SW 4th isn’t just about bikes (it’s a dream for buses too)

Turns out that when given a clean slate and a proper budget to update a major central city corridor, the City of Portland is actually quite good at what they do. From everything I’ve heard so far, the new protected bike lane on SW 4th Avenue is a big success. Folks love it. And trust me, if it wasn’t working, I’d hear about it.

While my coverage focused mostly on what it means for the bike network, the SW 4th project is also a huge win for transit. Yesterday, TriMet highlighted (see video below) how buses are now faster and more reliable due to the new “Rose Lane” (remember those!?).

The main thing this new lane does is give bus operators more room to zoom. They no longer have as many car users getting in their way and the operations are smoother due to high tech signal upgrades. But there are three other things TriMet and the Portland Bureau of Transportation did that are worth highlighting: they built a cool new bus platform, they made the bus lane out of concrete, and they made buses safer to access.

The new bus stop on SW 4th between Hall and Harrison (used by Line 12 and Live 44) is now in the middle of the roadway — between the new protected bike lane and other lanes. The location of the platform allows bus operators to stay in the center of the roadway to service the stop, without conflicting with car or bike users. This is both safer and more efficient.

And given that buses weigh 7-10 times as much as an average car and do much more damage to the pavement as a result, the new lane was constructed with reinforced concrete. You’ll see small pads of this concrete at busy bus stops citywide, but PBOT and TriMet went whole hog with it on SW 4th. This means the bus lane is a smart investment because it will last much longer than standard pavement.

The other element of this project that’s great for transit (and walkers and bikers too) are all the new safety features: new crossings with signal upgrades, a bunch of concrete median islands that calm traffic and shorten crossing distances, and street lighting upgrades.

This is such an exciting project. It’s the most complete and well-executed example of quality bike and bus infrastructure in the city. For years I’ve been begging PBOT to build something like this so we have something tangible and local to point to and say, “See, this is what we are talking about. This is what we need more of.” Once we build a network of streets similar to this, city goals that currently feel out of reach will begin to feel inevitable.

PBOT is very close to opening the entire project all the way to Burnside. Stay tuned and keep that feedback rolling in to temper my enthusiasm with reality.