Bus Mall to Move

TriMet is hosting an open house to provide information on the Portland Mall bus relocation plan, which moves all buses off of Southwest Fifth and Sixth avenues for two years during light rail construction.
The open house will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, at Pioneer Courthouse Square.
On Jan. 14, 17 bus lines will move to Third and Fourth avenues; six lines will move to Columbia and Jefferson streets; and line 14-Hawthorne will move to Southwest Second Avenue. The balance of the bus lines will have minor adjustments.
Buses will move back to the mall in spring 2009.
Following the bus relocation, public utility relocation work expands until October and light rail construction begins in late February. The open house will also feature information on the I-205/Portland Mall MAX Light Rail Project.
Most bus stops will be located every three to four blocks. In a few cases, they will be two to five blocks apart. Bus stop locations were selected to accommodate nearby parking garage entrances/exits, right-turn activity, loading zones and on-street parking.
Bus shelters are planned for all but one stop along Third and Fourth avenues.
Sidewalks will be temporarily extended at four stops along Third and Fourth avenues and will be removed when buses return to Fifth and Sixth avenues.
Schedule information displays and new-style bus stop signs will be installed. 
TriMet staff will be available to help riders locate their new bus stops at the open house and on the street throughout January.
The 8.3-mile I-205/Portland Mall MAX Light Rail project will add light rail to Fifth and Sixth avenues between Union Station and Portland State University and between Gateway Transit Center and Clackamas Town Center. This is the first light rail extension into Clackamas County. The line will serve the heart of downtown to PSU and will poise the region for future MAX extensions. The line will open in September 2009.
For information on bus relocation, visit www.trimet.org. For information on the I-205/Portland Mall Light Rail project, or to receive updates by email, visit www.portlandmall.org.