TRIMET TRANSIT MALL REGULATIONS

This procedure outlines the general rules for operating on the Portland Mall, general
rules for using service lanes on the mall, specific rules for entering and exiting the mall,
and other location specific rules.
2.0 Procedures:
2.1 Portland Mall Travel Rules:
1. Observe the following right of way rules when traveling on the Portland Mall:
Always yield to trains.
Buses in the service lane yield to all vehicles in the transitway and bus only
lanes.
Buses in the auto lane yield to vehicles in all other lanes.
2. Use the transitway or bus only lane when traveling on the mall under most
conditions. Use of the auto lane may be required in a variety of situations:
In areas of the mall without a transitway or bus only lane.
When directed to do so by procedure. Temporary travel in the auto lane is often
required to safely and effectively enter or exit the mall.
When directed by supervisory personnel.
When a disabled vehicle or other incident is blocking the transitway and/or bus
only lane.
To move around trains stopped at stations in the North Mall only.
3. Do not turn on to the mall on a red light.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The only exception to this rule is turning onto SW 6th
Avenue at SW Main.
4. Do not exceed 20 MPH on the mall. Service lane speed limit is 10 MPH.
5. Maintain a following distance of at least one bus length when following a train.
6. Do not use the „Yield‟ signal on the mall.
7. Observe all posted traffic signs and traffic signals. Observe and obey the service
lane signal when operating in a service lane.
8. Do not stop the bus in a manner that blocks any part of the transitway, intersections,
crosswalks, or crosses over the striping marking MAX station areas (the striping
defines the boundaries of the train‟s dynamic envelope).
9. Immediately notify Dispatch if you are tied-up on the mall for any reason or
encounter any situation on the mall that is disrupting or has the potential to disrupt
any TriMet service. If the situation is an emergency, send the appropriate message
using the EMERG key. For all non-emergency service disruptions, send Dispatch a
“Mall Call”: Press PRTT, 3 – Mall Call, and SEND.
2.2 Portland Mall Service Lane Rules:
1. If the service lane is full, wait in the transitway or bus only lane in the previous block
until the closest bus position is available. Do not block any intersection or crosswalk.
2. Enter the service lane from the beginning of the block and pull the bus fully into the
first open bus position. Entering the service lane mid-block is allowed:
When a LIFT vehicle is parked at the LIFT stop marker with four-way flashers on.
Enter the service lane in front of the LIFT vehicle in this case. You will be able to
service the stop without having any part of the bus over the striping on the
transitway (the striping marks the limits of the MAX train‟s dynamic envelope).
If a bus is tied up in the service lane due to a mechanical problem or other
incident, enter the service lane in front of the tied-up vehicle only if you are
certain that you can serve the stop without blocking any part of the transitway.
3. Do not exceed 10 MPH when traveling in the service lane.
4. Continue to move forward in the service lane through each bus position. Follow any
buses or LIFT vehicles moving through the lane.
5. Load and unload intending passengers from the first and second bus positions.
Make internal and external stop announcements when serving the first and second
bus positions.
6. Passengers may be unloaded in other bus positions but should be discouraged from
boarding at any position other than the first and second bus positions.
7. Only exit the service lane from the first bus position. Exiting the service lane from
another bus position is allowed:
When directed by supervisory personnel.
When access into or out of the first bus position is blocked.
8. Observe and obey the service lane signal. This signal indicates when a bus may
attempt to exit the service lane.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The only exception to this rule is when turning right onto
W Burnside from the service lane on SW 6th Avenue.
9. Yield to traffic in the transitway at all times. Do not use the „Yield‟ signal on the mall.
10. If your bus needs to be tied-up in a service lane for any reason, secure your bus as
far back in the service lane as possible. Try to secure your vehicle in a manner that
does not block access to the first and second bus positions.
2.3 Location Specific Mall Operating Rules
Location specific operating rules for the mall are outlined below from North to South on
5th Avenue (southbound mall corridor) and then South to North on 6th Avenue
(northbound mall corridor).
North Terminal Layover Area:
The North Terminal is divided into two distinct layover areas: North Terminal 5th,
accessed from NW 5th, and North Terminal Hoyt accessed from NW Hoyt:
Unload all customers prior to entering the layover area.
Do not board customers in the North Terminal layover area.
Do not exceed 5 MPH in the North Terminal layover area.
Only park in marked layover areas. Do not park in a manner that blocks travel
through the layover area.
Use North Terminal Hoyt only when the North Terminal 5th area is full.
When exiting North Terminal:
1. Turn into the auto lane on NW 5th.
2. Merge into the transitway after passing NW Glisan.
Laying over in service lane on NW 5th at Hoyt:
Up to two buses may layover in the service lane on NW 5that Hoyt.
Customers may board at this location.
When exiting this service lane:
1. Merge into the auto lane on NW 5th.
2. Merge into the transitway after passing NW Glisan.
Entering NW 5th from NW Irving - Route 77 Only:
1. Turn into the auto lane on NW 5th.
2. Stay in the auto lane until Everett.
3. Exit the mall by turning onto NW Everett from the auto lane.
Entering NW 5th from NW Glisan:
1. Turn into the transitway on NW 5th unless a train is stopped at the NW Glisan station.
2. If a train is stopped at the NW Glisan station, turn into the auto lane and merge into
the transitway at NW Everett or after the train passes.
Entering NW 5th from NW Everett:
1. Turn into the auto lane on NW 5th.
2. Merge into the transitway between NW Couch and W Burnside.
3. If a train is stopped at NW Couch station, wait for the train to pass before merging
into the transitway.
Exiting NW 5th at NW Everett:
Turn left onto NW Everett from auto lane.
Passing a train at NW Couch:
1. If a train is stopped at NW Couch station, pass the train by merging into the auto lane
before NW Davis.
2. Merge back into the transitway in the block between NW Couch and W. Burnside.
Passing from North Mall to Central Mall:
1. Do not travel through the intersection of NW 5th and W Burnside in the auto lane;
always travel in the transitway through the intersection.
2. If you will be entering the service lane to serve the stop at SW Pine, merge from the
transitway into the service lane.
Entering SW 5th from W Burnside Westbound:
Turn onto SW 5th on a green arrow only.
If you will be serving or stopping in the service lane at SW Pine, confirm that there is
room in the service lane prior to turning. If service lane is full, wait in the left turn lane
on W Burnside until a bus position is available. Turn into the service lane when it is
available.
If you are not serving or stopping in the service lane at SW Pine, turn into the auto
lane on SW 5th and merge into the transitway after SW Pine.
Entering SW 5th from W. Burnside Eastbound:
Unless you are serving or stopping in the service lane at SW Pine, turn into the auto lane
on SW 5th and merge into the transitway after SW Pine. If you will be serving the stop at
SW Pine or need to be in the service lane for another appropriate reason, turn into
service lane.
Exiting SW 5th at SW Madison:
1. Merge into the auto lane after SW Salmon.
2. If Multnomah County Sheriff Deputies occupy the auto lane between SW Salmon
and SW Main, merge into the auto lane after SW Main.
3. Turn left onto SW Madison from the auto lane.
Exiting SW 5th at SW Market:
1. Merge into the auto lane after SW Clay.
2. Turn left onto SW Market from the auto lane. Do not turn left from the transitway.
Exiting SW 5th at SW Harrison:
1. Merge into the auto lane after SW Montgomery.
2. Stay alert to traffic in the adjacent bike lane. The bike lane re-enters SW 5th after the
streetcar platform.
3. Turn left onto SW Harrison from the auto lane. Do not turn left from the transitway.
Exiting the Portland Mall onto SW Lincoln:
1. Merge left into the auto lane after SW Hall.
2. Turn left onto SW Lincoln. Stay alert to traffic in the bike lane on SW 5th.
Exiting the Portland Mall via SW 5th:
1. Travel in the transitway until it ends at SW College.
2. Continue straight on SW 5th in any auto lane. Be aware of auto traffic merging from
the “Right Turn Only” lane at SW Jackson.
3. Buses in the right turn only lane at SW Jackson may proceed straight.
Entering SW 6th from SW Broadway Drive:
1. Merge into an auto lane on SW 6th.
2. Prepare to merge into the bus only lane at SW Harrison after SW Jackson.
Entering SW 6th from SW Harrison:
Turn into the bus only lane on SW 6th.
Entering SW 6th from SW Jefferson:
Turn into the bus only lane on SW 6th.
Exiting SW 6th at SW Jefferson:
1. Merge into the auto lane after SW Columbia.
2. Turn left from the auto lane onto SW Jefferson. Do not turn left from the transitway.
Entering SW 6th from SW Main:
SW Main is the only location where a right turn on red onto the mall is allowed.
1. Stay alert to train traffic, do not turn onto SW 6th on a red light when is a train is
approaching.
2. Turn into the transitway on SW 6th.
Exiting SW 6th at SW Pine:
1. Merge left into the auto lane after SW Oak.
2. Turn left from the auto lane onto SW Pine. Do not turn left from the transitway.
Exiting SW 6th at W Burnside:
After serving the stop at SW 6th and Burnside, turn right onto W Burnside from the
service lane. Right turn on a red service lane signal is permitted.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is the only location where a right turn on a red service
lane signal is allowed.
Passing from Central Mall to North Mall:
1. Travel in the transitway.
2. If you are in the auto lane for any reason, do not travel through the intersection of
SW 6th and W Burnside at the same time that a MAX train is passing through the
intersection. Reduced clearance makes this move hazardous.
3. If you are passing from the Central Mall to North Mall after serving the SW 6th and
Burnside service lane, exit the service lane on a green light and cross W Burnside in
the transitway.
Exiting NW 6th at NW Everett:
Turn right from the transitway onto NW Everett. Right turns on red are permitted at this
location.
Entering NW 6th from NW Glisan:
1. Turn into the auto lane on SW 6th.
2. Stay in the auto lane and merge onto NW Station Way.
Exiting NW 6th at NW Glisan:
1. Merge into the auto lane after NW Flanders.
2. Turn left from the auto lane onto NW Glisan.
Exiting NW 6th at NW Irving:
1. Merge into the auto lane at NW Hoyt.
2. Turn onto NW Irving. Stay in the auto lane. Be alert and yield to any trains.
Exiting the Portland Mall onto NW Station Way:
1. Merge into the auto lane no later than NW Hoyt.
2. Continue straight and merge onto NW Station Way.