We support the Powell/Division project

According to the TriMet website, public transit is becoming wildly more popular than vehicles. For one, transit is usually a cheaper option than a motor vehicle, gas, loan  payments, maintenance and everything that goes along with it.

Some college students, including at Mt. Hood, find it rather convenient to take TriMet to school, naturally. In fact, the 4-Division route and the 9-Powell route that travel east-west from Gresham to Portland serve 18,000-plus riders combined each weekday, according to OregonMetro.gov.

We at The Advocate are for this reason in solid support of the proposed Powell-Division Transit Project. Not only will this Bus Rapid Transit project provide students a safer and more efficient route to their classes, it could very well encourage more area high school graduates to not forgo a higher education due to financial barriers, including transportation.

We all know that program and budget cuts at Mt. Hood have been made as a result of declining student enrollment. Perhaps many people who choose not to attend Mt. Hood do so because they live too far away and the commute is more difficult than it’s worth.

If you read the TriMet article in the May 22 issue of The Advocate, you would have picked up on the fact that MHCC is out in the “boonies,” compared to many of the campuses in the Portland metro area.

Currently, Stark Street,  Sandy Boulevard, and Kane Drive are well-serviced. Bus lines 20, 80, and 81 make a stop directly in front of MHCC. Unfortunately, anyone living near Powell and Division has to make transfers at Gresham Station. And for others, traveling to campus can take well over an hour. This really has the potential to put a dent in enrollment.

Since no one can just uproot MHCC and plant it somewhere more central, we have to provide easier options for those living in the core of Multnomah County. It doesn’t appear that Portland or TriMet will be charging Mt. Hood for the additional routes, so it should only bring good for students and riders.

Advocate Staff