First Bus Rapid Transit Comes to Portland Metro Region

But not to Portland, nor even in Oregon for that matter. The Vine will service downtown Vancouver, Washington and be operated by Vancouver's public transit agency, C-TRAN. It broke ground in downtown Vancouver on Monday.

1 minute read

August 26, 2015, 12:00 PM PDT

By Irvin Dawid

C-Tran / The Vine Route, as planned in September 2012.

Portland has one of the most diverse transit systems in America, with its MAX Light Rail, Portland Streetcar, Aerial Tram, and WES Commuter Rail. But it lacks bus rapid transit (BRT). "Though Eugene and other Oregon communities have the service, there are none in the Portland metro area," writes Conrad Wilson of OPB News. Listen here.

Vancouver, Washington (population 161,791 as of April 1, 2010) lies just across the Columbia River from Portland and is part of the Portland metropolitan area. While C-TRAN services Portland, The Vine will operate on the transit agency's busiest route, from downtown Vancouver to Westfield Vancouver Mall. Watch video here.

The $53 million bus rapid transit project — will include 34 stations. Federal dollars account for 80 percent of the funding. Another 6 percent came from Washington state, and C-TRAN paid for the remainder.

"The Vine will operate on 10-minute frequencies much of the day," states the press release. "The buses will be new 60-foot low-floor hybrids with almost twice the passenger capacity of existing buses and will provide level boarding for all passengers."

While The Vine will operate in mixed traffic, according to the FAQ, it "will cost less to operate than the service it will replace," notes its homepage,

FULL STORY: C-TRAN To Break Ground On First Rapid Transit Bus

Sunday, August 23, 2015 in Oregon Public Broadcasting

Infrastructure Transportation Oregon Washington BRT Bus Rapid Transit C-TRAN Vancouver (Wash.) Portland Metro Portland View More

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