122nd and E Burnside Better Bus Project

View full size image of image showing a bus and bike only lane

Overview

• What's happening now?
• Project Background
• Project Scope
• Project Benefits
• Public Involvement - Past Events
• Map

What's happening now

Fall 2026: Striping work is expected to occur in October 2026. Work is weather-dependent. 

Fall 2025: Engineering and design is in process to complete work orders.

Summer 2025: Staff went door to door to speak with businesses about proposed changes and parking impacts. Letters were sent. 

Winter 2025: Staff shared concepts at 122nd Avenue project and Trimet Open Houses

Fall 2024: Staff and Better Bus consultants reviewed possible improvements weighing benefits and trade-offs. 

Project Background

The 122nd Avenue Plan goal is to increase safety for all, improve pedestrian and bicycle access and support better transit while balancing needs of freight and other modes. The #73 Bus experiences significant delay traveling on 122nd Avenue and spot improvements to improve bus travel time and reliability were identified in the 122nd Avenue Plan such as changes to 122nd and E Burnside. 

Project funding

This project is made possible through PBOT-led partnerships with Metro, TriMet and Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF).

The regional Better Bus program provided support and funding for project development.

Funding for the rest of the project costs estimated at roughly $200,000 are shared:

• 50% Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund matching funds from PCEF's "Federal Climate and Equity Funding Opportunities" program (SP 15)
• 50% ODOT Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) Discretionary Grant awarded to TriMet for Transit Priority Spot Improvements (TPSI) in partnership with PBOT.

Better Bus a partnership between Metro, TriMet and regional cities to fund improvements to speed up the bus and improve reliability. 

View full size image of PBOT and PCEF attribution logo

Project scope

In partnership with TriMet and Metro, the Portland Bureau of Transportation is improving the travel time and reliability to the # 73 bus on 122nd Ave. These include changes to the intersection design and signals that can help the bus move more quickly through the intersection, making service quicker, and more reliable for people using the bus on 122nd Ave. 

Changes include:

West Side:

•  Remove parking for two blocks on the west side of 122nd Avenue between NE Davis to E Burnside Streets to create a bus and bike only lane. 
• At the intersection of Burnside and 122nd Ave, convert the current turn and bike lane to a bus, bike and turn lane. This way the bus doesn't have to change lanes from the bus stop at NE Davis St. and continue straight to the bus stop just south of E Burnside St. 
• Stripe bus only lane through intersection and at current bus stop just south of Burnside St.

East Side:

• Remove parking on east side of 122nd Avenue just north of E Burnside St to create a bus and bike only lane to help speed up the bus through the intersection.

Note: The following documents have maps and information that may not work with a screen reader. While we work toward providing that level of accessibility, please contact PBOT Project Manager Bryan Poole at Bryan.Poole@portlandoregon.gov for assistance with providing access to the information in the plan. You can also contact PBOT's ADA Coordinator at Lisa.Strader@portlandoregon.gov or at 503-823-5703. Thank you for your patience and understanding.)

View full size image of 122nd and Burnside striping changes showing new bus lanes

View the proposed concept here

Project Benefits: 

• Gives bus own lane so the bus doesn't have to get back into traffic from bus stop, which speeds up bus through intersection, improving travel time and reliability. 
• Maintains turn lanes onto E Burnside St. 

Trade-offs:

• Bus will have to wait with turning traffic. 
• Bikes will have to share lane through intersection. 
• Removes on-street parking.

Public Involvement

The 122nd Avenue Plan process was completed between 2018 and 2023 and there were several rounds of public engagement including a community sounding board with regular meetings, two open houses, three surveys and hundreds of conversations and listening sessions. You can read more about the 122nd Avenue Plan at the project webpage.

To develop this project staff shared concepts at other 122nd Avenue project open houses including on Feb. 25, 2025 and online, as well as at the TriMet Menlo Park lot development open house on Dec. 2nd, 2024. In summer 2025 staff went door to door to area businesses to discuss the project and understand potential impacts and emailed neighborhood and business association leaders project information.  Letters were sent in Fall 2025 to area resident, property and business owners about the project.