walk rather fast as well. hopefully the reconstruction and new brick paving will remedy that problem.

zilfondel · #4 Posted: **Oct 14, 2006, 7:18 AM**

Some tidbits:

all the old brass & curved glass shelters on the current bus mall are going bye-bye to the scrap heap.

Check out trimet's website for maps on the exact details, but most of the bus traffic is being rerouted to 3rd and 4th for the duration of the construction, which will be around 3 years long.

Sewer relocation work going on by PSU on 6th ave right now... didn't know they are upgrading 3rd/4th though - news to me!

Black Box · #5 Posted: **Oct 14, 2006, 7:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by asher519

i agree, they are quite slippery--though i walk rather fast as well. hopefully the reconstruction and new brick paving will remedy that problem.

Okay, so, it's not just me. What would be the very best outfit to wear for the day in Portland tomorrow? Ya know, what is the best outfit for the day? I don't wear skirts. It could be a nice sensible pair of pants with a t-shirt and a hoodie and a man bag..... Just got a bit lost in your Grey Gardens bit. I love that film.

alexjon · #6 Posted: **Oct 14, 2006, 7:36 AM**

They're already starting on the MAX stops?!

What are those concrete curb extensions?

zilfondel · #7 Posted: **Oct 14, 2006, 7:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexjon

They're already starting on the MAX stops?!

What are those concrete curb extensions?

No, those are for the relocated bus stops on 3rd/4th.

alexjon · #8 Posted: **Oct 14, 2006, 7:39 AM**

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh okay, thank god

I was about to scream "cart before horse!"

zilfondel · #9 Posted: **Oct 14, 2006, 7:41 AM**

The schedule trimet posted for construction has them completing each section to 100% in about 3 months... then moving onto the next one. So we will see bits and pieces of the finished product soon enough next spring, but it won't be operational for awhile.

asher519 · #10 Posted: **Oct 14, 2006, 11:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Box

Okay, so, it's not just me. What would be the very best outfit to wear for the day in Portland tomorrow? Ya know, what is the best outfit for the day? I don't wear skirts. It could be a nice sensible pair of pants with a t-shirt and a hoodie and a man bag..... Just got a bit lost in your Grey Gardens bit. I love that film.

I think we're supposed to get quite a bit of rain tomorrow so you might want to wear a Persian shawl around your head (pinned under the chin, of course)... but an umbrella would work, too.

zilfondel · #11 Posted: **Oct 15, 2006, 12:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by asher519

I think we're supposed to get quite a bit of rain tomorrow so you might want to wear a Persian shawl around your head (pinned under the chin, of course)... but an umbrella would work, too.

Rain? Shorts of course. Sheesh, you must not be from around here.

WonderlandPark · #12 Posted: **Oct 15, 2006, 1:37 AM**

What is the logic of running MAX on the bus mall, anyways? I have been out of the loop for a few years.

65MAX · #13 Posted: **Oct 15, 2006, 2:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WonderlandPark

What is the logic of running MAX on the bus mall, anyways? I have been out of the loop for a few years.

Was that a can of worms I just heard opening up?

WonderlandPark · #14 Posted: **Oct 15, 2006, 4:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65MAX

Was that a can of worms I just heard opening up?

Sorry, I thought it would be controversial, seemes like a waste of money IMO, but been away from PDX for 3 years now, and haven't been up on the news.

If there is a cliffs notes version somewhere, please let me know and drop it on this thread

zilfondel · #15 Posted: **Oct 15, 2006, 12:01 PM**

There's a billion threads on it on portlandtransport.com, but I wouldn't dare tread over there as a newbie, due to all the Reason Policy, American Dream Coalition, etc types that populate it. But they did have some good discussion over it at one time...

If you visit the AORTA website, this is how they sum it up Trimet's argument:

* To enliven the Transit Mall and make it a great public space;
* To renovate it;
* To improve transit service;
* To support downtown retail commerce;
* To design and construct the Transit Mall, on schedule, within budget and with minimum impact.

BUT...

they say it won't increase rail capacity downtown because the steel bridge is a huge chokepoint. The "Y" switch on the east side already causes delays (buses, cars, peds and trains all going through the one key link in the system), and they will add another one on the west side which will cause double the delays. Plus all the additional trains as well.

That's their argument. I'm no expert, I am just going to wait and see. It probably won't be as bad as they say, but Trimet likely won't be able to increase the frequency of trains on the Interstate, Airport, or Blue lines beyond whatever max they have right now.

pdxtraveler · #16 Posted: **Oct 15, 2006, 5:53 PM**

The other official reason was that the existing tracks were full so must move the Yellow and new green to the bus mall. Besides PSU is the single largest source of boarding in the downtown area and they don't have max service, now they well.

NJD · #17 Posted: **Oct 15, 2006, 10:04 PM**

Quote:

they say it won't increase rail capacity downtown because the steel bridge is a huge chokepoint. The "Y" switch on the east side already causes delays (buses, cars, peds and trains all going through the one key link in the system), and they will add another one on the west side which will cause double the delays. Plus all the additional trains as well.

Last time I read any news on this issue Trimet was in talks with the RR (Steel Bridge owner), ODOT and PDOT about the possibilities of;
-making the MAX track lanes only for LRT, removing the only part of bus, auto and MAX mixed-traffic on the entire system.
-in the future making the entire upper deck MAX (and maybe bus) only with 4 lanes of tracks, and free up developable land where the current on and off ramps for autos exist.
-full upgrades to the bridge lift joints which are the most time reducing aspects to MAX crossings.

the actual switches on either side of the bridge are being worked on as part of the mall project which will help capacity (the east side already has full traffic light priority, and the west side will be brand new) as well as having a new route through downtown for the Green and Yellow lines, leaving more room for the Blue and Red lines to expand (this leaves only the traffic lights, 200 ft blocks and the Steel Bridge joints as capacity restrictions).

mcbaby · #18 Posted: **Oct 16, 2006, 6:35 AM**

I think its lame that they're trashing so many of the classic shelters. they should be reused. maybe as streetcar shelters. I think they're cool. they provide protection from the wind and they have an organic quality lacking in some of the more recent shelters.

zilfondel · #19 Posted: **Oct 16, 2006, 6:53 AM**

^ They block the rain - it gets quite windy downtown. But since they are also reducing the width of the sidewalks along most of the mall, they'll need to more efficiently use the space, and the existing shelters do block the sidewalk.

65MAX · #20 Posted: **Oct 16, 2006, 7:14 AM**

^^^^
The sidewalk widths are remaining the same on the bus stop side of 5th and 6th Aves. The only sidewalk reduction occurs on the six blocks where they are adding the through lane for autos, but that's on the opposite side of the street from the shelters.