February 28, 2004
Transit Mall Light Rail Options Narrowed To Two
Open Houses To Be Held In Early March
At some point in the past couple of weeks, TriMet posted an announcement of two upcoming open houses to discuss the Portland Mall Revitalization Project:
The Portland Mall Revitalization Project has advanced the designs that will enliven 5th and 6th avenues and bring MAX service through the heart of downtown. Station alignment options have been narrowed to two choices for your consideration and comment.
When I asked TriMet about these new options, I was told: "The information will be up on our website by the middle of next week." However, The Oregonian yesterday reported on the proposals (thereby demonstrating and underscoring my lack of any network of sources):
A new design study to be issued next week suggests that transit mall property owners and tenants should help maintain and manage mall activities when the project is finished.
According to the article, the proposals eliminate the "island platform" configuration, add seven light-rail stops between Union Station and Portland State University on both Fifth and Sixth avenues, include bus stops on the mall would every four blocks (instead of the current two), and include "a light-rail train running in a loop along Fifth and Sixth avenues during nonrush hours."
Courtesy The Oregonian
Option A would leave almost all existing transit mall sidewalks in place but would not allow a through lane of vehicle traffic. Rail passengers would board from the left side of rail cars in the direction of traffic, while bus passengers would use the opposite side of the street. Many business interests favor adding auto traffic to the mall.
Option B would have rail passengers board on the right hand side of the car, thus allowing bus and rail riders to enter and exit from the same side of the street.
This option would allow for a through traffic lane for cars and trucks the entire 30-block length of the route. But to make room for the auto lane, existing extra-wide sidewalks would have to be pared back between Southwest Washington and Stark streets and between Southwest Taylor and Yamhill streets.
The article also reports that the rail stops "would be designed to accentuate its surroundings and not look identical" and "have more variety" than the transit mall displays today.
Both open houses are scheduled for Tuesday, March 9 -- the first from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM, and the second from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. They will be held at the Portland Building, located at 1120 SW 5th Avenue, in Room C.
Comments (1)
Bob R. on 28 Feb 2004
If the two "new" options are indeed as presented in the Oregonian diagram, then they are not "new" at all.
They are simply the old "option a" left-side platform, and "option c" right-side platform.
What happened to the "wide right" and "flexible lane" proposals that we were anticipating?
It appears that they may have given up on the "great streets" analysis.
I'm glad to see the old island platform design go. But is it true that none of the new alternatives being considered made it through the process?
Rather discouraging, at least for me.