Route 1 Service on Munjoy Hill

Metro’s Route 1 service has historically served Munjoy Hill, with various iterations throughout the years. In recent years, Metro has made changes in an effort to balance route coverage and ridership potential with on-time performance and bus operations.

History

Route 1’s alignment through Munjoy Hill has changed over the years, running on most streets on Munjoy Hill at some point in time. Route changes were made to capture new ridership and improve bus operations. As buses and passenger cars get larger, street and parking regulations change, and populations shift, route changes are often necessary to keep buses running smoothly and to serve the public as broadly and accessibly as possible.

1980’s and prior

Until the 1980’s, Metro service circulated throughout the Munjoy Hill neighborhood, using Merrill Street, North Street, Walnut Street, Emerson Street, Morning Street, O’Brion Street, Wilson Street, and Atlantic Street.

2000’s

By 2002, Route 1 service shifted to use North Street, Walnut Street, Eastern Promenade, and Munjoy Street.

2010’s

By 2015, Route 1 service ran along North Street to Eastern Promenade, and used Atlantic Street instead of Munjoy Street.

2023

After a 2022 construction season that saw a Route 1 detour that prevented use of Atlantic Street, and the 2022 Transit Together study that recommended a more direct route using Congress Street, Metro discontinued service to Atlantic Street in August 2023.

2025

Following public feedback, Metro restored Atlantic Street service in June 2025.

2023 Discontinuance of Service

The Route 1 service was initially discontinued on Atlantic Street due to the following factors:

• Operations: Due to the narrow nature of Atlantic Street, with parking on both sides and two-way traffic, buses sometimes get stuck turning onto, and traveling along, Atlantic Street. This can delay the bus for all riders, whether they’re on the bus or waiting at a bus stop further along the route. It can also present safety issues.
• Ridership: Compared to the rest of Route 1 service, the bus stops that were removed from service had low ridership.
• Availability of nearby service: While service on Atlantic Street and the south side of Eastern Promenade was discontinued, bus service was still provided within a 1/4 mile walk of these areas. While direct access is always a benefit for transit riders, there is always an expectation that passengers will travel some short distance to access bus stops.

In response to these factors, service was discontinued on Atlantic Street.

2025 Pilot for Resumed Service

In response to neighborhood feedback, service was restored to Atlantic Street and the south side of Munjoy Hill in June 2025. The pilot aims to collect additional data with regard to ridership in the area where service was restored. The pilot will be deemed successful if ridership along the restored segment of service is significant.

In the event that the pilot is deemed successful, Metro will still require changes to the operations on Atlantic Street in order to make the route maneuverable for buses and for other traffic using Atlantic Street. These changes, which would require approval from the City of Portland, may include removal of parking and/or changes to the directionality of Atlantic Street (i.e. conversion to a one-way street). Without improvements to the operability of Atlantic Street, it is unlikely service can continue in its current form.

The pilot is expected to run until spring 2026, with changes, if necessary, taking affect in summer 2026. These dates are subject to change.

Alternatives

There are several possible outcomes for this pilot project. These include:

Permanent reestablishment of service to Atlantic Street: If ridership justifies continued service to Atlantic Street, and street regulations can be modified to improve bus operability on Atlantic Street, the service may remain permanent.

Alternative route from Eastern Promenade to Congress Street: If continuing service on Atlantic Street is not a workable outcome for Metro, Metro may explore using another street to connect from Eastern Promenade to Congress Street.

Alternative service to south side of Munjoy Hill: Metro may opt to serve the south side of Munjoy Hill with another route, such as the Route 8, and restore the Route 1 to its prior alignment used from 2023-2025. This change would likely come alongside other changes to Route 8 service, which would include dedicated public process.

Resumption of 2023-2025 Congress Street routing: If none of the above alternatives are feasible or in the best interests of Metro’s operations, then Route 1 service may be restored to the alignment that ran from August 2023 to June 2025: running from North Street to Eastern Promenade to Congress Street. The bus stop at Congress Street/Emerson Street would be restored, or another nearby stop would be identified.

Contact:

Mike Tremblay, Director of Transit Development
mtremblay@gpmetro.org