From Portland Afoot

The 72 stops at the MAX overpass on NE 82nd Avenue

TriMet's 72-Killingsworth/82nd connects Swan Island, NE Portland, SE Portland and Clackamas Town Center, via Killingsworth, Alberta and 82nd.

The line is one of TriMet's frequent service routes and one of the most-ridden buses in the system. It was the only major line that did not lose service in the 2010 TriMet cuts.

Operators and regular passengers sometimes refer to the 72 as the "Jerry Springer," because of the unexpected things that happen on it.

[edit] Portland's best midday bus line

According to Portland Afoot's 2011 TriMet bus rankings, the 72 had the best midday service in the system, with just 9.9 minutes between buses at noon.

[edit] Portland's most hectic bus line

With 143 ons and offs per stop daily, the 72 was also by far the most hectic route in the system at the time of Portland Afoot's 2010 TriMet bus rankings from winter 2010. The 2011 bus rankings found that the 72 was the least reliable frequent service route in the system, with 45 percent of its buses arriving bunched.

With 17 chair lifts per stop per month, it was also the third most used by people with limited mobility, after only the 8 and the 6.

[edit] New low-floor hybrid buses on the way

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer speaks at July 2010 announcement of new low-floor hybrid buses for 72 line

In summer 2010, TriMet was awarded $2 million in discretionary bus funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation to add four new air-conditioned, low-floor hybrid buses to the 72 by early 2012. At the time, up to 20 buses were assigned to the 72 during peak hours, so about one in five buses would be upgraded.

The new buses would use bus access ramps instead of bus chair lifts, saving 1 to 2 minutes per deployment.

The federal announcement described the buses as "the first of the new generation of hybrid buses purchased by TriMet."

The four hybrid buses would cost $560,000 each, according to TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch, about 40 percent more than a $400,000 conventional bus. Their engines would have 20 percent better fuel efficiency.

Project Planning Director Alan Lehto said in July 2010 that he was not sure whether fuel savings would pay for the buses' additional cost over their expected 12-15 year lifetime, but that other agencies' experience suggested that it would.

[edit] Targeted by bus organizers

The 72 was one of five bus routes targeted by OPAL, an environmental justice group that began organizing bus riders in 2009 and 2010.

[edit] Online news feed about the 72

• RSS feed of Google News alerts, TriMet service alerts and changes to this page, assembled by Portland Afoot

[edit] External links

• TriMet map, schedules and current service alerts
• federal grant announcement of hybrid buses