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The news that Portland is poised for a return of all-night bus service after a 32-year hiatus has inspired enthusiasm and curiosity.
Perhaps the most intriguing question: What route will TriMet's new "night bus" to Portland International Airport take?
The regional transit agency has now answered that question: The new Line 272 bus will run along Northeast 82nd Avenue and Northeast Airport Way between East Burnside Street and the airport. Starting Sept. 2, the bus will run on a roughly hourly schedule, from 1:53 am until 4:17 am.
Here's a video of the route:
That service will fill a gap in public transit to the airport in the early-morning hours when the Red Line MAX train isn't running. (The agency also plans to run its trains later in the night.)
TriMet's fall service expansion will also include making two of its east-west bus lines run 24 hours, including the Line 20 bus along Burnside.
But don't cancel your Uber call just yet: The number 20 bus will arrive only every hour between 1:30 and 4:30 am. That means—for now, by our unscientific count—five additional buses will be on the Portland streets between 1:30 and 4:30 am, the hours when TriMet has traditionally ceased service.
The agency has published its full schedule here.