Episode 28: A Network of Rose Lanes

This podcast comes at a time when congestion is not a big problem on city streets, due to stay-at-home orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But, as we’ve learned more about the importance of transit for essential workers and also how smoothly buses can run without heavy congestion, it might be the perfect time to hear about the formation of Portland’s approach to bus priority.  As we make plans for emerging from the pandemic, we need to ensure that buses continue to move freely.

Portland is taking a network approach to bus priority, focusing on the ways that fixing bottlenecks reduces delay for the entire route of many different buses. For example, addressing three bottlenecks affected 75,000 riders on 14 transit lines. This better performance means riders can get more places in the same amount of time. As Bertelsen explains on the podcast, the idea of a Rose Lanes network got a big push because of the potential to make transportation better for lower income residents whose lives were most impacted by slow service. A robust network of buses that move faster and are more reliable and frequent also potentially attracts more riders away from single-occupancy vehicles, helping Portland meet its goals for addressing the causes of climate change.

Listen to the podcast to find out how using a pilot approach is helping move projects faster as well as some of the treatments Portland has tried so far, including advisory bus and bike lanes and “bus and business lanes.” Also learn how a strong commissioner pushed for action and involved local stakeholders in shaping the plans for Rose Lanes.