Portland Has a Plan to Do for Buses What It Did for Cycling

11:36 AM EDT on June 23, 2017

Portland’s plan would give high ridership bus routes dedicated lanes, signal priority at intersections, and other features that will speed service. Photo: City of Portland

By Angie Schmitt

A city best known for its bike infrastructure has been giving some thought to how its streets can be designed to better serve people who ride the bus.

Portland officials are developing a plan for a network of "Enhanced Transit Corridors," carving out space in the street for buses so vehicles with 30 passengers aren't stuck in a quagmire of vehicles carrying just one.

Portland is starting the process of holding public meetings and gathering feedback for the plan. Though the proposed corridors aren't final, the Portland Bureau of Transportation has identified a handful of high-ridership bus routes where improvements would be a priority.

Jonathan Maus at Bike Portland gives a sneak preview of the city's concept:

Based on a toolkit PBOT has already developed, “middle transit” is like a high-powered bus line that stops short of being the type of full-fledged bus rapid transit (BRT) systems we see in places like China and Colombia. Their enhanced transit corridors will have things like bus-only lanes, traffic signal priority, fewer and more efficient stops, better bikeway integration and more.
Working with TriMet data, PBOT has already identified several corridors they’d like to move forward with. They want to gain funding to plan for changes to line 72 (between Killingsworth and 82nd), 12 (NE Sandy Blvd), and (MLK Jr. Blvd to Jantzen Beach). The idea is to get a list of projects into the City’s Transportation System Plan and Metro’s Regional Transportation Plan.
If this “enhanced transit” becomes a real thing -- the impact to the bicycling environment could be profound. With better transit we’ll see fewer cars which leads to safer roads, stronger community connections, more efficient mobility for everyone, cleaner air, and more bicycling and walking.

More recommended reading today: First State Bikes says a package of bicycle safety measures, including a rule that would allow cyclists to treat stop signs like yield signs, is likely on its way to passage in the Delaware Statehouse. And Greater Greater Washington reports that higher fares and reduced service go into effect across the WMATA system this weekend.