About
On Sept. 20, 2020, ODOT, WSDOT, and C-TRAN launched a Bus on Shoulder
Pilot in Oregon and Washington. The pilot allows
C-TRAN buses to bypass congestion and operate on the outside shoulder in both
directions of the Glenn Jackson Bridge between SR 14 in Washington and Airport
Way in Oregon. The pilot is
evaluated for safety, impacts to infrastructure, and transit reliability.
Buses can use the shoulder only when traffic is moving slower than 35 miles per hour. While using the shoulder, buses can travel up to 15 mph faster than traffic, with a maximum speed of 35 mph.
Project location
The pilot area encompasses approximately two miles of I-205 over the Glenn Jackson Bridge, specifically in the following locations:
- I-205 northbound from north of the Airport Way entrance ramp to south of the SR 14 exit ramp.
- I-205 southbound from south of the SR 14 entrance ramp to north of the Airport Way exit ramp.
Location
I-205
|
over the Glenn Jackson Bridge
Cost and Funding
ODOT used approximately $380,000 for striping, pavement legends, fabrication and installation of signs and sign structures, stripe removal, removal of existing signs, and delineators.
Benefits
I-205 is a major transportation corridor serving commuters and freight between Oregon and Washington. The Glenn Jackson Bridge experiences significant congestion that adversely impacts economies and the quality of life in the Portland metro area. The congestion also impacts C-TRAN’s ability to provide fast and reliable service. Buses are experiencing increasing delays, causing frustration among riders and operators.
Allowing buses to use freeway shoulders to bypass traffic is a relatively simple tool that maximizes the efficiency of ODOT and WSDOT’s existing transportation infrastructure. Bus riders will experience faster travel times and more reliable service, making public transportation more attractive to new riders. This concept has been used throughout the nation for over 30 years and is a tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from private vehicles.
Additional Information
For bus riders C-TRAN operates four bus lines on the Glenn Jackson Bridge between Vancouver and Portland.
Riders can take C-TRAN bus lines 65, 67, 164, and 177 from Fisher’s Landing Transit Center and Evergreen Park & Ride in Vancouver; and the Portland International Airport, Parkrose Transit Center, the Downtown Portland Transit Mall, and OHSU’s Marquam Hill campus in Portland. For more information about bus service,
visit C-Tran's website.
For motorists
Priority for shoulder use will always be given to emergency vehicles, incident management (e.g,. fender benders or breakdowns) and maintenance activities. If another vehicle is in the shoulder because of an emergency, buses are required to merge back into the regular travel lanes.
Motorists shall obey all traffic laws and regulations. Signs and pavement markings are placed along the corridor noting that shoulder use is for authorized transit vehicles only. Signs also warn motorists when buses will be merging back into traffic at the end of the Bus on Shoulder corridor.