[Posted Friday, September 30, 2022]
The Portland Bureau of Transportation has installed new bus-and-turn only lanes on SW Capitol Hwy. With the exception of a few additional signs, the bureau says construction is complete.
The traffic changes are part of the Rose Lane Project, a city-wide initiative to improve transit times for bus riders across the city.
In Hillsdale, this means that one lane of Capitol Hwy in each direction is now designated for busses only, except for right turns onto connecting streets or into parking lot entrances. On the north side of Capitol, a new westbound bus lane begins just off Barbur Blvd and extends to Sunset Blvd. On the south side, the bus lane starts just east of the Watershed and continues to the bus stop in front of the Hillsdale Food Park past four driveways into the shopping center.
The red box at the bus stop in front of the Food Park is intended to keep cars out; the bus only lane eastbound through the business district has right arrows to indicate that cars are permitted to enter the lane to turn into the parking lot; slashed red boxes westbound at Sunset and Capitol Hwy are meant to give the ok to right turns just past the bus stop.
Along with the lanes come new markings: solid red to indicate no entry to cars, and slashed red with a right arrow to indicate entry is permitted for right turns. Along with the project also come concerns that the lanes will bring increased congestion and back-ups that could prompt drivers to detour onto narrow local streets.
The Hillsdale Business and Professional Association and the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association mounted a campaign to delay the project, collecting over 900 signatures in support of their concerns that the Rose Lane traffic changes would negatively impact the community, especially small businesses attempting to recover from the pandemic.
A draft memo dated July 18, 2022, lays out PBOT's plans to monitor the changes over the next several months and provides for potential mitigation if modifications are deemed necessary. According to the memo, PBOT will collect traffic data 2-3 months and 6 months after installation; depending on public feedback, additional monitoring may be carried out.
The draft memo calls for PBOT to share the data collected on its project website, through the project email list, and at community meetings. Sign up for the project email list here. To provide comments or feedback on the Rose Lanes, email RoseLaneProject@portlandoregon.gov.
—Valeurie Friedman
What do you think of the new bus-and-turn only lanes so far? Let us know.