Pioneer Courthouse Square

I reckon TriMet or the Portland Oregon Visitors Association will be asking to put this one on the front of a promotional brochure. Steve says it’s fine for anyone to use his photos if you like – he’d appreciate notification as his only reward.

I took the bus to the Charter Reform and Business Tax cut hearings last Thursday afternoon. Media reports had said the switch in bus routes is going smoothly – I beg to differ. Getting in was OK, since everyone basically watches where the bus goes and hops off when reasonably close to their destination. But going home, I had heard the buses are on 3rd instead of 5th, so I headed towards the river after exiting City Hall on 4th. Saw the #12 bus on 3rd and ran ahead a block to where I assumed there would be a stop. No stop. Then as I was running to the next block, I looked behind to see if I would make it, only to see the bus turning west. Long story short, I eventually caught it (the same bus) at 7th/Market near PSU. Good thing downtown is so congested at rush hour, since I’m not a good runner. Lesson learned: check routes and stops before taking TriMet downtown.

The more serious issue is that Pioneer Courthouse Square is dead without the buses on 6th. Granted it was still cold with snow on the ground, but still – the square and sidewalks around it were deserted. I knew the theory of the presence of transit making an area thrive; now I’ve seen the effect of removing it. I’m concerned for the businesses that will have fewer walk-by customers with the buses off the mall – Honkin’ Huge Burritos being my favorite. And while I’ve done my share of complaining about the lack of direct cross-town connections on transit, I’m wondering if providing light rail routes that don’t require transfers downtown will hurt retailers in the core. I often stop in at a business near the Square if I have to change between bus and MAX anyway; I’m not sure I would interrupt a through journey to do so.