Portland Transit Mall Reroute Now Final

After surveys, public comment, and a fair bit of hoo-hah over which businesses will have their business destroyed by the move, and which streets will become utterly impassable during the reconstruction of the Portland Transit Mall, TriMet has developed its "final" plan. Wanna see it? (Hint--click on the graphic to view it bigger, then click it AGAIN to zoom in even more).



The upshot is that 85% of the regular traffic will simply be shifted from 5th and 6th to 3rd and 4th. Some things will be different--there will be fewer stops, not all stops will have shelters, and some loading zones will be moved--but they claim all stops will be accessible to the disabled, and the number of buses serving the public on those routes will not change. Any comment? Too bad! Too late!

I don't think anyone relishes the change, but they have to go SOMEWHERE, and this option was deemed better than sending some lines to 10th and 11th. Clearly, Naito Parkway and 2nd Avenue will become the preferred routes for cars on the east side of Downtown at rush hour, so here's hoping the redo of Naito is done by the end of the year...