Committee raises safety concerns at Troutdale Road/Stark bus stop, urges TriMet and county review

Members of the Public Safety and Equity Advisory Committee raised traffic-safety concerns on March 5 about buses unloading near the Troutdale Road and Stark Street intersection and the narrow, dirt bus stop where children gather.

"There's no way a car could get around them," committee member Frank Stevens said of children crowded into the tiny bus-stop area, and urged engineering changes rather than enforcement alone. "I think it's an engineering and design issue, not as much enforcement."

Sherry Winters, who brought the matter up at a parks meeting, said school and TriMet buses create long streams of cars during drop-off and pickup times and that the intersection becomes temporarily congested. She suggested moving the stop to the opposite side where a sidewalk exists or placing bus stops inside a parking lot where space allows. "My recommendation was could you make the stop on the opposite side where there's actually a sidewalk?" Stevens said he had already contacted TriMet.

Deputy Nick Bork described "gridlock traffic in that area" when buses are unloading and said extra patrol presence has been used to keep problems down, but added the underlying issues are design and routing. Members noted Troutdale Road and Stark are county roads and agreed to raise the issue with Multnomah County and at the East Multnomah County Transportation meeting.

Next steps: staff will pursue TriMet and county coordination and the committee will continue the conversation at a future transportation meeting.