Should Portland adopt the Locally Preferred Alternative for the 82nd Avenue Transit Project and Conditions for Approval?

WHEREAS, 82nd Avenue serves as a key transportation and economic corridor, supporting diverse communities and businesses, and providing access to essential services, schools, employment centers, and recreational opportunities; and WHEREAS, the Portland City Council previously recognized the need for transit improvements along 82nd Avenue and has supported efforts to secure funding and advance planning for enhanced transit service through Council Resolutions 191733 and 37690; and WHEREAS, in collaboration with Metro, TriMet, the City of Portland, Multnomah County, the Port of Portland, Clackamas County, and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), planning efforts have been undertaken to assess the transit needs and opportunities along the 82nd Avenue corridor; and WHEREAS, Metro and TriMet convened a Steering Committee comprising representatives from local jurisdictions, community organizations, businesses, and transit users to guide the planning and development of the 82nd Avenue Transit Project (Project); and WHEREAS, the Project aims to improve transit service along one of Portland’s busiest corridors and highest ridership TriMet bus line, enhancing connectivity, reliability, and accessibility for residents and businesses along 82nd Avenue; and WHEREAS, the Project will support improved station design, increased transit comfort, speed, and reliability by introducing enhanced service features such as longer buses, transit priority treatments, and optimized route alignment; and WHEREAS, community engagement has been a critical component of the Project, ensuring that transit investments align with community priorities; and WHEREAS, that the Council recognizes that lane prioritization for buses requires a balance of benefits and tradeoffs, necessitating robust analysis, clear communication, and public review; and WHEREAS, the Building a Better 82nd Avenue Plan adopted by City Council on December 4, 2024 has been developed to guide infrastructure investments and safety projects along the corridor and is supportive of the transit project, Council Resolution 37690; and WHEREAS, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grant program for Small Starts projects provides discretionary funding opportunities that support transit capital investments, and the Project partners have initiated steps to secure federal funding for the Project; and WHEREAS, the Steering Committee has recommended a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the Project, including preferred transit mode, alignment, and station locations, based on technical analysis and community input; and WHEREAS, the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) allocated funding to support the 82nd Avenue Transit Project and sidewalk enhancements that support tree planting within the 82nd Avenue corridor; and WHEREAS, in February 2025, PBOT, TriMet and Metro presented the preferred alignment to the Portland Planning Commission for advisement; WHEREAS, Prosper Portland and the Portland Housing Bureau have established and are administering the 82nd Avenue Area and Sumner-Parkrose-Argay-Columbia Corridor (SPACC) Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts, in co-creation with Community Leadership Committees (CLCs) from those respective districts, which together overlap with the identified LPA project area and with community identified priorities in the 82nd Avenue Development Strategy, and each of those TIF District Plans identifies implementation principles and projects to ensure that current residents benefit from investments and neighborhood change, including via opportunities for housing and economic prosperity; and WHEREAS, the City of Portland is committed to working with Cully community partners to refine bus layover and bike circulation, ensuring a balanced approach that meets transit terminus needs while maintaining effective bicycle facilities and an effective on-street parking strategy; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Portland adopts the Steering Committee’s Locally Preferred Alternative for the 82nd Avenue Transit Project as Non-Binding City Policy attached as Exhibit A; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Portland supports the transit alignment and the approximate station locations identified on the Proposed Locally Preferred Alternative map attached as Exhibit B; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Portland accepts the Conditions of Approval identified by TriMet, Metro, City of Portland and other regional partners as Non-Binding City Policy attached as Exhibit C; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Portland directs the transit project to leverage opportunities to advance critical infrastructure improvements such as sidewalks and trees; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council gratefully acknowledges the work and dedication of the 82nd Avenue Transit Project Steering Committee and community members who participated in the planning process; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council urges Metro and TriMet to continue prioritizing 82nd Avenue for regional transit investment and high-capacity transit planning efforts.