Commute Options - South Tabor to Portland City Center (school, live)

[Kimberly_PDX]

What your preferred commuting method be? How crowded are the Trimet 4 or the 9 heading into Portland City Center during the morning and evening rush? How long will it take? Are they reliable and on time, or would you drive in? How about biking it? Car pool?

[oldtintype]

The bus is often crowded but more so the closer it gets to downtown during rush hour. It's not that long of a ride to downtown from Tabor so if it was too crowded for a seat you wouldn't stand that long. I'd guess from south Tabor you'd have a good chance of a seat though. I used to catch the bus at 24th and Glisan (much closer in) and it was usually pretty packed and I'd only occasionally get a seat. Tabor is many many stops further back. I'd bus or bike depending on your situation. Driving would be dumb unless you have a free parking space or are only going downtown for an hour or two. AM and PM busses are usually pretty reliable. Occasionally you'll get a missed route but I rode downtown from NE pretty regularly for two years and I'd say at least 80% of the time things were the way they were supposed to be.

You can check the route time on Trimet.org. During traffic times are longer but I'd guess you're looking at 25-30 minutes or so depending on your start and destination.

[Nell Plotts]

Lines 4 and 9 are both frequent service lines. Use the TriMet trip planner tool to estimate the time it will take.

I don't use a bike but if I were younger and lived in that vicinity a bike would be a real option. Here is a link to the City's bike maps for that area: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/trans...article/321389

A car pool is always a great way to go, always a reason not to work late, but as parking is expensive your share of that expense should be explored. Here is the City Car Pool link: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/39987

If you will be working for a large employer they may have car pool resources for their employees or they may offer discount TriMet tickets.

[SETabor]

Depending on where you pick up the 9, it can be crowded at times. A lot of students at Cleveland take it so it'll get crowded with kids during school commute times. Most of them ride between Cleveland and 12th going west and Cleveland and 50th going east. Both the 4 and 9 are frequent service so they run quite a bit during rush hour and wait isn't too bad.

Biking is an option but take the Hawthorne bridge and don't even consider riding over the Ross Island bridge. Also, there are alternate streets to Division and Powell (e.g. Clinton and Lincoln) that are safer to ride on.

I wouldn't drive. The river and intersections on either side are serious choke points to the system and you would end up frustrated even if the trip only takes 20 minutes.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by SETabor

I wouldn't drive. The river and intersections on either side are serious choke points to the system and you would end up frustrated even if the trip only takes 20 minutes.

Not to mention the cost of parking downtown. I agree, from there I'd try to bike/bus as primary modes, driving only for a special occasion (mid-day Dr. appt. or the like).