TriMet’s FX rapid transit line for 82nd Avenue receives $39M in federal funding
PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — Plans to create a TriMet FX rapid transit line with electric buses on 82nd Avenue took a major step forward when the U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded the regional transit agency $39 million for the project.
The project is intended to improve service on TriMet’s busiest bus line. Serving the major street from the Clackamas Town Center to the Roseway/Sumner area of Northeast Portland, Line 72 carries more people than the Yellow or Orange MAX lines. Despite that, it shares the road with commuters, freight and local deliveries – and is often stuck in traffic. One in four buses are currently late.
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TriMet is already operating an FX – Frequent Express – rapid transit line on Division Street. It includes longer articulated buses, larger stations, prioritized intersection crossings, and other features to speed up service. Construction on the 82nd Avenue line is projected to start in 2027.
The federal funding announcement was made by U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici on Tuesday, July 9. The funding comes after Blumenauer brought U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to tour 82nd Avenue last summer. The grant will go toward the purchase of U.S.-built fuel-cell electric buses, as well necessary facility improvements to accommodate new electric vehicles and staff training, the announcement said.
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“Last year, Secretary Buttigieg saw first-hand the case for investment on 82nd Avenue. Today, the Biden-Harris Administration delivered,” Blumenauer said in the announcement. “The community has united behind a shared vision: transforming a once neglected area into a thriving corridor in a low-carbon, equitable fashion. This funding will make that a reality.”
Read more at PortlandTribune.com.
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