On August 22nd, officials and invited guests gathered for the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Project groundbreaking ceremony. Speakers looked toward the future of the former state highway while acknowledging the decades-long work needed to achieve that vision. This collection of improvement projects along 2.5 miles of 82nd Avenue will invest $55 million towards repairs needed to increase safety and improve road conditions. Work now underway represents a significant portion of the $185 million allocated to updates along the commercial corridor, and the community has an opportunity to shape the next wave of project priorities through a survey.
PBOT provided rendering of potential 82nd Avenue streetscape after years of development and improvements to transit
Projects currently underway or entering the construction phase will deliver 14 new pedestrian crossings and eight new traffic signals. Road crews will repave four miles of 82nd Avenue, and workers will upgrade street lighting for better visibility on both sides of the street. People can expect sidewalk reconstruction in limited areas, with upgraded curb ramps to meet modern accessibility standards and stormwater handling improvements along the road’s edge. Mid-street medians and left-turn controlling infrastructure in specific locations will address safety needs while allowing customers access to businesses. In an effort to increase the tree canopy, contractors will plant trees and other foliage in medians and along sidewalks where street width and underground utility obstructions allow space.
From left to right Zachary Lauritzen, JJ Kunsevi, Jacob Loeb, Commissioner Mingus Mapps, and Rep. Khanh Pham (photo by Nancy Chapin)
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is hosting an online Open House to help people learn more about these projects and future enhancements planned on and around 82nd Avenue. Raimore Construction is leading work along the corridor, which will extend through Fall 2026. The current 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Construction Schedule is available online.
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the Building a Better 82nd Community Advisory Groupand spoke at the August 22nd groundbreaking.
Speakers seen in main photo from right to left: PBOT Director Millicent Williams, State Representative Khanh Pham, Jacob Loeb – 82nd Avenue Business Association, JJ Kunsevi – Student Representative to the Portland Public Schools Board of Education and a Senior at McDaniel High School, Jeff Moreland Sr. – Raimore Construction, and Zachary Lauritzen – Oregon Walks. Photo by Nancy Chapin
On April 25th, the 82nd Avenue Transit Project Steering Committee voted to approve three project components for new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service along 82nd Avenue. Transportation leaders began investigating a second TriMet Frequent Express (FX) service in June 2022. They convened a Project Steering Committee of elected officials, agency leaders, and community representatives to ensure the project meets the corridors’ needs. This new BRT project could replace the north-south segment of the 72 bus line, adding enhanced bus stations and increasing the travel speed of this highly used transit option. Last month’s vote approved BRT as the transit mode, service route, and general bus station locations for this speeder service. However, one speed-increasing tactic shown in the draft map condenses 54 stops down to 31 stations, impacting some riders who will lose their preferred boarding location. TriMet ridership data predicts this project will enhance ride efficiency for the majority of the people using this route while providing similar access to the residents who rely on it for transit.
The approved route will predominately run along 82nd Avenue, turning east towards Clackamas Town Center at the line’s southern terminus. The project team is considering two options for the north end, which will serve the Cully neighborhood near the Cully Boulevard and Killingsworth Street intersection or the Parkrose Transit Center. This selection could add two or four more stations to the 72 FX Line. Before voting, Transit Project Steering Committee member Zachary Lauritzen with Oregon Walks voiced public apprehension over losing bus stops on the 72 Line, echoing other Steering Committee members’ similar concerns expressed throughout the evaluation process. Lauritzen called for infrastructure enhancements to accompany this BRT expansion so people needing to travel longer distances to the new stations could do so over modern, accessible sidewalks. TriMet notes that they spaced draft stations roughly one-third of a mile apart and said that even if the new FX line is not approved, some 72 bus stop pruning is needed along the route to remove underutilized and redundant locations.
Infographic courtesy Oregon Metro
Portland has one other FX line along SE Division Street, intersecting the proposed BRT line at SE 82nd Avenue. The FX service primarily uses longer articulated green buses to accommodate higher ridership levels. Vehicles arrive at stations frequently and communicate with the traffic equipment to change signals in their favor, reducing overall travel time. Stations offer near bus height boarding and multi-door payment systems for faster loading of passengers. Stations often extend into the road to meet the travel lane, allowing busses to stop without needing to merge back into traffic. TriMet and Portland’s traffic engineers designate segments of the outer travel lane for dedicated Business Access and Transit (BAT) use in some areas. Some of these FX 2 features could appear on this new line. The final design will happen after the group finalizes the agreed-upon project components, collectively called the locally preferred alternative (LPA).
The 82nd Avenue Transit Project team will continue to evaluate the two northern route options over the summer while meeting with organizations to align the BRT design with community needs and priorities. As the year comes to a close, project planners will develop conceptual designs and cost estimates, leading to a funding plan that will accompany the final LPA. The 82nd Avenue BRT project would require substantial Federal funding to proceed past planning, along with support from local government. If this project precedes on schedule, construction could begin in 2027, with the 72 FX Line opening in 2030. Oregon Metro created a summary of the process up to this point and should offer more opportunities for community input later in 2024.
