Your Input is Needed by Oct. 31: TriMet Considers Eliminating Routes 38 and 39
Please take a moment to voice your opinion on the proposal to eliminate bus service to Lewis & Clark.
TriMet has a new draft concept that includes the elimination of Lines 38 and 39, which are the bus routes closest to campus. Lewis & Clark’s Executive Council members will be reaching out to TriMet directly to discuss the matter, and they have asked that community members add their input.
If you have concerns or opinions, please take TriMet’s short survey by October 31, 2022.
Please also consider attending an in-person or virtual TriMet open house:
Tuesday, October 18, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. (in-person)
PCC Cascade (Lobby of Cascade Hall), 5625 N. Albina Ave., Portland
Wednesday, October 19, 4–6 p.m. (in-person)
Rosewood Initiative, 14127 SE Stark St., Portland
Thursday, October 20, 5–7 p.m. (in-person)
Shute Park Library, 775 SE 10th Ave., Hillsboro
Saturday, October 22, 1:30–3 p.m. (virtual and in Spanish)
Wednesday, October 26, 5–7 p.m. (in-person)
CCC Harmony (Room 120/130), 7738 SE Harmony Rd., Milwaukie
Thursday, October 27, 5:30–7 p.m. (virtual)
Several community members have offered their opinions on the critical importance of routes 38 and 39, and welcome community members to echo their comments:
“As someone who relies on the 39 bus route to get to and from work, I’m deeply concerned about Trimet’s proposal to eliminate it,” Associate Professor of History Andrew Bernstein said. “If enacted, this plan would make a bad parking situation even worse by encouraging more people to drive to campus. It would also hamper efforts to promote student engagement with the wider community. Whether you take the bus to campus or not, please contact Trimet to object to the proposal to eliminate bus service to Lewis & Clark.”
“Bus lines 38 and 39 are crucial components to serving the greater student/faculty/staff community of Lewis & Clark,” Administrative Coordinator Amy Baskin said. “I have great equity concerns for our lower-income, disabled, and car-free populations and how this would hamper their ability to commute. It would also prevent lower-income and disabled students from attending LC, and would prevent otherwise qualified professionals from seeking job opportunities at LC. By retaining bus lines 38 and 39, TriMet would allow for underserved communities, lower-income students/staff/faculty, and other TriMet area residents to travel to and from one of the wealthier enclaves of the Portland metropolitan area. Without these two bus lines, access and equity are hobbled to and from this region, and Palatine Hill becomes even more inaccessible.”
“I would also be cut off from getting to work by these changes, which is extremely stressful,” Associate Professor of Psychology and Department Chair Diana Leonard said. “The 39 bus routes from campus to Hillsdale and stops at Fred Meyer and Safeway along the way. This plan cuts several SW neighborhoods off from each other and puts much more pressure on the Pio shuttle and individual car travel/parking, which would be costly for the college and for faculty/staff and students alike.”
“Our peers who take the bus cannot rely on carpools or expensive rideshare apps to consistently attend classes,” Lewis & Clark’s Associated Student Body (ASB) President Madeleine MacWilliams BA ’24 said. “Without TriMet, students become entirely reliant on the PioExpress, which has a limited range to connect students to the city. Even worse, students will need a car to venture into Portland when the PioExpress is not running, which can be unaffordable (and is an unreasonable expectation) for students. Moreover, more commuters will worsen our community’s carbon footprint. Public transit is essential to explore Portland for our student body: we need the TriMet. Show your support to preserve the 38 and 39 lines in this survey. In particular, there is a question about service cuts in high-income areas with low ridership. Our campus is situated in such an area; please tell TriMet that they are cutting TOO much! This decision impacts students, staff, and faculty–everybody will feel the consequences in this decision. Please consider taking two minutes to fill out the TriMet survey so that you can prevent a decision that will impact us for many years ahead.”
