Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project newsletter
Download the winter 2009 project newsletter, detailing the alternatives and design options studied for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Download PDF
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Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project
Planning and conservation › Transportation › Lake Oswego to Portland transit
Learn about efforts to develop a transit project that meets future travel demand between Lake Oswego and Portland, supports local and regional land use plans, and garners public acceptance and community support.
Project status 
The transit project is now preparing a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement, studying the potential benefits and impacts of three alternatives in the corridor. The environmental analysis examines the full range of direct, indirect and cumulative effects of the alternatives and is expected to be published for public review in summer 2010.
Alternatives
The project includes three alternatives:
No-build option
The study examines existing transit services and facilities and only those transit and highway improvements that are deemed achievable within financially constrained resources by the year 2035. This alternative is also used as a basis for comparison for the enhanced bus service and streetcar alternatives.
Enhanced bus service
The study includes an evaluation of potential bus improvements and transportation systems management techniques to benefit bus service between Portland and Lake Oswego. The enhanced bus service alternative would include frequent bus service between Oregon City and downtown Portland along Highway 43 with connections to the Lake Oswego transit center located on Southwest Fourth Avenue between A and B streets. The enhanced bus service would have fewer stops than a normal local bus service – similar in number to the streetcar alternative, more frequent service than the current TriMet Line 35, and a 300-space park and ride facility near the Lake Oswego Albertsons.
During the alternatives analysis for the corridor, more intensive capital improvements for a version of bus rapid transit, such as queue jump lanes at intersections, were evaluated for the corridor. These improvements are not a reasonable option due to community access impacts and the potential need to acquire private property.
Streetcar
The study evaluates streetcar operation between Portland and Lake Oswego, where the line would terminate near Albertsons. Park and ride facilities would be located at the terminus (300 spaces) and in Foothills (100 spaces). The streetcar option would study potential operation in the Willamette Shore Line right of way and design options where it may leave the right of way in in some areas.
During the alternatives analysis, streetcar running entirely on Highway 43 was dropped from study due to safety concerns. A minimum operable segment to the Sellwood Bridge is also being considered.
At the same time through a parallel process, steps will be identified to advance a trail in the corridor. Download the map of alternatives to be considered in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and information on the trail refinement below...Go
Potential timeline (updated Feb. 22, 2010)
A transit solution could open by the end of 2016.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Draft Environmental Impact Statement and develop Locally Preferred Alternative | Begin Final Environmental Impact Statement and preliminary engineering | Final design; begin construction | Open enhanced bus or streetcar service |
Topics of study
Project partners expect to publish the impact analysis in summer 2010. The technical work for the analysis addresses several topics:
- Land use and planning
- Economic activity
- Community Impacts
- Visual quality and aesthetics
- Historic, archeological and cultural resources
- Parklands, recreation areas, wildlife and waterfowl refuge
- Geology, soils and earthquake
- Ecosystems
- Hydrology and water quality
- Noise and vibration
- Air quality
- Energy
- Hazardous materials
- Transportation and traffic
- Public safety and security
- Utilities
- Finance
- Capital costs
- Operating and maintenance costs
- Travel forecasting
Project partners
The environmental analysis is a joint effort by Metro, TriMet, the cities of Lake Oswego and Portland, Clackamas and Multnomah counties, Portland Streetcar Inc. and the Oregon Department of Transportation. Work will begin in the summer of 2009 and conclude in 2010 with the selection of a single Locally Preferred Alternative to be advanced into preliminary engineering and a Final Environmental Impact Statement.
Public participation and decision-making process
A 45-day public comment period will follow the publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, anticipated for summer 2010. Public events during that time will offer an opportunity to share information and solicit comments about the no-build, enhanced bus and streetcar alternatives and design options based on a comparison of potential benefits and impacts. The project steering committee will rely on public input and the analysis results to select a Locally Preferred Alternative in fall 2010.
Learn more about public participation in the Lake Oswego to Portland transit project and the committees involved in the decision-making process. More
NEED ASSISTANCE?
Metro transportation planning
503-797-1756
trans@oregonmetro.gov
Files and related materials
Related Documents
Files that are downloadable from this page
- Map of alternatives to be considered in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, updated September 2009 351K Adobe Acrobat PDF
- Information on the trail refinement 1.1M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published May 29, 2008
To view PDF files, download free Adobe Reader. To translate PDF files into text to assist visually-impaired users, visit Access.Adobe.com.
Related Internet links
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Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society
(http://OregonElectricRailway.org)