New Bus Service to Alleviate Congestion Between Portland and Multnomah Falls

Jamie Hale reports on a pilot project in Oregon that will hopefully to address the congestion and parking shortages on the Columbia Gorge near Multnomah Falls. Driving to Multnomah Falls, writes Hale, "has long been a pain in northwest travelers' necks, who on busy weekends can be found duking it out for a parking spot at the most popular destination in Oregon."

As a solution, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the U.S. Forest Service have launched a new bus service that will connect Portland with the Columbia River Gorge including Multnomah Falls.

"The bus service will be a two-year pilot program, attempting to alleviate some of the congestion at Multnomah Falls which often backs up onto the left lane of Interstate 84," reports Hale. "The parking lot at the falls closed 181 times due to overcrowding over the last 22 months, according to the department. Of those, 129 closures came on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays." The Columbia River Gorge Express, as the shuttle bus is called, began service on Friday, may 27, 2016.