Have you seen the new “bendy” green buses? It’s FX2-Division, TriMet’s new high-capacity bus route along Division Street connecting Southeast Portland and Gresham. With 60% more seats than a typical bus, boarding through 3 doors and dedicated lanes in some areas, it’s sure to keep passengers moving.

Over the weekend a fun-filled grand opening event kicked off the new line at three festival sites along the route: Gresham Farmer’s Market, PCC Festival Marketplace and OMSI Station. The community came together to celebrate the completion which is a milestone for TriMet in their commitment to reducing carbon emissions, providing more equitable transportation and reducing traffic congestion.

Mayer/Reed’s visual communications team is thrilled to have worked with TriMet and the project team to distinguish FX from other TriMet services with a custom-designed station pylon and a branded shelter and windscreen pattern. Take a ride to discover the new stations, including four stops with unique shelter graphics celebrating key neighborhoods. The stations are striking with their signature green, but safety and accessibility are top priorities. We designed the windscreen graphics to maintain clear views and worked with the project team and community stakeholders on platform markings and tactile elements to help cyclists and pedestrians of all abilities to safely navigate the new station layouts.

Congrats to TriMet and project team collaborators – WSP, PIVOT, DKS Associates, MZLA, Raimore Construction, and Landscape Forms. To plan your first ride, visit trimet.org.

Portland Public Schools recently kicked off construction for the new Multiple Pathways to Graduation (MPG) Building with a groundbreaking ceremony in the Benson Polytechnic High School parking lot – the soon-to-be location of the new, 85,000 SF multi-story building. Part of the extensive Benson Polytechnic High School Modernization project, the new building will create a permanent home for MPG programs such as Alliance at Benson and Meek, DART/Clinton, Teen Parent Childcare, Teen Parent Services and Reconnection Services and Center.

Led by Bassetti Architects with landscape architecture by Mayer/Reed, the building and site design incorporate trauma-informed best practices to create a safe and inclusive environment that supports the diverse and specific needs of MPG programs and students. Officially underway with Andersen Construction, the project is expected to be complete in Fall 2024.

Exciting changes are underway at Errol Heights Park in Southeast Portland, where neighbors are seeing beginnings of the design they’ve helped shape. Construction crews are preparing the site for improvements that will occur over the next year. Mayer/Reed worked with Portland Parks & Recreation and the neighborhood on a design for the 16-acre park that will provide trails for barrier-free access, inclusive play opportunities, community gardens and picnic areas on the upper plateau. The park’s lower natural areas and pond—locally known for wildlife habitat­—will be protected and a new outdoor classroom will welcome school groups.

This Saturday, the community is invited to a meet and greet event at the park to learn more about the work ahead. The improved Errol Heights Park is planned for completion in 2023.