The decision advances the design of the project but millions of dollars in additional funding must be identified to determine the actual extent of BAT lanes
TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. has directed the 82nd Avenue Transit Project design team to include seven miles of transit-priority lanes in each direction of 82nd Avenue, as a key element of the project to bring better bus service to the corridor.
Known as Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes, the special lanes will help buses move past traffic on 82nd Avenue, while also providing space for auto drivers to access area businesses. But the extent of BAT lanes will ultimately be based on funding and whether project partners can identify and commit additional funding by this July.
Desue announced the decision during the project’s Policy & Budget Committee meeting on Friday, Feb. 13, closing a nearly year-long discussion around the prospects of BAT lanes along 82nd Avenue. During that time, TriMet connected with neighbors and businesses with open house events and one-on-one meetings and heard feedback through surveys, emails and public meetings.
“I am committed to improving transit operations by maximizing BAT lanes wherever feasible, while addressing community concerns, managing risks and positioning TriMet to secure federal funding for the 82nd Avenue Transit Project,” said Desue. “However, the conversation is not ending here and is not over until we determine a solution for the funding. We must act quickly to ensure that this project is fully funded.”
The decision formalizes a request to the project design team to include seven miles of BAT lanes in each direction of 82nd Avenue, between Northeast Lombard and Southeast Clatsop streets. The intersection of Southeast 82nd and Powell Boulevard would not get BAT lanes, as including them does not meet regulatory requirements and could require costly widening work. While a portion of the project extends to Clackamas County, all new BAT lanes will be within the City of Portland. Clackamas County already has a BAT lane on northbound 82nd Avenue between Monterey Avenue and King Road.
Costs for the extent of lanes now proposed exceed current project funding by at least $8 million. Project partners are actively working to identify and secure the additional funding required to ensure BAT lanes are included in the project to the fullest extent possible.
TriMet FX® for 82nd Avenue
The total budget for the project is estimated at about $350 million, which includes $150 million in federal funding. Last November, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) gave the project a Medium-High rating, signaling it is a strong investment in transit and economic development. The positive rating is a significant step forward in the process to leverage federal funding and improve 82nd Avenue.
The 82nd Avenue Transit Project will bring TriMet FX – Frequent Express – service to 82nd Avenue when it opens to riders in 2029. The new bus line will improve travel times and connections throughout the corridor, with faster, more reliable service, higher-capacity buses and transit-priority investments, like BAT lanes and transit-signal priority, that keep buses moving past traffic.
The 82nd Avenue corridor is currently served by TriMet’s Line 72-Killingsworth/82nd bus. With about 66,000 rides taken each week, Line 72 is not only the busiest bus line in TriMet’s system but it is also the highest-ridership bus line in all of Oregon.
Partners for a Better 82nd
The 82nd Avenue Transit Project is a partnership between TriMet, PBOT, ODOT, Metro and Clackamas County. It is designed to improve safety, access and transit reliability along one of the region’s most heavily traveled corridors
The transit project complements the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) ongoing Building a Better 82nd project, which is adding safer crossings, sidewalks, lighting and trees to 82nd Avenue. PBOT acquired 82nd Avenue from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in 2022. The road is undergoing a transformation from a historic state highway to a safe and welcoming neighborhood street.
Learn more about the 82nd Avenue Transit Project.
