Cedar Mill’s bus line 50
by Sue Rosenthal
The new TriMet Line 50-Cedar Mill began on September 13, 2009. This line replaced Line 60 and the Cedar Mill Shuttle. It provides fixed route service between the Sunset Transit Center (STC), Leahy Road, the Cedar Mill business district, and Thompson and McDaniel roads. The line runs on weekdays in the mornings and afternoons.
The service has been going well, and ridership has been good. I have been riding the bus regularly in the afternoon, and have ridden twice in the morning.
I have been keeping a record of the ridership. I have counted as many as 19 passengers and as few as one. The average number of passengers on the afternoon trips has been 10.3 and the median number has been 10. Approximately half of the passengers come from the Leahy Rd neighborhood and half from Cedar Mill. The route has picked up new riders by going down SW Taylor St. Riders get off on Taylor on almost every run. Additionally, some riders get on mid-route during the PM runs and ride to the Sunset Transit Center or other points along the route. This was very unusual on the 60, which mainly took people to and from the STC.
The major problem involving the 50 at this time is that some riders who live along McDaniel Road do not have a safe place to wait for the bus. There are no stops along a portion of the road because it is too narrow and winding, and unfortunately there are also no sidewalks. Riders have to walk down McDaniel to the nearest stop or drive to another point on the route. I have contacted TriMet in an attempt to establish a park and ride in the Cedar Mill area but TriMet does not feel this is feasible because of the cost and the feeling that such a lot would not get sufficient use. I am currently searching for alternative parking locations.
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