TriMet welcomes feedback on the plans at an in-person open house and online, starting Jan. 22

TriMet will share plans this month for faster, higher-capacity bus service on 82nd Avenue. We’re holding an open house, and people will have opportunities to provide feedback both in-person and online. On Wednesday, Jan. 22, we’re hosting an in-person open house on the 82nd Avenue Transit Project, our next TriMet FX® — Frequent Express – bus line. The event will be held at PCC Southeast. TriMet staff will be on hand to answer questions and share fact sheets and maps of the proposed route and station locations. We’ll also post the information at trimet.org/82nd, where you can leave feedback about the plan starting Jan. 22. If the project continues to move forward as planned, tens of thousands of riders along 82nd Avenue will be using the new and improved bus service in 2029.

82nd Avenue Transit Project Open House
Wednesday, Jan. 22, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
PCC Southeast – Community Hall Annex
2305 SE 82nd Ave.

What is the 82nd Avenue Transit Project?

TriMet’s 82nd Avenue Transit Project will bring high-capacity bus service to 10 miles of 82nd Avenue, between Clackamas Town Center and Northeast Portland’s Cully Neighborhood. Like our first Frequent Express bus line, FX2-Division, the future FX line along 82nd Avenue will use 60-foot articulated buses with three doors for faster boarding, bike storage on board and more room for riders to relax. Buses will arrive every 12 minutes or better and help riders reach their destinations faster, with next-generation transit-signal priority improvements that keep buses moving past traffic congestion. Riders will also have access to new bus stations with weather protections, lighting and real-time arrival information.

The 82nd Avenue corridor is currently served by Line 72-Killingsworth/82nd. It is the busiest of TriMet’s 78 bus lines, with more than 65,000 weekly rides. Line 72 is also among the most delayed in TriMet’s system, due to increasing congestion along 82nd Avenue. The busy thoroughfare was a state highway until 2022 when the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) transferred ownership to the City of Portland. The transfer came with a commitment of $185 million for critical, safety improvements along 82nd that lay the groundwork for TriMet’s next FX – Frequent Express – bus line.

Timeline and next steps

What’s next? TriMet will collect and review comments and take all of the feedback into consideration as plans move forward. We aim to reach 30% design of the project by mid-year. Construction is set to begin in 2027, with service opening to the public in the summer of 2029.

Join the 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee

TriMet’s recruitment for our 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee (CAC), a group that will play an important role in shaping the 82nd Avenue Transit Project, is ongoing. Members of the CAC will represent community interests and provide feedback to project decision-makers. Apply today through Monday, Jan. 27, at trimet.org/82nd.

Project funding and additional support

The total cost of the 82nd Avenue Transit Project is estimated at $320 million. TriMet expects up to $150 million to come from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Small Starts Program.

Last month, Portland’s Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) awarded TriMet $55.5 million for the 82nd Avenue Transit Project – the largest local funding allocation to date. 

The project gained momentum last summer after U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg toured the corridor and saw firsthand, the safety and congestion challenges people who live and work along 82nd experience daily. Within weeks of the visit, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded TriMet a $630,000 Areas of Persistent Poverty Grant, toward the project’s design.

Also last summer, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded TriMet $39 million to purchase up to 14 zero-emissions hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses and related infrastructure for the project. TriMet received an additional $25 million USDOT grant to develop our Columbia Operations Facility, where the fuel-cell electric buses will be based, and to support our goal of a 100% zero-emissions bus fleet.

Special thanks to our partners

Thanks to the continued support of project partners who coordinated planning efforts and funding opportunities, including Metro, the City of Portland, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), Multnomah County, Clackamas County and Port of Portland. 

TriMet FX®–Frequent Express bus service will reduce traffic congestion, lower greenhouse gas emissions and provide better access to jobs along 82nd Avenue, home to TriMet’s busiest bus line

TriMet is celebrating a $55.5 million grant awarded by the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) for the 82nd Avenue Transit Project. The Portland City Council’s approval of the funding this week formalizes the partnership between TriMet and PCEF, and it authorizes an investment that helps set the transit improvement project in motion, with a strong foundation in a collaborative planning process led by Metro. With continued support from local and federal partners, our next Frequent Express bus line will be serving riders throughout the 82nd Avenue corridor within five years. 

Currently, TriMet’s Line 72-Killingsworth/82nd serves 82nd Avenue, a corridor with the unique distinction of being one of the state’s most culturally diverse and historically disenfranchised areas. A lot of people who live and work along 82nd use Line 72. It is by far the busiest of our 78 bus lines, with more than 65,000 trips taken each week. Unfortunately, due to 82nd Avenue’s former development as a state highway, combined with increasing traffic congestion, Line 72 is also the most delayed.

The 82nd Avenue Transit Project will complement the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) Building a Better 82nd Project, which brings a number of safety improvements to the corridor. Once completed by the summer of 2029, the transit project will improve the ride for thousands of people who rely on TriMett to connect to opportunities throughout the region, with safe, fast and more reliable bus service that benefits the community and the environment.

“When our buses are stuck in traffic, people can’t get to work, school or appointments on time, and that’s an equity issue,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “This generous grant from the PCEF begins to break down the barriers that exist along 82nd Avenue. The 82nd Avenue Transit Project is a gateway to opportunity, and this grant unlocks its potential.”

With the support of our partners at PCEF, the project will also help develop and train the local workforce and invest in strategies to lower greenhouse emissions and cool the climate locally, such as planting trees along 82nd Avenue. These elements reflect priorities from a community-driven process aimed at equitable development. 

“We hear time and again from people along the corridor: They no longer want a high-speed, loud and dangerous highway to cut through their neighborhood,” said 82nd Ave Coalition and Project Manager and Executive Director of Oregon Walks, Zachary Lauritzen. “The 82nd Avenue Transit Project is the opportunity to transition that highway into a multimodal street that prioritizes the bus riders who make Line 72 the highest ridership bus line in Oregon. By giving this line the space and priority it deserves, this project has the potential to make 82nd safer and cleaner, with the fastest, most reliable bus service in the state!”

82nd Avenue Transit Project: the next FX bus line

TriMet’s 82nd Avenue Transit Project will bring high-capacity bus service to 10 miles of 82nd Avenue between Clackamas Town Center and Northeast Portland. Like our first Frequent Express bus line, FX2-Division, the future FX line along 82nd Avenue will use 60-foot articulated buses, with more room on board for riders. Buses will arrive more often and help riders reach their destinations faster, with transit-signal priority improvements that keep buses moving past traffic congestion.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded TriMet $39 million to advance the 82nd Avenue Transit Project. The grant will help TriMet purchase up to 14 zero-emissions hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses for the project, as well as the supporting infrastructure and workforce development. TriMet received an additional $25 million USDOT grant to develop our Columbia Operations Facility, which will one day house a fleet of fuel-cell electric buses as part of our transition to a 100% zero-emissions bus fleet.

“PCEF’s support of the 82nd Avenue Transit Project is a major investment in creating a more sustainable, accessible and economically prosperous corridor,” said Duncan Hwang, a Metro councilor and Community Development Director at APANO. “Investing in this important project helps ensure that people and businesses along SE 82nd Avenue continue to have opportunities to thrive, grow and stay in the community.” 

Join the Community Advisory Committee

TriMet is putting together a Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which will play an important role in shaping the 82nd Avenue Transit Project. Members of the CAC will represent community interests and provide feedback to project decision-makers. Learn more and apply at trimet.org/82nd. Applications will be accepted through Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.

Timeline and next steps

TriMet will host an open house in late January, to share information about the 82nd Avenue Transit Project with the community. We expect to select a contractor for the project by mid-year. The project’s Steering Committee, which includes representatives from community-based organizations including Oregon Walks, Clackamas Resource Center, Unite Oregon and the 82nd Avenue Business Alliance, will vote on a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) in early 2025. The LPA will include the final routing and general station locations. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with service opening to the public in the summer of 2029.

Project costs are estimated at $320 million, with up to $150 million projected from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Small Starts Program.

Thanks to the continued support of project partners who coordinated planning efforts and funding opportunities, including Metro, the City of Portland, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), Multnomah County, Clackamas County and Port of Portland. 

Named for TriMet Committee on Accessibility Transportation (CAT) Chair Jan Campbell, the new space will serve as an accessibility hub for riders unable to use TriMet buses and trains due to disability or a disabling health condition

TriMet is opening a new transit mobility facility, with a new location and a new name. Located in the heart of Portland’s Lloyd neighborhood, the Jan Campbell Transit Mobility Center will provide a centralized location for people to interview and confirm eligibility for TriMet LIFT Paratransit Service. It will open for service on Monday, Nov. 25.

On Tuesday, Nov. 19, TriMet dedicated the new facility in Campbell’s honor, acknowledging her pioneering advocacy for greater public transit accessibility. A native Portlander and lifelong public transit user with paraplegia, Campbell helped create TriMet’s Committee on Accessible Transportation (CAT) in 1985 and has served as its chair ever since.

“This facility is a testament to the power of advocacy, resilience, and the unwavering dedication of one remarkable person, Jan Campbell,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “Her leadership has set a high standard for accessibility and inclusion at TriMet, shaping our services to reflect values that matter—equity, dignity, inclusion and opportunity for all.”

Campbell has been instrumental in creating change that promotes independence, empowerment, and well-being.

“I feel so honored and wish I could mention each one of you individually,” she said to the crowd gathered at the mobility center Tuesday afternoon.

“You are the wind beneath wings, meaning that you have given me strength and support so that I can fulfill my vision, along with others, in breaking down environmental and attitudinal barriers so our world is welcoming to everyone.”

TriMet LIFT is a shared-ride transportation service for people who are unable to use our fixed-route buses and trains due to disability or disabling health conditions. It provides vital transportation to our riders who are most vulnerable, many of whom rely on transit to connect with vital health services, including chemotherapy and dialysis.

Relocated from Portland’s Old Town neighborhood, the new mobility center at Northeast 7th Avenue and Holladay Street provides an easier-to-access location for in-person interviews and eligibility certification required to utilize the service. It is well served by transit, with MAX trains and Portland Streetcar rolling by every few minutes and buses coming and going from stops nearby, for most of the day.

The facility is equipped with new technology and features, including a specialized transit mobility course that simulates some of the challenges people with disabilities they may face when they ride our fixed-route transit service. The course also supports travel training for riders of those buses and trains.

“We just want to make the system safe, welcoming and totally accessible,” said Campbell. “When we achieve that, we will have the best [transit] system in the country.”

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, LIFT service covers all locations that are within the TriMet service area, including portions of Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. Last year, LIFT provided 50,000 of its 700,000 trips to vital medical appointments. The service scored a 98% approval rating in our latest Customer Satisfaction survey.

Since 2023, more than 7,200 people accessed the transit mobility center to conduct LIFT eligibility activities. Today, more than 21,500 people in the tri-county area have qualified to receive LIFT services. Learn more about TriMet’s accessibility at trimet.org/access.

About Jan Campbell

Campbell has used a mobility device since she was two years old, when a virus attacked her spine. She vividly remembers what the world was like before the Americans with Disabilities Act passed and how it influenced her education, employment opportunities, housing, and most of all, her independence. 

Campbell has been instrumental in creating change that promotes the independence, empowerment, and well-being of people with disabilities. In addition to the CAT, she served as the Disability Project Coordinator for the City of Portland and Multnomah County for 23 years. She has served on the Board of Directors for Disability Rights Oregon and is a member of the Northwest ADA Center’s Regional Advisory Committee.

The Daily Journal of Commerce recently recognized her as one of its 2024 Women of Vision. She holds a lifetime achievement award from the Oregon Disabilities Commission, and she received the 2015 Women of Achievement Award from the Oregon Commission for Women. 

Campbell is also the recipient of a 2024 honorary membership into the American Society of Landscape Architects, an honor reserved for eight individuals annually with achievements of national or international significance to the profession of landscape architecture, joining the ranks of President Jimmy Carter, Vice President Al Gore, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Secretary of State Colin Powell and other dignitaries.

With questions about transit use, language and communication preferences, the survey will help TriMet understand how to best support our community’s language needs

Spanish translation

At TriMet, we are always working to make our transit service better and more welcoming for all. To help us best support and communicate with riders who speak languages other than English, we want your feedback through a new survey.

This survey will help us continue to give a voice to everyone in our community. The survey is available in 14 languages to help us reach more people than ever before.

Completing the survey could take up to 10 minutes. At the end of the survey, you can enter to win a $100 gift card or a $50 Hop card.

The survey will be open through Dec. 31, 2024. We welcome community members of all languages to participate.

Why this feedback is important

Data from TriMet and the 2020 U.S. Census shows that nearly 119,000 people or roughly 8% of residents over the age of five in our tri-county service area have limited ability to read, write and speak English. TriMet and our community partners connect with people in multiple languages about how to use our transit service through our outreach and at local events.

This survey will build on that. We will use what we learn to improve access to TriMet services and make it easier to ride for people who may have difficulty understanding English.

Our goal is to inform, motivate and empower everyone in our community to use public transit. Just like learning the alphabet is the gateway to language, understanding and using our region’s public transit system can be a building block to a better future.

Available in 14 languages

In addition to language, the survey asks questions about transit use, household and preferred methods of receiving information. It is available in English and 13 safe harbor languages. Safe harbor languages are non-English languages spoken by at least 5% of the local population or at least 1,000 individuals:

·       Arabic: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d531b9yzRaDJtuS

·       Chinese, Traditional: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_56moHq3BKWHjaei

·       English: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3wJpxTt5ff2ECzA

·       Farsi: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7a3dr4g0aqaMfVc

·       Haitian Creole: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ecmNlYFutQgI2G

·       Japanese: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0Cyhc52tvEhPFl4

·       Khmer: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3sGnCvpXAZKMvMq

·       Korean: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1GfObgTIkcpuTiu

·       Russian: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_38Jbcfg9UHy0iou

·       Somali: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_afnDAucZOzrjrOS

·       Spanish: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Rvno28yENtOpAW

·       Tagalog: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y81hcBQvitpJSC

·       Ukrainian: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2snqJSvNN3ZSgUC

·       Vietnamese: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bqL3p0CsnkxZ782

Share our language survey!

We are always looking to connect with local community-based organizations, schools, and other groups serving our diverse communities to help share the survey. If you know of an individual or group that should be involved, direct them to one of the links above or trimet.org/survey. Thank you for helping us make transit better!

Con preguntas sobre el uso del transporte público y las preferencias de idiomas y comunicación, la encuesta ayudará a TriMet a comprender cómo podemos atender mejor las necesidades de nuestra comunidad en cuanto a idiomas.

English translation

En TriMet, siempre estamos trabajando para mejorar y hacer que el servicio de transporte sea más accesible para todos. Para ayudarnos a apoyar y comunicarnos mejor con los usuarios que hablan idiomas distintos del inglés, queremos conocer su opinión a través de una nueva encuesta.

Esta encuesta nos ayudará a seguir dándole voz a todos los miembros de nuestra comunidad. La encuesta está disponible en 14 idiomas para ayudarnos a alcanzar a más gente que nunca.

La encuesta se completa en 10-15 minutos. Quienes participen podrán participar en una rifa para una tarjeta regalo de $100 o una tarjeta Hop cargada con $50 en pasaje.

La encuesta estará activa hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2024. Invitamos a participar a miembros de la comunidad de todos los idiomas.

La importancia de esta información

Los datos de TriMet y el Censo de EE.UU. de 2020 muestran que casi 119,000 personas, o alrededor del 8% de los habitantes mayores de cinco años en nuestra área de tres condados, tienen dificultades para leer, escribir y hablar inglés. TriMet y las organizaciones comunitarias que colaboran con nosotros informan a las personas en varios idiomas sobre cómo utilizar nuestro servicio de transporte público a través de enlace comunitario y en eventos locales.

Esta encuesta se basará en ello. Utilizaremos lo que aprendamos para mejorar el acceso a los servicios de TriMet y facilitar el uso del transporte a las personas que puedan tener dificultades para entender el inglés.

Nuestro objetivo es informar, motivar y animar a todos los miembros de nuestra comunidad a utilizar el transporte público. Del mismo modo que aprender el abecedario es la entrada al lenguaje, comprender y utilizar el sistema de transporte público de nuestra región puede ser la herramienta para construir un futuro mejor.

Disponible en 14 idiomas

Además del idioma, la encuesta pregunta sobre el uso del transporte público, el hogar y los métodos preferidos para recibir información. Está disponible en inglés y en 13 idiomas de refugio. Los idiomas de refugio son idiomas, distintos del inglés, hablados por al menos el 5% de la población local o al menos 1.000 personas:

• árabe:  https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d531b9yzRaDJtuS
• chino: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_56moHq3BKWHjaei
• inglés: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3wJpxTt5ff2ECzA
• farsi: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7a3dr4g0aqaMfVc
• criollo haitiano: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ecmNlYFutQgI2G
• japonés: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0Cyhc52tvEhPFl4
• khmer: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3sGnCvpXAZKMvMq
• coreano: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1GfObgTIkcpuTiu
• ruso: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_38Jbcfg9UHy0iou
• somalí: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_afnDAucZOzrjrOS
• español: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Rvno28yENtOpAW
• tagalo: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y81hcBQvitpJSC
• ucraniano: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2snqJSvNN3ZSgUC
• vietnamita: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bqL3p0CsnkxZ782

Comparta nuestra encuesta lingüística

Siempre estamos buscando organizaciones locales, escuelas y otros grupos que ayuden a nuestras diversas comunidades a compartir la encuesta. Si conoce a alguna persona o grupo que debería participar, diríjalos a uno de los enlaces anteriores o a trimet.org/survey. Gracias por ayudarnos a mejorar el transporte público.