Portland is testing red bus lanes

(NOVEMBER 1, 2019) The city of Portland is painting some parts of its streets red. The new color will signal which lanes are only for buses. The work is part of a national experiment to use red paint to inform other road users that buses, streetcars, and trains have priority.

“We know there are a lot of distractions for drivers,” said Tia York, who represents TriMet. “They may be listening to navigation, or they may be unfamiliar with the area. ... We hope the red paint will help get their attention so that they can more easily recognize bus only and other transit priority areas."

The first street in Portland with red pavement is Southwest Main Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Next, Portland will install red lanes on streets in the Inner Eastside of Portland. People driving may not enter a solid red lane. This includes drivers of cars, trucks, taxis, and ride hailing vehicles like Uber and Lyft. The goal is to make public transportation faster and more reliable. Portland State University will collect data to find out if this is true.

"We cannot combat climate change without dramatic changes to the way we currently live, and Portland traffic congestion is among the worst in the nation," said Chloe Eudaly, a city commissioner. "These new red lanes signal our commitment to doing everything we can to make transit an attractive option for more Portlanders and prioritizing tangible climate action in the face of looming climate catastrophe."

Other cities in the country are experimenting, too. They include: Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and Denver.