New bus line, with weekly ridership over 5,000, runs from Sellwood to Swan Island

TriMet rolled out new bus lines in 2024, as we continue to implement our Forward Together service concept.

The most popular of these new lines, so far? Line 40-Tacoma/Swan Island, with service connecting Portland City Center to the Sellwood neighborhood in Southeast Portland and the Swan Island industrial area in North Portland.

Line 40 replaced service on two lesser-used bus lines (85 and 99). It serves commuters from early in the morning to late at night, improves connections for riders, and connects some of Portland’s most iconic neighborhoods.

Since Line 40 began serving riders in August 2024, it has averaged over 5,000 weekly rides. Ridership has grown as people get to know the new line!

Community support

The new Line 40 was created with the support of the Sellwood-Moreland Improvement League (SMILE), one of Portland’s neighborhood associations.

“We’re not just a suburban neighborhood,” explains Grant Huling, who chairs SMILE’s Transportation Committee. “We have a mix of renters and owners, apartments and single-family and townhomes, which we’re proud of and really creates our character.”

Huling adds: “The perennial transit issue for Sellwood and Moreland is that we’re bisected by Tacoma Street, which is what feeds onto the Sellwood Bridge.”

Line 40 provides reliable service across the Sellwood Bridge, seven days a week. Residents can leave their cars at home, or at the SE Tacoma/Johnson Creek Park & Ride, and take the bus across the bridge instead. That means less traffic — and more opportunities for people in the community.

“Having a bus that actually goes over the bridge consistently and not just during rush hour is super-helpful to me,” says community member Frankie Spurbeck.

Spurbeck has been riding the Line 40 nearly every week since it started service. They take the bus to travel between neighborhoods and visit friends on the other side of the Willamette River.

Convenience and connectivity

Spurbeck says they’ve been amazed by how fast and easy it is to take the new Line 40. The line has reduced the time it takes them to travel between the South Waterfront and Sellwood to mere minutes.

“It’s ridiculous how quickly I can get around with it,” Spurbeck says. “I think it rocks.”

Huling describes Line 40 as “a true commuter-reliable line.” The line serves largely residential neighborhoods like Sellwood, as well as employment areas like Swan Island, connecting jobs and homes. On weekdays, Line 40 runs about every half-hour, from 5 a.m. until after midnight, using a shortened route late at night.

Line 40 connects with all five of TriMet’s MAX lines: the MAX Orange Line at SE Tacoma/Johnson Creek, and the MAX Blue, Green, Red and Yellow lines at the Rose Quarter Transit Center. Riders can also transfer between Line 40 and other bus lines, as well as MAX and the Portland Streetcar, on the Transit Mall.

It’s easy to plan your trip at trimet.org, including transfers.

Meeting people where they live

Huling and Spurbeck see people from all walks of life using the new Line 40. Workers take Line 40 north to jobs in the Swan Island industrial area. Students ride Line 40, too, with stops at Portland State University. Students and commuters alike can also ride Line 40 to Oregon Health & Science University. The line connects to Marquam Hill via the Portland Aerial Tram.

“It’s a way to make the city more livable for people who don’t have cars, and an easier place to live,” says Spurbeck, who doesn’t own a car and prefers to take TriMet.

“The only option to maintain that character of a small, tightknit city with neighborhoods is to not double down on cars,” adds Huling.

As an advocate for Line 40 and other bus service improvements, Huling appreciates that Portland has sought to preserve neighborhoods like Sellwood, investing in transit and multimodal transportation rather than widening roads.

“We have a pretty light roadway footprint here, and that enables everything else you love about Portland,” Huling says. “The less gray, the more green.”

Forward Together

The new Line 40 was developed with community input through Forward Together.

TriMet is revamping bus service with Forward Together. We’ve enlisted the help of community members and leaders in this effort. Public feedback helps to shape our service! Our goal is to increase ridership and create a better bus system — especially for people with low and limited incomes. Line 40 is a cornerstone of that improved network.

SMILE gives TriMet credit for listening to the community’s wishes and working with residents to create a line that meets their needs.

“TriMet stepped up,” Huling says.

TriMet will roll out additional service improvements on Sunday, March 2. The improvements include new routes for Line 6-Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Line 47-Main/Evergreen. Stay tuned for more news on improvements to come later this year!