Portland Transit | TriMet/Mass Transit News

[Joeplayer19]

Originally Posted by dkealoha

Like in Tokyo? I googled and found this pic. Not sure who it's from...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0A9-oUoMug here is a video

[PacificNW]

That guy is a jerk...they should have yanked his — onto the platform.

[MOPIdaho]

I was looking at the new shelter on the bus mall and love the look, but I worry that the flat glass roof under trees will end up being a fancy glass compost bin in the fall.

[MarkDaMan]

Originally Posted by Okstate

Let me get this straight. I want to point out that I'm not arguing this either. The MAC club put pressure on Trimet to add a stop near "them" when they in fact don't want association with public transit?

the irony is rich...

The MAC did/does want the stop. The people that have to be sponsored by some dozens of current members to be put on a 4-year waiting list, and pay several thousand per person in 'entrance' fees when selected, don't ride the MAX to the MAC.

[PacificNW]

I wonder how many people (who may ride the MAX) work @ the MAC and the surrounding business community....along with the people who live up the hill/area above the club?

[RED_PDXer]

Originally Posted by Okstate

In response to "taking out" stops be it lightrail/streetcar to improve timing:

-Has this been done on other systems throughout the US?
-I can't imagine a stop being nixed simply b/c every stop is so vital...I mean there had to be a reason it was put there in the 1st place, right? I know planners are ultimately just regular joes but are the pros/cons really justified?

What I AM in favor of (if/when possible) is:
1) priority lanes coupled with 2) increased frequencies.
Wouldn't it be smarter to look at those options first before taking out stops?

I don't know of an example, but I don't think we need precedent. The stops were put in in 1986 when the line first opened downtown. it was the end of the line, so it didn't matter how close they were since people weren't using the MAX to travel through downtown. Today, they slow down thousands of people each day (about a minute of time for each stop).

The MAX already has priority lanes. It has signal priority and exclusive transit lane usage. I'm not sure what else you could be referring to. Every time the MAX stops, it has to wait for the traffic signals to cycle through - which is 60 seconds in downtown during the PM peak hour. By removing enough stops, enough time would be saved to perhaps have one extra run in the peak hour - not to mention all the time saved for people either traveling through downtown or to the opposite end of downtown.

[RED_PDXer]

[QUOTE=zilfondel;4123707 Green line opens in September. Milwaukie 2015. 6 years - we're getting slow! We need that Barbur MAX asap, too - like 10 years ago.[/QUOTE]

We're getting 50-60% of these projects funded by the feds. We should be happy we're getting any at all. Until we develop a local funding source for transit capital projects, we'll continue to develop at this pace - which is quite fast compared to the rest of the country - except maybe Denver and Houston which use sales tax primarily (I think..).

I think it's about time we develop a decent BRT line with similar MAX qualities - prepaid fares, frequent service, signal priority and transit-exclusive lanes where needed, higher capacity articulated buses, more spacing between stations/stops, level boarding platforms, message arrival displays, nice shelters, etc.. We could have at least 10 full transit lines completed in this fashion over the next ten years for the price of one more LRT line, perhaps more than 10..

[MarkDaMan]

I have the same concerns as you PacNW, but workers and neighbors are pretty well served even with their stop within four additional blocks, which the distance would be at most without the Kings Hill stop. I walk a little less than a mile to my closest MAX station and would personally enjoy a 2 to 5 minutes (everyone has been at a 5 minute stop on the MAX) reduction per stop less commute time.

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by RED_PDXer

I think it's about time we develop a decent BRT line with similar MAX qualities - prepaid fares, frequent service, signal priority and transit-exclusive lanes where needed, higher capacity articulated buses, more spacing between stations/stops, level boarding platforms, message arrival displays, nice shelters, etc.. We could have at least 10 full transit lines completed in this fashion over the next ten years for the price of one more LRT line, perhaps more than 10..

I kind of agree with you. I'm thinking Powell #9, Barbur #12, Sandy #12, Burnside #20, Broadway #9, Hawthorne #14 (if it doesn't go streetcar), and... I'm not sure. Likely #72 on 82nd, 70 on 39th, or even the #8 to NE. For starters.

You know, I just realized, you can't find any bus ridership numbers on Trimet's website. Whats up with that? Are they hiding it or something?


Oooh, I forgot: Eugene just built an honest-to-god BRT line. Not 100% separate "track," but part of it is. Frequency every 10 minutes - beats ours! And apparently its also free.

It appears roomy:


Rick Price on flickr

Dedicated stations w/light-rail like amenities:


rob wrenn on flickr

Plus articulated buses with several doors, as well as boarding ramps (not shown):


rob wrenn on flickr


It also appears that their shiny new BRT line increased patronage 46% higher than the busline it replaced. Not bad, not bad.

[MR. Cosmopolitan]

We're talking a lot about streetcar and light rail, what about buses?
Portland still has no articulated buses; I think that we should also give a lot of importance to this relatively cheap and flexible mode of transport. Increase the frequency, that would very likely increase the amount of passengers; making well planed micro-bus lines for the suburbs that connect with the major lines; more rapid bus lines... etc.

[PacificNW]

A few articulated buses were tried years ago in Portland but I don't remember why they were discontinued.

[RED_PDXer]

The articulated buses TriMet purchased had excessive maintenance needs.. they kept going out of service because of mechanical problems.. probably just bought the wrong type.. though the buses TriMet does have must be pretty good, because their miles driven between breakdowns is higher than most transit systems in the country..Comparatively, I remember the LA metro buses breaking down all the time, but have never experienced it once here..

[JordanL]

Originally Posted by MR. Cosmopolitan

We're talking a lot about streetcar and light rail, what about buses?
Portland still has no articulated buses; I think that we should also give a lot of importance to this relatively cheap and flexible mode of transport. Increase the frequency, that would very likely increase the amount of passengers; making well planed micro-bus lines for the suburbs that connect with the major lines; more rapid bus lines... etc.

Long bus lines that travel from the suburbs in are great IMO. I hate having to transfer busses because it takes FOREVER to get anywhere...

I think there's some really tight fits in Portland, which make articulated busses difficult... the 19 for instance wouldn't be able to use them. It makes some very tight turns on NE 28th, E Burnside and NE 16th.

[MR. Cosmopolitan]

Originally Posted by JordanL

Long bus lines that travel from the suburbs in are great IMO. I hate having to transfer busses because it takes FOREVER to get anywhere...

I think there's some really tight fits in Portland, which make articulated busses difficult... the 19 for instance wouldn't be able to use them. It makes some very tight turns on NE 28th, E Burnside and NE 16th.

There are lots of European cities with much tighter fits, much narrower streets and with a nearly complete lack of straight streets that do have articulated buses, even some have double articulated buses. If you train well the bus drivers, Portland is a piece of cake for articulated buses.

[JordanL]

Originally Posted by MR. Cosmopolitan

There are lots of European cities with much tighter fits, much narrower streets and with a nearly complete lack of straight streets that do have articulated buses, even some have double articulated buses. If you train well the bus drivers, Portland is a piece of cake for articulated buses.

A lot of the difficult turns involve street parking... which I guess can be changed by removing the parking.

[bvpcvm]

Originally Posted by RED_PDXer

The articulated buses TriMet purchased had excessive maintenance needs.. they kept going out of service because of mechanical problems.. probably just bought the wrong type.. though the buses TriMet does have must be pretty good, because their miles driven between breakdowns is higher than most transit systems in the country..Comparatively, I remember the LA metro buses breaking down all the time, but have never experienced it once here..

Part of the issue was also that they were Ikarus buses from Hungary, and after the wall came down the part suppliers went out of business, so all the spare parts had to be specially manufactured. That's the story I remember hearing, anyway.

[bvpcvm]

http://www.djcoregon.com/articleDetail.h...llion-to-build-parkandrides-for-bicycles

TriMet dedicates $1 million to build park-and-rides for bicycles

POSTED: 12:22 PM PDT Monday, March 9, 2009
BY STEPHANIE BASALYGA

Taking a lesson from cycling-centric cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam, TriMet will use $1 million from the state's federal stimulus package to build two bicycle park-and-ride facilities.
"They're like garages," TriMet's Mary Fetsch said about the structures, which will be built at the Sunset and Beaverton transit Centers. The agency plans on hiring private contractors to handle construction duties.
TriMet current provides lockers for bike riders, but there aren't enough to meet demand the two Westside transit centers, Fetsch said. So while the agency will use part of the $1 million to upgrade about 100 of those older lockers outside of Portlands' Central Business District, the bulk of the money will be used to construction the two park-and-ride facilities.
Each of the buildings will feature a secure entrance, inside security cameras and capacity for about 125 bikes. The Beaverton facility will be located near Lombard Street, "close to a substation," Fetsch said. The Sunset structure will be constructed inside an existing parking garage at that transit center.
TriMet has already issued a design for the Beaverton Transit Center facility, created by Steve Durrant of Alta Planning. But other components are still up for grabs, and TriMet currently is developing RFPs for the projects, according to Fetsch
"I think we're looking at design-build," she said. "By the time we get all of the (other) necessary steps, I bet it will be sometime in the summer that we'll start construction."
"The stimulus funding, you have to have 50 percent obligated within the first 180 days, so it's one a fast track."

[MarkDaMan]

which will be built at the Sunset and Beaverton transit Centers

oh come on! One on the west side, one of the east side.

I'm not saying dismantle to current team, but TriMet needs some fresh blood inserted into their hierarchy. I've been very disappointed with them the last few years.

[JordanL]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

oh come on! One on the west side, one of the east side.

I'm not saying dismantle to current team, but TriMet needs some fresh blood inserted into their hierarchy. I've been very disappointed with them the last few years.

They're just trying to match PCC...

-_-

I can't tell you how annoying it is that the mean PCC center is something like 6 miles west of the mean population center...

[pdxman]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

oh come on! One on the west side, one of the east side.

I'm not saying dismantle to current team, but TriMet needs some fresh blood inserted into their hierarchy. I've been very disappointed with them the last few years.

I couldn't agree more mark! Trimet needs some new minds with different ideas. I'd LOVE to see some more attention paid to bus service-which could be a whole lot better imo.