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TriMet survey asks for input through September 12

Would you like to be able to use public transit, either for your daily commute or for an occasional trip? Are you frustrated with the lack of service in our area?

TriMet, the independent public agency that provides transit services to the great Portland area, is asking residents throughout their system to prioritize spending on various routes. The survey asks you first to choose the area where you ride most frequently—we are in the Westside segment.

None of the options built into the survey would extend service to areas north of the Sunset Highway. The only choices are to provide more-frequent service. This is despite many pleas from Bethany-area residents to provide improved connections from the completely unserved and fast-growing residential areas in North Bethany.

Once you have “prioritized spending” on the existing lines, there’s a space to add your own suggestions. Some possible improvements for our area include:

• a bus from North Bethany, through Bethany Village to Sunset Transit Center;
• a bus linking PCC Rock Creek via Kaiser/Cornell/Lovejoy to Audubon, Good Samaritan, the Portland Street Car, the Pearl, the Greyhound bus and train station;
• a Park and Ride in Bethany;
• a streetcar or express bus from the soon-to-be developed North Bethany Town Center to the employment areas in Hillsboro; and
• more frequent service on Line 50 Cedar Mill.

Perhaps, just perhaps, if TriMet hears from many of us, they will listen. However, the last time our folks made an effort to ask for more service, TriMet’s response was to buy a couple of ads promoting the Cedar Mill Bible Church Park & Ride.

If you’re not familiar with the bus lines that are available in the Cedar Mill area, here’s a guide. We suggest that you open a separate window in your browser to view the actual routes and schedules. (BTC = Beaverton Transit Center; STC = Sunset Transit Center).

20-Burnside/Stark runs weekdays and weekends from the BTC and STC through downtown to the Gresham Transit Center

48-Cornell runs weekdays and Saturdays between the Hillsboro Transit Center and STC, along Cornell, Cedar Hills, and Barnes.

52-Farmington/185th runs between BTC, Aloha, Willow Creek Transit Center, Tanasbourne and PCC Rock Creek, along Farmington, 185th and Springville.

59-Walker/Park Way provides weekday rush-hour service in Beaverton and Cedar Hills between STC and Willow Creek Transit Center, along Baltic, Park Way, Walker and 185th.

62-Murray Blvd runs between Washington Square and STC, along Scholls Ferry Road, Murray, Millikan, Hocken, Jenkins, Cornell and Barnes.

67-Bethany/158th runs weekdays and Saturdays connecting Merlo MAX Station and PCC Rock Creek, via 158th, Bethany and Springville.

Line 50-Cedar Mill, which loops through the Cedar Mill area to Sunset Transit Center, during weekday morning and evening rush hour only, is conspicuously absent from the survey. I guess TriMet isn’t interested to hear whether we’d like that service improved.

Be sure to take the survey and submit your comments by September 12!

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