Green lights ahead for TriMet’s Division Transit Project, with new advances to speed up buses
Faster, smarter and more reliable bus service is coming Sept. 18, 2022, with the culmination of the Division Transit Project and the launch of TriMet FX™—or Frequent Express—service along Southeast Division Street.
One reason for that will be a first for the region: next generation transit signal priority.
Transit signal priority allows buses to jump to the head of the line and get more green lights. Working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Gresham, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and LYT, a company specializing in next-generation transit signal priority technology, TriMet is having it installed at 58 of Division Street’s signalized intersections. These stretch along FX’s 15-mile route between Downtown Portland and Gresham.
Riders have probably experienced the benefits of transit signal priority in the past, but a version that’s relied on infrared emitters inside buses and receivers on top of traffic lights. These emitters and receivers need to be near each other to work. But the newest version does something different using cellular technology: it collects information about the location and speed of a bus and sends it to a cloud server, which allows the system to adapt the phasing of traffic signals to give an edge to bus riders.
This means quicker trips and even easier access to buses. That’s because the technology also provides priority to pedestrian signals to help people reach transit stops ahead of the buses.
Partnerships drive innovation
LYT’s expertise in next-generation transit signal priority helps to create a smarter, more adaptable transit system.
The cities of Portland and Gresham, as well as ODOT, have been instrumental in their support, recognizing the value of faster and more convenient transit service. TriMet was able to pursue a next-generation transit signal priority system thanks to a grant from the Federal Highway Administration through ODOT.
And Raimore Construction, the Division Transit Project’s prime contractor, along with various subcontractors, have worked through the challenges presented by COVID-19 to keep the project on schedule. Raimore’s company won the largest contract ever to be awarded to a certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise in Oregon. That certification helps bring opportunities to businesses that are owned by people who’ve experienced social and economic hardship.
