New Bus Facility on NE Columbia Boulevard

Columbia bus base conceptual rendering subject to change

Supporting bus service expansion

New bus lines and more frequent service will improve transit access for people throughout the region. As TriMet expands service and grows its bus fleet, the agency needs a fourth bus garage to store and maintain vehicles, and send the buses into service on new and existing routes.

The new TriMet bus garage will be located at 4421 NE Columbia Boulevard, in Portland. This site is well-situated in an industrial area within TriMet’s service district, allowing buses to begin and end their routes close to their home base and minimize their time in traffic.

 

Facility features

Safety on Columbia Boulevard

Through a Local Improvement District (LID), new sidewalks will be constructed adjacent to the site, and a new traffic signal and pedestrian crossing will be added on Columbia Boulevard at NE 42nd Avenue. In addition, NE 46th Avenue will be paved with sidewalks, along with a new leg of NE Bryant Street connecting NE 46th and 47th avenues.

24-Hour Operations

TriMet staff will perform bus cleaning, fueling and maintenance activities at the facility and it will serve as a hub for bus operators to begin and end their shifts.

Alternative Fuels

To start, the new garage will house buses from the existing biodiesel-mix fleet, but the site design will facilitate a smooth transition to alternative fuels as TriMet implements its broader transition away from diesel.

Columbia Slough Habitat Protection

A 100-foot buffer zone will be protected along the site’s frontage on the Columbia Slough. TriMet is committed to preserving this important fish and wildlife habitat.

 

Bringing opportunity

Jobs

The garage will employ about 330 bus operators, plus up to 100 maintenance, cleaning, training, management and other support positions. Recruitment efforts focused in neighborhoods around the new garage have already begun, and TriMet is exploring opportunities to offer scholarships for training in construction trades through local community partners.

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Contracts

For design and construction at the site, TriMet is continuing its award-winning Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program to maximize contracting with firms owned by people of color and women. As of summer 2019, about 18 percent of design work has been performed by DBEs.

 

Timeline

 

Stay informed

For more information, please call TriMet Community Affairs at 503-962-2150.

 

Columbia Bus Base Fact Sheet
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