TriMet moves to buy former Portland Greyhound terminal for indoor bus layovers and storage operations

Plan targets Old Town site near Union Station as operations shift away from on-street layovers

TriMet is moving toward purchasing Portland’s former Greyhound terminal in Old Town to create an indoor bus layover and storage facility, a shift that would relocate some operator breaks and bus staging from downtown curb space to a controlled off-street site.

The property is the former intercity bus terminal at 550 NW 6th Ave., a roughly 2-acre site directly across from Union Station. Greyhound ceased using the terminal in 2019, and the site has since been marketed for sale as a redevelopment opportunity with existing terminal structures and surface parking.

Funding change approved in regional transportation programming

The purchase plan surfaced as TriMet sought authority to modify how a package of federal transportation dollars is allocated within the region’s Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program, a multi-year list that guides federally funded transportation spending. The requested change would move money previously programmed for future zero-emission bus purchases into a near-term real estate acquisition intended to support current operations.

Under the proposal described in regional transportation discussions, the total package associated with the acquisition and related work is framed at $12 million, combining $4.1 million in federal funds and an additional $7.9 million from a mix of sources including TriMet funding. The property has been publicly marketed at a price point around $10 million.

Operational goal: indoor layovers for frequent-service buses

TriMet’s operational case focuses on moving bus layovers—short breaks between trips—off public streets in the Portland Transit Mall area. The frequent-service FX2 Division line has been cited as a key example of routes that currently stage and lay over along downtown streets on or near NW 5th and 6th avenues.

TriMet has described the Old Town terminal as capable of being converted into a facility with up to nine indoor spaces designed for 60-foot buses, which are commonly used on higher-capacity routes. The concept is framed as a way to improve working conditions by providing a more controlled environment for operators during breaks and to reduce long-duration bus staging on public right-of-way.

What happens next

The plan remains tied to agency decision-making and the steps required for property acquisition and facility conversion, including design, permitting and operational planning. If completed, the purchase would add a centrally located operations asset near major regional transit connections—MAX light rail, the Portland Streetcar, and intercity rail—while changing how buses are staged in one of the city’s highest-traffic transit corridors.

• Site: former Greyhound terminal at 550 NW 6th Ave., Old Town
• Intended use: off-street bus layover and storage
• Capacity described in planning: up to nine 60-foot bus spaces
• Funding approach: reprogramming federal funds within the regional transportation program

The proposal reflects a near-term operational need—space for bus layovers—within a wider period of budget pressure and service planning that has reshaped TriMet priorities across the system.