61 businesses sign onto letter opposing bus lanes on 82nd Avenue

Lines have been clearly drawn in the debate over what type of bus service is right for 82nd Avenue. In three letters sent to TriMet today, influential politicians and high-profile advocacy groups made their positions known. At issue is the agency’s $350 million 82nd Avenue Transit Project, envisioned as a major upgrade for a key East Portland arterial that’s in dire need of a way to move people more safely and efficiently.

As BikePortland has reported, a rupture has formed between two transit options under consideration: one option would keep the central (highest traffic) segment of the street relatively unchanged from its current four-lane cross-section, and the other option would construct semi-dedicated, “Business Access and Transit” (BAT) lanes along the entire 10-mile project corridor between Clackamas County and the Columbia River. The two options are known as “Some BAT” (build semi-dedicated bus lanes only on each end of the corridor) and “More BAT” (build them on the entire corridor) respectively.

In mid-October, TriMet staff shocked many project watchers when they released a recommendation for the “Some BAT” option. Advocates who expected a big bus upgrade felt betrayed, some elected officials were caught off-guard, and even a TriMet board member voiced disagreement with the decision.

TriMet tried to do damage control, saying the recommendation was only meant to start a conversation and delaying the final decision. But it’s clear that TriMet is nervous about two elements of the “More BAT” option: a higher ($8 million) project cost increase they say could jeopardize delivery, and vehement opposition from business owners. At the project’s Policy & Budget Advisory Committee meeting on November 7th, TriMet made it clear that they won’t push for the “More BAT” option unless partner agencies bring more funding and political capital the table.

With an update on the project expected to come at a TriMet Board meeting this Wednesday, groups on both sides of this issue are making their voices heard.

A letter signed by 14 elected officials and sent to TriMet GM Sam DeSue and the agency’s Board of Directors stated that nothing short of the “More BAT” option is acceptable. “We are concerned by the news that TriMet is considering a watered-down proposal… Anything short of full BAT lanes for this corridor significantly hampers the catalytic potential to spur new housing growth, support local businesses, and greater local and regional mobility,” the letter reads. Among its signees are six Portland city councilors, four Metro councilors, and four Oregon legislators.

Another letter in support of BAT lanes was signed by leaders of 32 local nonprofit organizations. The organizations who signed onto the letter go far beyond the typical transportation groups and includes: Native American Youth and Family Center, AARP, Coalition of Communities of Color, The Grotto, African Youth and Community Organization, Vestal Elementary School, ROSE Community Development, South Tabor Neighborhood Association, and JOIN.

Throwing cold water on the BAT lane idea is a letter from Portland Metro Chamber signed by the owners of 61 businesses located along the project corridor. They say TriMet should stick with the “Some BAT” option and that if new bus lanes were created along the entire corridor, there would be a, “significant increase in traffic congestion.” They want more studies to ensure businesses would not be harmed and they believe the full BAT lane design is only a marginal upgrade that isn’t worth the extra cost and potential project delays. This business coalition fears that BAT lanes would devastate some businesses. Here’s more from the letter:

“As business owners, we are deeply worried about the loss of safe and effective access to businesses and the potential catastrophic loss to a major mode of transportation to the corridor during critical business hours. We agree that improvements to transit could lead to an increase in customers of some businesses (but not all) who choose to use this mode, but there is no existing analysis that justifies the damage of increased car congestion to existing customers’ transportation choices. Customer surveys conducted by businesses on the street have found that over 90% of current customers arrive by car. Finally, we are concerned that the proposal includes untenable bus stop locations that block driveways, prevent safe and effective access to business destinations, and cause unsafe visual obstructions to vehicles exiting business driveways.”

The Federal Transit Administration will not award the project federal funding if it scores poorly on congestion relief and adverse effects on existing businesses. This is no time to be driven by ideological rigidity given the current economic and political climate.”

These concerns echo those already made by lawyers who represent several of the businesses who signed onto the letter. Two law firms have already written TriMet detailing their objections and have threatened to sue the agency if full BAT lanes are installed.

It’s unclear whether or not TriMet will make a decision about the BAT lanes at Wednesday’s board meeting. The agency has previously said we shouldn’t expect that to happen until early next year.