From highway to Main Street
For decades, 82nd Avenue operated as Oregon Highway 213 — the primary north-south route for cars and freight on Portland's east side. As the city grew up and around it, the highway became something else entirely: a dense, low-rise commercial and residential spine running through the heart of town.
After years of organizing, ownership of the avenue transferred from the Oregon Department of Transportation to the City of Portland in June 2022, bringing $185 million for improvements. Today, 82nd Avenue sits at Portland's geographic center and is its most culturally diverse corridor. It also carries TriMet's Line 72, the system's highest-ridership bus route. Decades of underinvestment during years of dense residentail grow left the street dangerous to cross, with rising numbers of pedestrian injuries and deaths.
A community-authored strategy
With funding from the American Relief Act, Oregon Walks partnered with APANO, Verde, and Unite Oregon to build a coalition of residents, business owners, and organizations along the corridor. Working alongside city and regional government partners, the coalition co-authored the 82nd Avenue Development Strategy — a plan built around six focus areas.
The coalition continues to advocate for investment up and down the corridor, in partnership with a growing list of neighborhood and community organizations.
Three projects, one corridor
Beyond the roadway transfer itself, two major public investments are moving forward along 82nd Avenue — each shaped in part by coalition advocacy.
Stops along the way
Coalition milestones — condensed from Oregon Walks' project updates.
The coalition's first round of neighborhood conversations wrapped up successfully, covering three sections of the corridor from Cully down to Lents. Additional sessions followed through August in Montavilla, the Jade District, Foster-Powell, Lents, Cully, and beyond.
Coalition members gathered at PCC's 82nd Avenue campus for a briefing from Metro and TriMet on the proposed Bus Rapid Transit project, pressing on stop spacing, dedicated bus lanes, sidewalk gaps, and full electrification of the fleet.
Following a gathering hosted at The Grotto, the coalition began formalizing its structure and preparing a charter for individuals and organizations to join as formal members — alongside a new partnership with Metro and PBOT for neighborhood-specific conversations on transit, development, and anti-displacement.
Coalition members walked the corridor from Foster to Bybee with Multnomah County Commissioner Vega Pederson, State Representative Pham, Metro Councilor Hwang, and PBOT staff, discussing near-term improvements and longer-term investment priorities.
Projects Underway
A running record of active and upcoming projects shaping 82nd Avenue.
Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) lead collection of road safet projects.
(portland.gov/82nd-avenue)Transit project to upgrade bus service on 82nd Avenue to TriMet FX®–Frequent Express. Aiming to bring more service reliability and faster travel times, plus safety and accessibility improvements, to the corridor.
(trimet.org/82ndave)Along with the two other new East Portland Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Districts, the 82nd Avenue Area TIF District will begin collecting tax increment on July 1, 2025. Initial resources will be limited in the first five years but will increase over time. The implementation of the new TIF districts started in 2025 with the formation of a Community Leadership Committee (CLC) for each district, a group of community members with lived and professional experience, as well as connection to the district, who will guide implementation.
(prosperportland.us/82nd)In July 2026, 82nd Avenue Coalition organizers began efforts to more regularly bring together community members, organizational leaders, and interested parties from up and down the corridor.
Join the coalition
The coalition is open to residents, business owners, and organizations who want a voice in decisions shaping 82nd Avenue.