By Brian Hoop
Congrats Linnton – a minor win! Trimet’s proposed cuts to bus service through Linnton have been postponed for at least a year after local pushback from neighborhood residents. In a January 19 email, Trimet Service Planning and Transit Development planner Luke Norman stated, “We’re no longer including it in our FY 25 annual service plan.”
Norman’s explanation for the decision to defer the Line 16 proposal for one year was based on an “operator shortage.” “During that time,” Norman continued, “we will continue to monitor ridership in the Linnton neighborhood and review planning options.”
Thanks to everyone who provided comments to Trimet this past fall. I also provided testimony in-person at the Trimet Board December 2023 board meeting.
If bus service to Linnton is important to you, continue to monitor the situation and advocate. Trimet’s proposal was to switch Linnton to Line 15 and eliminate service past the St. Johns Bridge, except for a limited number of rush hour trips to pick up Lincoln High School students.
The concern is if future bus service to Linnton is based on monitoring ridership in 2024 on the current route, I do not think we are going to see any increase. With the Bridge Ave. closure through June 2024 causing major rush hour back-ups, many riders may be less inclined to tolerate the traffic delays and drive instead.
Brian Hoop testifying at Dec. 13, 2023 Trimet Board meeting, Photo Credit: Trimet
In addition, we advocated for a pilot phase to see if changing the bus service to Line 15 – as Trimet proposed – through the NW 23rd business district, Goose Hollow to downtown would increase ridership versus the current route along NW Naito. Without testing this out, I fear Trimet may see no increase in ridership in the next 12 months and use that as justification to follow through on service cuts.
If interested in helping advocate for bus service to Linnton, contact Brian Hoop at brian.g.hoop@gmail.com. Here are Linnton NA’s comments to Trimet, Nov. 2, 2023 – http://tinyurl.com/44hv4f4h
To share your thoughts or ask to be added to Trimet’s distribution list for future updates, contact Luke Norman with Trimet at normanl@trimet.org or 503-962-2133.