PORTLAND, Ore. — TriMet's extra-long "bendy" buses are scheduled to return to the FX-2 line this week for operator training, but it'll be a few more weeks until riders on Southeast Division Street can actually board them.
The 60-foot articulated buses debuted in September when the FX-2 line replaced TriMet's busy Line 2. The route from downtown Portland to Gresham also received upgraded bus stops and new systems to allow buses to jump to the front of the queue at red lights.
But the buses had only been running for a few weeks when TriMet announced that it would pull the entire 31-bus fleet off the road as a precaution due to a mechanical defect. The FX-2 line has been served by regular 40-foot buses since then.
The defect was causing the steering gear box anchoring bolts to loosen, TriMet explained, risking a loss of steering. The agency said no buses lost steering during operations; one operator reported hearing an odd noise while turning and mechanics subsequently found loose or missing bolts on six buses.
The discovery prompted Canada-based manufacturer Nova Bus to issue a recall for buses of that model in November, and TriMet said it would work with the company to come up with a solution.
The agency announced in December that it had installed new parts recommended by Nova Bus on three of its buses and begun test driving them, first at a maintenance yard and later along streets in industrial areas, checking regularly to make sure the bolts stayed tight.
The fix is now confirmed to work and is being installed on the remaining buses in the fleet, TriMet announced Tuesday. The buses will return to Division without riders for the first few weeks to give operators a chance to get reacquainted with the route and the longer vehicles.
TriMet didn't offer a precise date for when passenger service will resume, but said it hopes to allow riders back on board "within the next few weeks or so." Riders on the Division line will continue to be served by 40-foot buses until then.