TriMet bus riders save time in Southwest Portland, thanks to transit signal priority

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TriMet partners with PBOT to reduce red-light wait times along Capitol Highway, helping keep everyone moving

TriMet bus serves Line 43-Taylors Ferry/Marquam Hill.

Riders on eight TriMet bus lines are getting back a little extra time in their day.

TriMet and the Portland Bureau of Transportation have teamed up to bring transit signal priority to three intersections along busy Southwest Capitol Highway, in the Hillsdale neighborhood of Southwest Portland.

PBOT added a Rose Lane to Capitol Highway back in 2022, allowing buses to move around congestion and arrive on time more often even during peak commute times.

Transit signal priority and Rose Lanes work together to reduce the amount of time buses spend sitting at red lights.

How it works

Signals at three Hillsdale-area intersections are newly equipped with transit signal priority:

  • Capitol Highway & Bertha Boulevard
  • Capitol Highway & Sunset Boulevard
  • Capitol Highway & Terwilliger Boulevard

These signals are now part of a network that tracks bus locations, so they “know” when a bus is approaching and can sync up their timing to give that bus faster green lights.

We’re harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to improve the transit signal priority network. Thanks to AI, these “smart signals” will actually get even smarter over time, as they “learn” traffic patterns and optimize their timing for more efficiency.

Thanks to the Rose Lane, TriMet buses can move ahead of traffic on Capitol Highway. But with transit signal priority, they’re not the only vehicles on the road that benefit.

On Capitol Highway, when the light turns green for a bus, it turns green for all other traffic, too. That means less time waiting, less pollution and less congestion. It helps pedestrians as well, with more frequent walk signs along Capitol Highway.

Better Bus logo

Do the math, see the benefits

Eight TriMet bus lines travel along Capitol Highway through Hillsdale:

This makes Capitol Highway one of the most heavily used roads by TriMet buses in our entire service area, making it a top priority for transit signal priority upgrades.

These eight lines have a combined weekly ridership of more than 36,400 trips. Many of those are regular riders who take the bus in both directions on a typical day. They’re now saving time in both directions, thanks to transit signal priority. On some lines, regular riders are saving 5 to 10 minutes per week!

TriMet buses on Capitol Highway also serve Ida B. Wells High School, in the heart of the Hillsdale neighborhood. Combined with PBOT’s Rose Lane, as well as schedule adjustments we’re making as part of our Aug. 25 service improvements, transit signal priority means students this fall will arrive on time more reliably, and they’ll spend less time in traffic on their way home from school.

Keep an eye out for more transit signal priority upgrades coming in other parts of TriMet’s service area! We want to save more riders more time on more bus lines, and we’re working with local partners — including PBOT and others — to make it happen.

Visit our website and plan your trip at trimet.org.