Buses will start operating on the shoulders of Interstate 205 as South Metro Area Regional Transit drivers begin training for the Bus on Shoulder corridor.
Motorists will see the SMART buses on shoulders at various times of the day starting in February. The training will lead to the launch of a new transit service beginning later this spring between Wilsonville and Clackamas Town Center.
The project will allow SMART buses to use segments of the shoulders along 13 miles of I-205 between SE Sunnybrook Boulevard and SW Stafford Road during congested times when traffic drops below 35 mph.
The transit service is expected to launch May 4, 2026.
Bus on Shoulder projects are included in ODOT’s Strategic Action Plan as important outcomes to reduce congestion in the Portland region. There are two existing Bus on Shoulder corridors today:
- I-205 across the Glenn Jackson Bridge in partnership with the Washington Department of Transportation.
- C-TRAN and on I-5 between I-205/I-5 interchange and SW Elligsen Road with SMART.
How Bus on Shoulder works:
- SMART buses may use the shoulder when the adjacent lane of traffic drops below 35 mph; shoulder use is at the discretion of the bus operator. Weather and other factors can influence the operator’s decision.
- Buses may then travel up to 15 mph faster than the general purpose lanes but no faster than 35 mph.
- Buses will merge back into travel lanes before the conclusion of the Bus on Shoulder segment; buses will not travel through on- or off-ramps.
- If a bus encounters an obstruction in the shoulder, the bus must merge back into travel lanes at least 1,000 feet before the obstruction or as soon as the obstruction is visible.
- Cars, trucks and all other non-emergency vehicles must remain on the highway travel lanes and stay off the shoulder except in the case of an emergency or to avoid debris.
- Pedestrians and bicycles on the shoulder have priority over buses. Transit vehicles are required to merge back into the travel lanes when encountering a pedestrian or bicycle.
- Emergency vehicles, maintenance vehicles, and disabled vehicles take priority on the shoulder.
New highway signs, pavement striping, and roadway legends have been installed to inform motorists of the appropriate shoulder uses.
SMART is the only transit provider authorized to use the shoulder in this project. SMART drivers and dispatchers will undertake additional training to ensure safe travel in the corridor.
SMART’s new transit service, Route 10X, will operate on I-205, running north and south between the Wilsonville Transit Center and Clackamas Town Center.
In other states, Bus on Shoulder projects have been effective in getting transit vehicles through congestion quickly and safely, creating a more efficient traffic flow, and a more reliable commute. Bus on Shoulder is widely considered a multimodal, low-cost alternative to expanding roadways or dedicating lanes for high occupancy vehicles.
For more information about the program, visit the Bus on Shoulder website.
Source: ODOT