Page 185 - TransportationPlanUsetsGuide

TRANSIT ELEMENT
Washington County’s location in the Portland region makes it part of one of the most successful and pioneering pub-
lic transportation systems in the nation. Transit is a critical component of the County transportation system, reducing
automobile trips and congestion, providing travel options for people without vehicles or those who choose not to drive,
curbing greenhouse gas and other emissions, and reducing transportation costs for individuals and families. The Ameri-
can Public Transportation Association reports that residents of the Portland region save an average of $867 per month
if they use transit instead of owning and driving a car. This section provides an overview of existing and planned transit
service, transit stop access and amenities, and an assessment of transit needs in Washington County.

Transit Providers
The following five public transit operators provide transit service in Washington County:
• Tri-County Metropolitan Transit District of Oregon (TriMet),

• South Metro Area Regional Transit (SMART),
• Yamhill County Transit Area,

• Columbia County Transit Division, and
• Tillamook County Transportation District.

Six private, non-profit, or employer-based transit services also operate in Washington County, including:

• Ride Connection, a non-profit that provides rural transit and urban paratransit services;
• OC&W Coachways, operator of the Northwest Point inter-city bus service between Portland, Cannon Beach,
and Astoria;
• Tualatin Chamber of Commerce, operator of the Tualatin Shuttle;
• Intel employee shuttles

• Nike employee shuttles; and
• Portland Community College buses

TriMet
TriMet is the principal public transit
provider in Washington County, with 30
bus routes, one light rail line (including
two routes), a commuter rail line, and
nearly 2,000 transit stops. The TriMet
service district extends west to Forest
Grove, north to Bethany, and south to
Sherwood. In spring 2012, TriMet re-
corded an average of 114,331 weekday
boardings and alightings (“ons/offs”)
at Washington County transit stops
during its quarterly passenger census, The TriMet #57 bus route along TV Highway has the highest total ridership of all bus lines in Washington County.
accounting for 17 percent of system wide ons/offs. TriMet transit routes in Washington County generally exhibit a radial
pattern following major corridors from downtown Portland or Beaverton, along with several north-south “cross-town”
routes and localized loop routes. Two rail lines and four bus lines provide “frequent service,” with 15-minute or better
peak-hour headways and late-night service on all or portions of their alignments. These routes are shown in bold type in
Table 3.19. Table 3.19 provides further details on all TriMet rail and bus routes in Washington County, including: route
name and number, terminus location, approximate service headways, and days of service.

PART 3: TRANSPORTATION MODAL ELEMENTS 165
Effective November 27, 2015 • Updated December, 15 2016