TriMet’s 82nd Avenue Transit Project will receive a $630,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration, supplying early funding for the public
TriMet’s 82nd Avenue Transit Project will receive a $630,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration, supplying early funding for the public transit organization’s efforts to bring FX™ rapid bus service to 82nd Avenue. Members of the Oregon Congressional delegation announced this influx of project seed money two weeks after a July 7th bus tour of 82nd Avenue by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, and Senator Jeff Merkley.
TriMet is exploring options to create faster bus service along a portion of the 72 line. This service would adopt many features currently used along SE Division Street’s FX™ 2 line that opened in September 2022. “Through dedicated federal support, TriMet and our regional partners have the opportunity to transform 82nd into a safe, vibrant, thriving corridor, featuring faster, more reliable transit mirrored after our TriMet FX™ service on Division Street,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. Converting the 72 bus line to FX™ service on 82nd Avenue will require the removal of stops, construction of near level boarding platforms, and the use of dedicated Business Access and Transit(BAT) lanes in certain sections of the line. These enhancements would speed up travel time on the region’s most used TriMet bus line.
Creation of TriMet FX™ service on 82nd Avenue is in the early exploration phase, with many attributes still under consideration. The awarded grant is part of the Federal Transit Administration’s Areas of Persistent Poverty (AOPP) program. It likely represents an insignificant amount compared to the yet unknown cost of the total project. By comparison, the Division Transit Project that constructed the FX™ 2 bus service cost just under $175 million. TriMet will use the funding received in this grant to improve transit safety and access on 82nd Avenue, analyze the use of zero-emissions buses, and assess additional infrastructure enhancements to support high-capacity transit service throughout the corridor. Receiving the grant money does not guarantee that significant transit improvements will occur on 82nd Avenue, but it does fund additional planning and signals Federal interest in this project. Federal contributions supplied over half the funding used in the Division Transit Project, and this 82nd Avenue endeavor will likely require similar support at the national level.
People interested in following transportation projects and other improvements planned for 82nd Avenue should subscribe to updates from the Building a Better 82nd Portland run site and the Metro-hosted 82nd Avenue transit project site. Interested participants can also attend Building a Better 82nd Workshops. The next one occurs tonight, Thursday, July 20th, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) offices at 8188 SE Division Street.
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the Building a Better 82nd Community Advisory Group and the 82nd Avenue Business Association board
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