NE Glisan Lane Changes at 82nd: How the Lanes Work and What’s Next

Conceptual illustration of a buffered bike lane—not a depiction of NE Glisan’s actual layout.

If you are driving on NE Glisan Street toward 82nd Avenue and continuing straight, use the general through lane. On both Glisan approaches, the rightmost lane is right-turn-only for general motorists, but buses and people biking may continue straight from it, subject to signals and other traffic controls.

That distinction is central to the updated layout in Portland. It does not mean every vehicle or bicycle in the rightmost lane will turn.

This snapshot is based on the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s September 22, 2026 reporting—not an on-site inspection. Three other details help put the changes in context:

• Beyond 82nd: Buses merge into general traffic; bicycles transition into buffered bike lanes.
• Different project limits: Lane treatments cover 81st–93rd; the explicit paving limits are 82nd–92nd.
• Work remains: Paving and most striping were finished, but median construction and remaining striping were still planned.

Which Glisan lane goes straight through 82nd?

PBOT’s September project update describes one general-traffic through lane in each direction on the updated Glisan segment. Here is the approach-lane distinction by road user:

• General motorists going straight: Use the general through lane rather than the rightmost approach lane, which requires general motorists to turn right but allows buses and bicycles to continue straight.
• General motorists turning right: The rightmost approach lane serves your turn. Remember that buses and people biking in that same lane may be continuing through the intersection.
• Buses and people biking: You may continue straight from the rightmost Glisan approach lane, subject to the signals and other traffic controls. That exception does not provide unconditional priority over other road users.

These instructions describe the Glisan approaches on both sides of 82nd. They are not instructions for traffic approaching the intersection on 82nd itself, or a description of lanes along all of Glisan Street.

What happens after crossing 82nd?

After crossing 82nd, buses merge into the general travel lane. People biking transition into the new buffered bike lanes. PBOT’s update does not specify an exact bus-merge distance, and the lane description should not be read as a separate merging-priority rule.

The project page describes lane treatments from NE 81st to NE 93rd: off-peak parking/travel lanes become buffered bike lanes, transitioning near 82nd into right-turn lanes with a straight-through exception for buses and bikes. This is not a continuous bus-only lane.

“Buffered” is also the important distinction for the bike lanes. The sources do not establish continuous physical separation, so describing them as protected bike lanes would go beyond what PBOT reports.

What is finished, and which crossings are still planned?

The September 22 reporting separates completed surface work from upcoming crossing improvements. Finished paving does not mean the entire project is complete.

Completed: paving and most striping

PBOT’s updated project status reports that paving between NE 82nd and NE 92nd was completed September 8, 2026. Those are the explicit paving limits, narrower than the 81st–93rd lane-treatment area.

The September newsletter says most striping finished in early September. It does not say that all final markings are complete or identify every marking still to come.

Planned: medians and remaining striping

Median-island work at 84th, 87th and 90th remained planned in that reporting:

• 84th and 90th: New pedestrian crossings.
• 87th: An upgrade to an existing greenway crossing, including a median extension, a two-way bikeway transition and pavement markings.

PBOT expected median construction to begin in late October or November 2026. The newsletter places remaining construction within a broader late October–December window, but that is a forecast—not a promised December finish. Remaining striping is to follow median construction.

For someone checking whether the work is done, the useful distinction is straightforward: paving was reported complete, while crossing work and final striping were still ahead.

Where to check the latest Glisan project status

Check PBOT’s Glisan project page for updates or its project-email signup. Weather and crew availability can change the schedule. This dated snapshot does not establish temporary controls or closures on your travel date; follow the controls in place.

For broader context, see how Portland street design affects turning conflicts.

This article provides educational information only, not legal advice.

Sources and source notes

• PBOT September Project Update: NE Glisan Paving & Safety Improvements, September 22, 2026: Lane operation, bus/bike transitions, most-striping status and remaining-work forecasts.
• PBOT NE Glisan Paving and Safety Project, status updated September 22, 2026: Project limits, September 8 paving completion and crossing locations. This article uses the September 22 current-status section, not older schedule labels or the earlier rain-delay notice.