Maybe Tri-Met can sell tickets to NW residents who prefer to commute by sidewalk? It is certainly safer than riding than bus. And walking is certainly safer now that buses have been eliminated.

I have a hard time believing Tri-Met is actually going to do anything that would improve customer service.

The intersection in question:

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I'm guessing they reversed and turned around here? Seems like it would make sense to not have to try and reverse a bus there. I know its done and has been done, but unless Tri-Met can find a better place to turn the buses around, I think the folks there will have to find an alternative.

Doesn't change the fact that Tri-Met should have notified people of the change much earlier.

(Note: Mom drove school bus on the Oregon Coast for many years, used to have to hang the back end of the bus over cliff faces to turn it around on some of the coastal range roads)

I used to live in that neighborhood and TriMet did that maneuver for years without incident.

When it was slick, the bus route ended at 27th near Montgomery Park. Under slick conditions, the maneuver would be ill-advised.

I can't believe they "all of sudden" discovered this.

One of Portland's huge pluses was its bus system.

Not anymore.

I have to believe it might be something about the current crop of buses. I've noticed that drivers have a hard time staying in their own lanes making simple right hand turns. 20 years ago I did not see that. So either drivers are worse or equipment is worse or both.

I have to believe it might be something about the current crop of buses.

Your comment suggests you think there is some problem with the Thurman/Gordon turn-around. There isn't. There was a problem at Broadway & Glisan. This is, believe it or not, a response to that.

Get a smaller vehicle.

Actually, Allan L. that's not at all what I am saying. I live no where near there. What I see is buses making normal right hand turns on city streets (not main arterial though) failing to keep right. I live in outer SW and that's what most of my observations are based on... or my commute home from Beaverton where the bus turning right from B-H Hwy onto 87th (I think) has the worst time avoiding cars sitting on 87th waiting to turn left on B-H Hwy. And those streets are bigger than the ones in my immediate hood (which I won't name here). But there is another one where the driver is mostly into the other lane on his right turn.

Or something with a better turning radius bluecollar. Length is not the whole of turning radius...

I'm a retired Trimet operator, and drove this route many many years ago. They gave me a 35 foot 300 series bus, and was able to make that turn around without backing up. I just cranked that wheel all the way to the left before making the U turn . With a 30 ft. 1600 or 1900 it would be a piece of cake. Seems to me Trimet could find a solution to this problem. Maybe they could extend line 18 or 63 out there , which uses a small bus.

How about a 2 or 3 year study to see if a streetcar is a viable option.

The solution is clear -- lightrail is needed in the area.

I live in that neighborhood and never noticed any problems getting the bus turned around. I think the routes on Vista/Elizabeth in the SW hills require more slaloming and wiggling, not to mention sliding through 23rd on a busy day. When I worked as a carrier out of University Station we were strongly discouraged from backing up at all because of one accident. I think that this is a direct result of the Broadway brouhaha and hasn't got anything to do with any problems with the turn at Gordon and Thurman.

That said, I've long been mystified about this little part-time 15 spur. That's a wealthy neighborhood where almost everyone drives. For the younger and healthier, it's within walking distance of stops at Montgomery Park. It doesn't even carry as many passengers as the bus that runs up Vista to Strohecker's. From a logistical standpoint (not that this seems to be the reason TriMet is using) I understand why that spur might be axed.