City Investigating Alternative Transit Center Sites

Moving the transit center from the blocks abutting City Hall has been on City Council’s radar for years. The existing configuration uses up valuable public right of way, which would be better used for on-street parking. City and TriMet staff recently proposed new alternatives for the transit center, and Council has directed staff to take the proposals to the community for review. 

The current transit center has two functions: 1) It is a boarding and deboarding area for bus riders and 2) It is a bus layover area where buses park and drivers “rest” between trips. The combination of these two functions into a single transit center has historically made relocation of this facility difficult, given its size. 

The proposals currently on the table explore the idea of separating the transit center functions. The proposal is to improve the bus shelters and move the parked buses off the city streets - which requires a site for six buses to park and for restrooms to be installed. 

The City and TriMet will attend the Historic Milwaukie Neighborhood Association on Feb. 13th, at 6:30 p.m. in Milwaukie City Hall to hear the Neighborhood’s perspective on the four possible bus layover (parking) locations and to discuss other options if any are suggested.