The I-205 busway was a partially built busway along the right-of-way of the Interstate 205 freeway in Portland, Oregon . Although it never opened as a busway, its right-of-way has been in use by light rail lines partially since 2001 and fully since 2009.
151-469: The transitway, which was physically separate from the parallel freeway lanes, was planned in the mid- and late 1970s as part of the final segment of I-205. Only a graded route with several entrance ramps and two underpass tunnels under I-205 were built. No bridges or overpasses were built until later adaptation for use by MAX Light Rail trains. The transitway's right-of-way started in the median of I-205 near Portland International Airport and ran south to
302-596: A first-come, first-served basis. TriMet contracts some keycard access to BikeLink and uses its Hop Fastpass on others. Other lockers may be rented by users. Bicycle racks are the most common form of bicycle parking. As of 2020 , TriMet operates five models of light rail vehicles designated as "Type 1" through "Type 5", of which two are successive upgrades of the same model. The MAX system's 145 cars vary in length, from 88 feet (26.8 m) to 95 feet (29.0 m), and are used interchangeably on every line. Downtown Portland's 200-foot (61 m) downtown blocks allow
453-489: A "1990 Transportation Plan". The plan, later adopted by the Columbia Region Association of Governments (CRAG) as a regional transportation plan , called for 54 new road and highway projects. That same year, an anti-freeway group called Sensible Transportation Options for People (STOP) was formed, while Neil Goldschmidt ran a successful election campaign on freeway opposition to become a member of
604-601: A 15-minute headway for most of each day. Blue Line trains run most frequently during weekday rush hours , operating on headways as short as five minutes. During the early mornings and late evenings, headways increase to 30 minutes. During the Eastside MAX's construction, the line was projected to carry 12,000 riders per day. It averaged around 22,000 during its first four days of regular operation and had leveled at 18,000 by December 1986. In June 1987, TriMet's general manager, James Cowen, claimed MAX ridership had grown to
755-666: A 278-foot (85 m) tunnel boring machine was used to drill for two miles. Highly fragmented rock initially made machine excavation difficult, delaying the project for nine months. The $ 166.9 million tunnel was completed in 1997. It houses the 260-foot-deep (79 m) Washington Park station , currently the system's only underground station and the deepest transit station in North America. Work along Oregon Highway 217 started in March 1994. Initially planned to run alongside freight trains through Beaverton and Hillsboro,
906-612: A TriMet study of European systems. The low-floor cars, which TriMet and Siemens jointly developed, entered service in August 1997. MAX achieved full accessibility in April 1999. Ticket vending machines provide information and instructions in audio, braille , and raised lettering. Station platforms also have signs with braille and raised lettering to indicate which lines provide service and where they go. The edge of platforms have tactile paving to warn riders from standing too close to
1057-658: A cost of about $ 200 million to build the segment. The study identified a best route option using existing tracks between Southwest Adams Avenue in Hillsboro and Douglas Street in Forest Grove. The tracks, which were formerly owned by OE, are currently state-owned with operating rights assigned to the Portland and Western Railroad . Metro proposes a high-capacity transit extension to Forest Grove as part of its 2018 Regional Transportation Plan for 2040 but does not specify
1208-446: A decade due to funding disagreements. Originally designed to terminate at 185th Avenue near the border of Hillsboro and Beaverton, proponents for a longer line achieved a supplemental extension to downtown Hillsboro just before groundbreaking in 1993. The Westside MAX opened in two phases following delays in tunnel construction; the first section up to Goose Hollow opened in 1997 while the rest opened on September 12, 1998. In 2000,
1359-483: A federal grant in 2013 enabled TriMet to add more at other locations. Concessionaires sometimes open coffee shops at certain stations. A majority of MAX stations are at street level, correlating to the system's predominant alignment. Sunset Transit Center , Southeast Bybee Boulevard , and stations along the Banfield Freeway are below street level. One station, Lents Town Center/Southeast Foster Road ,
1510-546: A financing plan suspended the project for several years but planning resumed in 1988 and studies were completed in 1991. Staunch lobbying by local and state officials led by Hillsboro Mayor Shirley Huffman forced an extension of the line further west to downtown Hillsboro in 1993. Construction of the 20-station, 18-mile (29 km) line began that August with the excavation of the Robertson Tunnel . The Westside MAX opened in two stages following delays in tunneling:
1661-657: A locally preferred alternative in April 2019, and the FTA announced $ 99.99 million for the project through the Capital Investment Grants program in May 2020. Final design was completed by engineering firm Parametrix in early 2021. The design includes two new bridges north of Gateway Transit Center to accommodate the second track and a new MAX platform called " Gateway North ". TriMet broke ground on September 28, 2021. From April 2–9, 2022, Red Line service
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#17327877118781812-623: A more streamlined design and more seating, and are lighter and more energy-efficient than the previous models. The Type 4 cars were the first in the MAX network to use LED-type destination signs . The second series of S70 cars, TriMet's Type 5 vehicles, were procured for the Portland–Milwaukie light rail project. TriMet placed an order for the Type 5 cars with Siemens in 2012 and delivery commenced in 2014. These vehicles include some improvements over
1963-506: A one-seat option from 10 additional stations to Portland International Airport. Additionally, TriMet had announced it would procure up to eight new light rail vehicles to accommodate the improvements, but later purchased 30 new trains overall; four were part of A Better Red , while the remaining 26 were replacements for the original MAX fleet, which are gradually being retired. Preliminary design work began in February 2018. TriMet adopted
2114-420: A plan to add an HOV lane and general lanes to Banfield instead. This opposition was notable, especially in comparison to the 340 individual comments received during a discussion period in 1977–1978. In September 1978, TriMet became the first jurisdiction to adopt a resolution supporting a combined light rail and highway expansion plan. Remaining local jurisdictions each announced their support by November, and
2265-706: A point where it was "a peak all day" with a farebox recovery ratio of 50 percent. Two years after the opening of the Westside MAX, the system had been recording over 71,000 daily riders, a figure that was not anticipated until 2005. To relieve overcrowding, TriMet extended the Red Line further west to Beaverton Transit Center on August 31, 2003. From 2004 to 2007, TriMet recorded 18 percent and 27 percent increases in utilization between Hatfield Government Center station and Beaverton Transit Center during morning and evening rush hours, respectively, prompting
2416-424: A preliminary engineering study. That same year, newly appointed Hillsboro Mayor Shirley Huffman began lobbying for the line's extension to downtown Hillsboro. She traveled frequently to Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress and UMTA. The project was later suspended by TriMet amid conflict with UMTA, who wanted the former to develop a financing plan before it released funding for preliminary engineering work. By
2567-495: A report published in 2019, TriMet provides a total of 12,614 park-and-ride spaces, of which 10,219 directly serve 25 MAX stations. The agency's parking facilities are either surface lots or multi-level garages , and they are free to use. TriMet allows vehicles to park at most stalls overnight as long as they do not exceed 24 hours. At some locations, TriMet negotiates with nearby establishments for additional parking spaces. Westside MAX stations contain 3,643 parking spaces,
2718-657: A result of Portland's short city blocks in downtown, which restrict trains to two-car consists. Like other North American light rail systems, MAX stations do not have faregates ; paid fare zones are delineated but remain accessible to anyone. In 2015, TriMet proposed installing turnstiles at some stations along the Portland–Milwaukie segment but never did so. Stations are typically equipped with trash cans, shelters, and ticket vending machines . Most stations have arrival information displays that show when trains arrive and other service information. These displays were first installed at I-205 and Portland Transit Mall stations, and
2869-674: A result, Portland businesses pushed for the construction of a new bridge further upstream that led to the southern end of the Portland Transit Mall. The locally preferred alignment was finalized in mid-2008; a new bridge would carry light rail across the Willamette River from the South Waterfront to just south of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). TriMet designed this bridge, which
3020-423: A second track was laid and a second platform was constructed at Gresham Central Transit Center , making the section double-track and eliminating the only remaining single-track on the Eastside MAX. The new track was brought into use in May after a three-month suspension of MAX service east of Rockwood/East 188th Avenue station ; it had been replaced by shuttle buses to allow the work to be carried out. Since
3171-592: A segment between Orenco and central Hillsboro in 1977. In 1979, plans to restore passenger rail service from Portland to the west side emerged with a proposal to extend MAX to 185th Avenue, near the Hillsboro– Beaverton boundary. In 1983, Metro (the successor to CRAG) selected light rail as the preferred mode alternative, and the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) released $ 1.3 million to begin
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#17327877118783322-479: A separate EIS prepared by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill determined that if built, the Mount Hood Freeway would only add more traffic to downtown Portland than the surface streets could handle. Then, on February 4, 1974, U.S. District Judge James M. Burns rejected the freeway plan after finding that the corridor selection process failed to follow the appropriate procedures. Multnomah County and
3473-440: A single contact wire to minimize the amount of overhead wiring. To further minimize visual impact, ornamental street light poles, buildings, and bridge structures are used to support the wiring. Substations , spaced approximately every one mile (1.6 km) apart, convert the high-voltage public supply to the voltage power used by trains. The power system can bridge any one substation so that trains can continue to operate should
3624-608: A small number of less-used stations, TriMet removed the bell cords in November 1994 and changed its operating practices to have trains stop at every station at all times. From 1986 to 1996, most of the line's easternmost two miles (3.2 km), beyond the Ruby Junction maintenance facility, operated as bidirectional single-track . Trains traveling in opposite directions were unable to pass in these sections, resulting in delays when service ran behind schedule. In early 1996,
3775-605: A stop at a MAX station attached to the main passenger terminal of Portland International Airport. TriMet has built a total of six infill stations . Four were built on the original Eastside MAX alignment— Mall/Southwest 4th Avenue (1990), Mall/Southwest 5th Avenue (1990), Convention Center (1990), and Civic Drive (2010) —while two were built on the Portland Transit Mall—PSU South/Southwest 6th and College (2012) and PSU South/Southwest 5th and Jackson (2012). On March 1, 2020, TriMet permanently closed
3926-517: A substation or its supply go down. Approximately 70 percent of the MAX system uses automatic block signaling (ABS), which allows for relatively fast operating speeds—up to 55 miles per hour (89 km/h)—and short headways . For example, between Lloyd Center/Northeast 11th Avenue station and Gateway Transit Center along the Banfield Freeway, ABS can accommodate an operating headway of two minutes. Within these sections, automatic train stops (ATS) enforce speed limits and automatically apply
4077-429: A suit filed by TriMet, a circuit court upheld the project's continuation. The 17-station, 7.3-mile (11.7 km) Portland–Milwaukie segment and Orange Line service opened on September 12, 2015. The Orange Line, operating along the Portland Transit Mall's southbound segment, became the third service to serve this corridor. In October 2017, TriMet, citing system-wide delays caused by two single-track segments along
4228-528: A task force that helped determine several alternative options, including a busway and light rail. Local jurisdictions originally favored the busway alternative but support for light rail prevailed following the mode's inclusion in a 1977 environmental impact statement . The proposal became known as the Banfield light rail project, named for the Banfield Freeway , a segment of I-84 that part of
4379-488: A test run struck and killed a man who had trespassed onto the light rail tracks near Northeast 68th Avenue. The Steel Bridge reopened in May 1986 after encountering a nine-month delay caused by structural problems and late deliveries. The bridge's owners—the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads—added to the delay by insisting on the replacement of the bridge's 64 lift cables, which TriMet claimed had not been in
4530-598: A train serves within its designated termini , i.e. a train "route" or "service". MAX operates five lines, each assigned a color. TriMet adopted the use of colors to distinguish separately operated routes in 2000 and brought them into use on September 10, 2001, when it opened the Airport MAX extension. On that day, the service running between Hillsboro and Gresham became designated the Blue Line, while that running between downtown Portland and Portland International Airport
4681-661: A transfer to the region's commuter rail line, WES Commuter Rail , which operates between Beaverton and Wilsonville in Washington County. Within the Portland Transit Mall, trains connect with buses serving downtown Portland; bus stops take up transit mall blocks unoccupied by light rail platforms. MAX riders can transfer to the Portland Streetcar at points where MAX and streetcar lines intersect and to Amtrak via two stations near Portland Union Station . The Red Line operates as an airport rail link with
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4832-691: A two-mile (3.2 km) section owned by the Portland Traction Company (PTC). In August 1983, PTC agreed to surrender this segment as part of a longer abandonment up to Linnemann Junction, a total of 4.3 miles (6.9 km) of right-of-way, which TriMet bought for $ 2.9 million in December of that year. Anticipating 42,500 riders by 1990, TriMet purchased 26 light rail vehicles from Bombardier , with each car costing $ 750,000. Bombardier started their production in 1982 and began delivering them in 1984. Zimmer Gunsul Frasca designed
4983-486: A year-end deadline approaching the 25 percent local-share stipulation, TriMet introduced a $ 125 million local bond measure in July 1990. Portland area voters overwhelmingly approved the ballot measure, which earned 74 percent average approval the following November. This marked the region's first successful vote approving public transportation. The Federal Transit Administration (the new name for UMTA) completed
5134-484: Is Metro's latest iteration, and it lists three funding scenarios that divide the region's proposals into three priority levels. The highest priority projects, which are referred to as "2027 Constrained", are proposals the region expects to have funding for by 2027. The "2040 Constrained" lists projects that fit within the region's planned budget through 2040, while the "2040 Strategic" are projects that may be built if additional funding becomes available. The 2018 RTP lists
5285-422: Is elevated. Washington Park is the system's only underground station and holds the distinction as North America's deepest transit station at 260 feet (79 m) below ground. Many MAX stations facilitate transfers to other modes of public transit. 11 stations are transit centers with connections to multiple local and intercity bus routes. Beaverton Transit Center is the only MAX-served transit center with
5436-547: Is estimated at $ 18,000 per surface-lot space and $ 52,000 per structured space. TriMet additionally offers four different bicycle parking options at its MAX stations, although not all options are available at every station. Bike and rides are secure, enclosed spaces that are accessible by keycard and are monitored 24 hours per day by security cameras ; as of 2020 they are available at eight stations. Electronic bicycle lockers , or eLockers, are secure lockers that may also be accessed by keycard and are made available on
5587-697: The Banfield Light Rail Project during planning and construction as a part of the Banfield Freeway redevelopment, construction of what is now the Eastside MAX segment began in 1983. The line was inaugurated as the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) on September 5, 1986. Planning for an extension of MAX to the west side began as early as 1979. Known as the Westside MAX , construction was delayed by nearly
5738-491: The COVID-19 pandemic , which impacted public transit use globally , annual ridership plummeted, with only 14.8 million riders recorded in 2021. MAX was among the first second-generation American light rail systems to be built, conceived from freeway revolts that took place in the 1970s. Planning for the network's inaugural eastside segment, then referred to as the Banfield Light Rail Project , started in 1973 ahead of
5889-541: The Civic Stadium and Kings Hill/SW Salmon Street , in conjunction with the entry into service of the first low-floor cars. Grand opening celebrations for the entire $ 963.5 million (equivalent to $ 1.68 billion in 2023 dollars) line took place on September 12, 1998. Ceremonies were held at various stations and speeches were delivered by local and national dignitaries, including Vice President Al Gore . Twelve TriMet bus routes, which had operated between
6040-605: The Clackamas Town Center ) opened in September 2009 as the Green Line . Names of possible stations, as originally proposed in the 1970s, with corresponding later developments: MAX Light Rail The Metropolitan Area Express ( MAX ) is a light rail system serving the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon . Owned and operated by TriMet , it consists of five lines connecting
6191-567: The Hop Fastpass payment system. In the early 20th century, privately funded interurbans and streetcars gave Portland one of the largest urban rail systems in the American West , with lines that once extended as far as Vancouver, Washington to the north, Eugene to the south, Troutdale to the east, and Forest Grove to the west. Ben Holladay brought over Portland's first trolleys from San Francisco in 1872; operated by
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6342-646: The Interstate Highway System as Interstate 405 (I-405), the Stadium Freeway was the first to start construction in 1963. Its route through downtown Portland led to condemnations that fostered one of the first grassroots opposition to freeways , which grew considerably as planning continued for the others. In 1971, the Portland–Vancouver Metropolitan Transportation Study (PVMTS), published
6493-716: The Orange Line can be made at the Pioneer Square and Mall stations. Additionally, the Blue Line provides connections to local and intercity bus services at various stops across the line, the Portland Streetcar at four stops in and near downtown Portland, and a transfer to WES Commuter Rail , which runs from Beaverton to Wilsonville during the morning and evening commutes on weekdays, at Beaverton Transit Center. In an Institute for Transportation and Development Policy study conducted in September 2013,
6644-754: The Portland City Council and eventually, mayor. By 1972, local groups had filed lawsuits against the Oregon Transportation Commission to halt the Mount Hood and Industrial—by then called I-505 —freeways. For I-505, a U.S. district court forced the Highway Department to conduct an appropriate environmental impact statement (EIS) after Northwest Portland residents alleged that National Environmental Policy Act guidelines were ignored. In 1973,
6795-921: The Portland Street Railway Company , they were drawn by horses and mules . In 1890, the first electric streetcar opened in Albina while the first cable car began running along 5th Avenue; these marked the start of an era of major rail expansion. In 1892, the East Side Railway Company opened the first long-distance interurban service—a 16-mile (25.7 km) line running from Portland to Oregon City . The Portland Railway, Light and Power Company had taken over all local streetcars by 1906, and interurbans by 1908. In 1912, as Portland's population exceeded 250,000, transit ridership rose to 70 million passengers annually. Passenger rail services had started to decline by
6946-1006: The Portland Transit Mall near the Pioneer Courthouse and Pioneer Courthouse Square . The tracks reconnect on Southwest 1st Avenue and head north, traversing the Willamette River via the Steel Bridge into the Rose Quarter . The line runs along Holladay Street in the Rose Quarter and the Lloyd District , passing the Moda Center and the Oregon Convention Center. It enters its grade-separated segment along
7097-610: The Steel Bridge to carry the alignment over the Willamette River because it had been designed for the use of the city's former streetcars . In the east side, planners routed the line through a former Mount Hood Company interurban right-of-way , which occupied the median of East Burnside Street between 99th Avenue in Portland and Ruby Junction/197th Avenue, along which interurban service had ended in 1927. From Ruby Junction to Cleveland Avenue, planners assumed acquisition of
7248-552: The Steel Bridge . On August 30, 2009, it was rerouted to terminate at the PSU Urban Center stations with the addition of light rail to the Portland Transit Mall . In September 2012, this was extended further south to the PSU South stations , which had not been built due to the construction of nearby transit-oriented development . The Yellow Line became interlined with the Orange Line in 2015; it now only operates
7399-689: The Sunset Highway (U.S. 26), the BN right-of-way, and the Tualatin Valley Highway (TV Highway). A consultant recommended the BN alternative to TriMet in December 1988, and the agency's board ultimately selected that recommendation. The terminus station would have been along the BN right-of-way near 185th Avenue and Baseline Road. Meanwhile, the Portland City Council formed an advisory committee to determine whether
7550-685: The U.S. state of Oregon . Operated by TriMet as part of the MAX Light Rail system, it connects Hillsboro , Beaverton , Portland, and Gresham . The Blue Line is the longest in the network; it travels approximately 33 miles (53 km) and serves 48 stations from Hatfield Government Center to Cleveland Avenue . It is the busiest of the five MAX lines, having carried an average 55,370 riders each day on weekdays in September 2018. Service runs for 22 1 ⁄ 2 hours per day from Monday to Thursday, with headways of between 30 minutes off-peak and five minutes during rush hour . It runs later in
7701-536: The West Hills were studied, including an all-surface option along the Sunset Highway, an option with a half-mile-long (0.8 km) "short tunnel", and an option with a 3-mile (4.8 km) "long tunnel". TriMet chose the "long tunnel" in April 1991. Frontier-Traylor, the project's general contractor, used conventional drilling and blasting techniques to dig through the west end. On the east segment,
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#17327877118787852-743: The brakes should a train operator fail to do so. The remaining 30 percent of the system relies on traffic signals and line-of-sight operation. Speeds do not exceed 35 mph (56 km/h) in these sections. MAX consists of 94 stations, of which 48 are served by the Blue Line, 30 by the Green Line, 37 by the Red Line, 17 by the Orange Line, and 17 by the Yellow Line. Furthermore, 47 stations are served by at least two lines and eight stations are served by three lines. The system's central stations, where all MAX services interconnect, border
8003-403: The six sections of Portland; the communities of Beaverton , Clackamas , Gresham , Hillsboro , Milwaukie , and Oak Grove ; and Portland International Airport to Portland City Center . Trains run seven days a week with headways of between 30 minutes off-peak and three minutes during rush hours . In 2019, MAX had an average daily ridership of 120,900, or 38.8 million annually. Due to
8154-425: The "Southwest Corridor" project which TriMet expects will be funded by 2027. TriMet has indicated that other extensions and improvements have been studied or discussed with Metro and cities in the region. These proposals include the following, with light rail and alternatives being considered: The MAX rail network is approximately 60 miles (97 km) long. It was built in a series of six projects starting with
8305-544: The 14-station, 1.8-mile (2.9 km) Portland Transit Mall on August 30, 2009, first served by the Yellow Line. The opening of the eight-station, 6.5-mile (10.5 km) I-205 MAX and Green Line service followed on September 12. The South Corridor project's second phase initially proposed the extension of MAX between downtown Portland and Milwaukie via the Hawthorne Bridge . Studies showed that this alignment would cause severe traffic bottlenecks in downtown. As
8456-417: The 15.1-mile (24.3 km) Banfield—now called Eastside—segment between downtown Portland and Gresham. Each successive project has either been an extension or a branch of an existing segment. TriMet has typically paired each project with the opening of a new line, often making the line and segment synonymous (e.g. "Airport MAX Red Line"). For MAX, a "line" refers to the physical railroad tracks and stations
8607-413: The 1920s with the rise of the automobile and suburban and freeway development. Portland's original streetcar lines had ceased operating by 1950, replaced by buses until 2001, when the modern Portland Streetcar opened in downtown Portland . Meanwhile, the region's last two interurban lines, which traveled to Oregon City and Bellrose (Southeast 136th Avenue), permanently closed in 1958. At
8758-514: The 1990s, the Port of Portland began exploring ways to alleviate worsening traffic congestion, including the possibility of introducing MAX service, which regional planners had not anticipated for at least another 20 years. In 1997, engineering firm Bechtel accelerated plans by submitting an unsolicited proposal to design and build an airport rail link in exchange for 120 acres (49 ha) of Port property. A public–private partnership between
8909-673: The Airport MAX and Portland Streetcar projects, since these projects were locally funded. The 10-station, 5.8-mile (9.3 km) extension from the Rose Quarter to the Expo Center opened on May 1, 2004, with its new service designated the Yellow Line . From 2004 to 2009, the Yellow Line ran from Expo Center station in North Portland to 11th Avenue in downtown Portland, following the Blue and Red lines' downtown alignment from
9060-575: The Airport MAX project. The system's 27 Type 3 vehicles, which the agency purchased as part of the Interstate MAX project and first brought into use in 2003, are the same model as the Type 2 vehicles but with technical upgrades and a new livery. Twenty-two Siemens S70 low-floor cars, which were designated Type 4, were purchased in conjunction with the I-205 MAX and Portland Transit Mall projects, and were first used in 2009. Type 4 cars have
9211-646: The Airport MAX, announced the MAX Red Line Improvements Project, later renamed "A Better Red". A Better Red sought double-tracking a 2,800-foot-long (850 m) section of track north of Gateway Transit Center and another 3,800-foot-long (1,200 m) section alongside Northeast Airport Way just before the airport terminal. To qualify the project for federal funding, TriMet included extending Red Line service farther west to Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport station in Hillsboro; this extension would use existing Westside MAX tracks and create
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#17327877118789362-451: The Banfield light rail project by a joint venture between Bombardier and La Brugeoise et Nivelles beginning in 1983. TriMet announced it would purchase seven additional vehicles that August, but a budget shortfall forced the agency to withdraw this proposal the following November. The cars are similar in design to Bombardier vehicles that had been used in Rio de Janeiro . Bombardier built
9513-408: The Blue Line was credited with generating $ 6.6 billion in transit-oriented development investment. From Monday to Thursday, the Blue Line runs for 22 1 ⁄ 2 hours per day. The first train goes westbound from Elmonica/Southwest 170th Avenue station at 3:31 am and the last trip goes eastbound from Rose Quarter Transit Center to Ruby Junction/East 197th Avenue station at 1:29 am
9664-672: The City of Portland withdrew their support for the Mount Hood Freeway later that year, and in 1978, the City of Portland did the same for I-505. With highway revolts similarly occurring in cities across the country, the U.S. Congress passed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 containing a provision that allowed state governments for the first time to transfer federal funds from withdrawn interstate projects to other transportation options, including mass transit . The Mount Hood Freeway and I-505 were officially removed from
9815-581: The Elmonica facility is adjacent to Elmonica/Southwest 170th Avenue station ; both are on the Blue Line. Ruby Junction began with one building that TriMet built as part of the original MAX project in the early 1980s; it had expanded to three multi-story buildings totaling 143,000 square feet (13,300 m ) occupying 17 acres (6.9 ha) by 2010, and to four buildings totalling 149,000 square feet (13,800 m ) occupying 23 acres (9.3 ha) by 2016. It contains 13 maintenance bays and its yard tracks have
9966-515: The Highway Division, including the removal or extension of an existing high-occupancy vehicle lane , a busway had been favored for the Banfield Corridor. Support for light rail on the corridor grew following the mode's inclusion as a sixth alternative in a 1977 EIS, though there was also opposition. Notable opposition came from the East County Concerned Citizens; 5,400 individuals signed a petition against any alternative involving light rail for costs and lack of presumed ridership. The group endorsed
10117-442: The I-205 MAX. The Blue Line turns east and enters the median of East Burnside Street at East 97th Avenue. At Ruby Junction/East 197th Avenue station, the line leaves the street and heads southeastwards until it reaches Cleveland Avenue station, its last stop, near the corner of Northeast Cleveland Avenue and Northeast 8th Street in Gresham. The Blue Line shares much of its alignment with the Red Line. Between 2001 and 2003, they used
10268-438: The I-205 corridor due to an existing right-of-way along the I-205 Transitway , an unfinished mass transit component of the freeway that had been built to accommodate a busway. TriMet, however, prioritized the Westside MAX during its bid for federal matching funds and the I-205 plans were put on hold. In 1989, studies for both I-205 and Milwaukie proposals received funding from the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations under
10419-435: The Interstate Highway System in 1976 and 1979, respectively, but planning for the use of around $ 200 million from the Mount Hood Freeway and $ 154 million from I-505 on other projects in the Portland area started much earlier. In May 1973, Governor Tom McCall assembled a task force to determine alternative uses for the highway funds. The task force, in turn, recommended a network of "transitways". The task force
10570-619: The Mall infill stations in an effort to speed up travel times in downtown Portland. The agency also temporarily closed Kings Hill/Southwest Salmon Street station for a trial period ending on March 1, 2021. Stations built as part of the Banfield Light Rail Project were originally fitted with electric wayside lifts to accommodate riders with mobility devices on the system's high-floor , first-generation vehicles. Each station had two lifts, one for each direction of travel. The lifts were installed on platforms rather than on trains to prevent malfunctions from delaying service. Increased use of
10721-543: The Morrison and Yamhill couplet, MAX travels in the left lanes. On the Portland Transit Mall (5th and 6th couplet), MAX shares dedicated lanes with buses; both vehicle types travel in the center or right lanes and stop at their respective curbside platforms on the right lane. Lanes may be separated by turtleback delineators or double-solid white lines, and marked with white diamonds or white "T"s. Outside of downtown Portland, MAX runs on street medians and viaducts, alongside freeways and freight lines, and underground. Where
10872-443: The Oregon Convention Center in September. The Westside MAX opened in two stages due to delays in construction. The first two stations, Civic Stadium—now Providence Park —and Kings Hill/Southwest Salmon Street opened on August 31, 1997. The remaining 18 stations opened during the segment's inauguration on September 12, 1998. The newest station is Civic Drive, which was opened on December 1, 2010. On July 24, 2019, TriMet announced
11023-411: The Portland metropolitan area, the other two being the Portland Streetcar and WES Commuter Rail . MAX directly connects with them as well as with other transit services such as Amtrak , Frequent Express , and local and intercity buses . Trains operate with two-car consists due to downtown Portland's short city blocks . Vehicles and platforms are fully accessible , and fares are collected through
11174-462: The Portland–Milwaukie segment had a 100-percent usage rate of its available spaces while the Westside MAX segment had 85 percent. The corridor with the lowest use of available parking spaces was the I-205 MAX at 30 percent; TriMet attributes this to factors such as inconvenient lot access and the Green Line's indirect route to downtown Portland compared with the availability of more direct bus routes. The cost-per-space for building park and rides
11325-503: The Robertson Tunnel, the system's longest underground segment. MAX crosses the Willamette River using the Steel Bridge and Tilikum Crossing. In studies conducted for the Eastside MAX, planners recommended using the Steel Bridge due to its former role as a river crossing for the city's historic streetcars. When MAX commenced service in 1986, trains shared the bridge's center lanes with vehicular traffic. In 2008, workers closed
11476-685: The State Transportation Commission approved the project in 1979. The Banfield light rail project received federal approval for construction in September 1980. Plans for a 27-station, 15.1-mile (24.3 km) line, running from Southwest 11th Avenue in downtown Portland to just east of Cleveland Avenue in Gresham, were produced by Wilbur Smith Associates. The project estimated a budget of $ 225.5 million (equivalent to $ 640 million in 2023 dollars), of which $ 146.9 million went to light rail. Planners selected
11627-495: The Steel Bridge, diverging at Gateway Transit Center, and continuing south towards Clackamas . The Blue Line serves 48 stations. The 27 stations built as part of the inaugural line between Gresham and downtown Portland opened on September 5, 1986. The Mall stations on Southwest 4th and 5th avenues were added in conjunction with the opening of Pioneer Place in March 1990, followed by the Convention Center station and
11778-403: The Type 4 cars, including less-cramped interior seating, and improvements to the air-conditioning system and wheelchair ramps. These introduced a new seating layout in the center section, among other changes, and Siemens later retroactively redesignated TriMet's Type 5 cars as model S700. In July 2019, TriMet placed an order for 26 Siemens S700 light rail vehicles that are intended to replace
11929-793: The abandoned BN route. This brought the project's new total distance to 17.7 miles (28.5 km) (some sources say 17.5 km). At the time, the line was scheduled to open as far as 185th Avenue in September 1997, and downtown Hillsboro by the end of 1998. Funding for the westside extension proved difficult to obtain under the Reagan Administration , which sought to reduce federal expenditures by delaying existing light rail projects and declining to approve future planning. As members of their respective appropriations committees , U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield and U.S. Representative Les AuCoin secured preliminary engineering and environmental review grants in 1989 by withholding funds from
12080-491: The aftermath of the September 11 attacks . Red Line service originally ran between the airport and downtown, turning around at the loop tracks on 11th Avenue. On September 1, 2003, it was extended west along existing tracks to Beaverton Transit Center to relieve overcrowding on the Blue Line and to create a one-seat airport connection for the west side. In 1999, Portland business leaders and residents who were opposed to
12231-411: The agency to add three Red Line trains running up to Hatfield Government Center on March 2, 2008. In the first three months of 2017, the Blue Line recorded an average 55,233 rides per weekday, a drop of 2.9 percent from the same period in 2016. TriMet attributes the drop to lower-income riders being forced out of the inner city by rising housing prices. The Blue Line is currently the busiest line in
12382-422: The alignment followed. TriMet approved the project in September 1978. Construction of the 15.3-mile (24.6 km), 27-station line between 11th Avenue in downtown Portland and Cleveland Avenue in Gresham began in March 1982. Inaugural service commenced on September 5, 1986. Less than two months before opening, TriMet adopted the name "Metropolitan Area Express", or "MAX", following an employee contest. As
12533-685: The alignment was replaced with light rail following TriMet's acquisition of the BN right-of-way in June. The 600-foot-long (180 m) horseshoe tunnel below Sunset Highway was completed in July 1995 and all highway work ceased in December. Track work commenced west of 185th Avenue around the time the Elmonica Yard opened in January 1996. It was built to accommodate some of the 39 Siemens cars TriMet procured. The model SD660 low-floor cars, jointly developed by TriMet and Siemens, became notable as
12684-430: The bridge's upper deck to construct a junction between the Eastside MAX tracks and the newer Portland Transit Mall tracks. Upon reopening, the two inner lanes became exclusive to MAX trains, while cars, buses, and other motorized traffic were restricted to the two outer lanes. TriMet designed and built the newer Tilikum Crossing to accommodate transit vehicles (MAX, streetcar, and buses), cyclists, and pedestrians only; with
12835-554: The busway option in the Banfield corridor, the fate of the proposed I-205 busway was sealed, although the corridor was, since the late 1970s, considered a potential future light rail line. The Blue Line uses a short portion of the transitway between the Gateway station and Burnside Street, opened in 1986. The portion of the route north from Gateway opened in September 2001 as the Red Line . The portion south from Burnside (and beyond to
12986-489: The cancelation of the Mount Hood Freeway . Construction began in 1982, and service commenced between downtown Portland and Gresham on September 5, 1986. The original 27-station, 15.1-mile (24 km) line has since been expanded to 94 stations and 59.7 miles (96.1 km) of track. The latest extension, from Portland to Milwaukie , opened in 2015. MAX is one of three urban rail transit services operating in
13137-470: The cancellation of the South–North Line urged TriMet to revive the project. TriMet responded with a new proposal that would expand MAX solely to North Portland via North Interstate Avenue. The agency moved forward with this plan and the Interstate MAX broke ground in February 2001. To minimize costs to taxpayers, the city created an urban renewal district and federal matching funds were allocated from
13288-525: The capacity to store 87 light rail cars. In 2016, around 200 employees worked at Ruby Junction and almost 200 MAX operators operated trains that were based there. In addition to vehicle maintenance, crews who maintain the MAX system's tracks and signals are also based at Ruby Junction. In 2015, some maintenance-of-way personnel moved into the Portland Vintage Trolley carbarn next to Rose Quarter Transit Center after Vintage Trolley service
13439-581: The city center. In September 1990, the Oregon Convention Center opened to the public with MAX service from Convention Center station . Work on the line's newest station, Civic Drive , started in 1997 as part of the Civic neighborhood development, but was delayed for approximately twelve years due to a lack of funding. Construction resumed in May 2010 and the station opened on December 1, 2010. In 2015, TriMet began renovating fourteen of
13590-458: The company and local governments was negotiated and construction of the Airport MAX began in June 1999. With no federal assistance requested and right-of-way already secured, it was completed in just under two years. The four-station, 5.5-mile (8.9 km) line between Gateway/Northeast 99th Avenue Transit Center and Portland International Airport station opened on September 10, 2001. Celebrations scheduled for that weekend were canceled in
13741-487: The condition that they included potential route extensions to Clark County, Washington . Metro completed the studies in 1993, ultimately abandoning I-205 in favor of a route along the I-5 and Willamette River corridors. It finalized a single 25-mile (40 km) line from Hazel Dell, Washington south to Clackamas Town Center via Milwaukie, which Metro and TriMet formally named the South–North Line. Metro said it adopted
13892-562: The east side, it shares tracks with both the Red Line and the Green Line , between Rose Quarter Transit Center and Gateway/Northeast 99th Avenue Transit Center . Following the recommendations of Robert Moses , the Oregon State Highway Department developed a plan for freeways in the Portland metropolitan area in 1955 that proposed, among others, the Stadium, Mount Hood , and Industrial freeways. Added to
14043-586: The edge. Non-street-level platforms may be accessed with elevators . Most light rail cars, with the exception of Type 1, are low-floor and have ramps that extend onto platforms to allow mobility devices to board. High-floor Type 1 cars are paired with low-floor Type 2 or 3 cars to maintain accessibility. In each train, an audio system and LED signs announce the name of each upcoming station. All trains have spaces and priority seating areas reserved for seniors and people with disabilities, and service animals are permitted on board. In 2011, TriMet began upgrading
14194-426: The evening on Fridays and Saturdays and ends earlier on Sundays. The success of local freeway revolts in Portland in the early 1970s led to a reallocation of federal assistance funds from the proposed Mount Hood Freeway and Interstate 505 (I-505) projects to mass transit. Among various proposals, local governments approved the construction of a light rail line between Gresham and Portland in 1978. Referred to as
14345-490: The exception of emergency responders , private vehicles are prohibited. Tilikum Crossing is thus recognized as the first major "car-free" bridge in the United States. MAX is powered by a conventional 750-volt direct current (DC) overhead wire system. Most of the system uses a dual-wire catenary, with a contact wire supported by a messenger wire . In central city areas such as downtown Portland, however, it uses
14496-575: The final section to be built, began in March 1984 and involved utility relocation, cobblestone paving, and tree planting across 36 downtown blocks. The line's use of the Steel Bridge necessitated a $ 10 million rehabilitation that started the following June. System testing followed the completion of electrification work. This included the validation of the new light rail cars, which initially encountered electrical braking glitches, by putting each of them through 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of on-track testing. On July 28, 1986, an eastbound car conducting
14647-537: The first low-floor light rail vehicles in North America. The final rail spike was driven on Hillsboro's Main Street Bridge in October 1997. System testing took place in June 1998. Owing to delays caused by tunneling work, the line's planned September 1997 opening up to 185th Avenue was postponed by one year. On August 31, 1997, the Westside MAX opened its first section, a two-station extension west to
14798-578: The first time between Portland and Hillsboro . It was operated by the Oregon Electric Railway (OE), which built a branch line from its Garden Home depot to Forest Grove . The Great Depression and the rise of the automobile in the 1920s led to the closure of the Forest Grove Branch in 1932. The Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) later acquired much of this alignment and used it for freight service. It abandoned
14949-408: The following day. Additional late-night trips are provided on Fridays, with the last trip going eastbound from Hatfield Government Center station to Elmonica/Southwest 170th Avenue station at 2:01 am. Except for additional late-night trips on Saturdays, weekend service runs on a slightly reduced schedule. The first trains run westbound from Ruby Junction/East 197th Avenue station at 3:35 am and
15100-647: The frames in Quebec but its factory in Barre, Vermont , manufactured the majority of each car, the first of which arrived in Portland in 1984. Each 45-short-ton (41 t) car is single-articulated and contains six axles. The high floors connect with the low platforms through interior steps, which necessitated platform wheelchair lifts until the arrival of low-floor cars. A car sits 76 people and has an overall capacity of 166. In 1992, TriMet officials conducted an accessibility study and determined that low-floor cars were
15251-442: The funding package in 1991, granting $ 515 million to build the line up to 185th Avenue. It provided another $ 75 million in 1994 following the approval of the Hillsboro extension, which covered one-third of the segment's $ 224 million additional cost. Construction of the Westside MAX began in August 1993 with the excavation of the 21-foot-diameter (6.4 m) Robertson Tunnel . Several alternative alignments through
15402-410: The head of UMTA's office. In 1990, Congress adopted legislation requiring the federal government to cover a 75 percent share of transit projects approved within the fiscal year. Voters subsequently rejected a measure to permit the use of local vehicle registration fees for public transit, which would have covered Oregon's 25 percent share, defeating it 52 percent to 48 percent. With
15553-407: The height of local freeway revolts in the 1970s, studies for public transit began using funds made available by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 . These funds had been intended for the Mount Hood Freeway and Interstate 505 (I-505) projects, which were abandoned amid strong opposition from the Portland city government and neighborhood associations. In 1973, Governor Tom McCall assembled
15704-541: The inauguration of MAX, TriMet has added four infill stations to the original alignment. In March 1990, the system opened the Mall stations —their names referring to the Portland Transit Mall—to coincide with the opening of Pioneer Place shopping mall in downtown Portland. After operating for 30 years, these stations closed permanently in March 2020, owing to low ridership and to speed up train travel times across
15855-474: The junction of I-205 & I-84 , where it continued through an underpass under the northbound lanes of I-205. From here it followed the freeway's east embankment to just south of Market Street, where it once again entered a tunnel taking it under the freeway. This tunnel took the right-of-way underneath all lanes (both directions) of I-205, surfacing west of the freeway's southbound lanes at a point just north of Division Street. From there, it continued south along
16006-532: The last bidirectional single-track sections on the MAX system. The Red Line extension to Hillsboro began service on August 25, 2024 with a soft launch, with the full launch beginning on August 28. Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport station was also renamed to Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds station . TriMet works with local jurisdictions and agencies to identify and recommend priority transit projects to include in Metro's Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The 2018 RTP
16157-430: The last trains run eastbound from Hatfield Government Center station at 1:51 am and Rose Quarter Transit Center at 1:33 am, respectively. Select early morning trains operate as through services of the Red Line and the Yellow Line. End-to-end travel time is approximately 105 minutes. TriMet designates the Blue Line as a "Frequent Service" route along with the rest of the light rail system, ensuring service runs on
16308-539: The lifts eventually became the cause of delays, and many users felt stigmatized by the lifts' "box" design and time-consuming operation. After the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, TriMet developed a paratransit plan in January 1992. Just before the start of the Westside MAX Project, MAX became the first light rail system in North America to procure low-floor vehicles after
16459-500: The line's opening. Nine new bus lines were created and six existing bus routes were modified as feeder routes. MAX trains initially operated between 5:00 am and 1:30 am, with headways as short as seven minutes. Fares ranged $ 0.85–$ 1.30 to travel up to four paid zones. Rides were free within Fareless Square from opening day until 2012. Originally, MAX trains did not automatically stop at every station, if no one
16610-496: The line's stations and overpasses, earning the firm a Progressive Architecture Award in 1984. The groundbreaking ceremony took place at Ruby Junction Yard , which would house a 98,000-square-foot (9,100 m ) maintenance and operations building, in March 1982. Light rail construction, which progressed largely east to west, commenced the following year in April, on the two-mile (3.2 km) section between Ruby Junction and Cleveland Avenue. The Ruby Junction facility opened as
16761-524: The median of Southeast Washington Street and continues east on a former BN—former OE—right-of-way between Southeast 10th Avenue and Northwest 185th Avenue, traveling mostly at-grade except at grade-separated crossings—notably, the Main Street Bridge and Cornelius Pass Road —until it reaches Beaverton Transit Center . It then turns north, running adjacent to Oregon Highway 217 to Sunset Transit Center . From there it continues eastwards along
16912-436: The most cost-effective alternative to providing universal access. MAX then became the first light rail system in North America to acquire low-floor train sets when TriMet procured 39 model SD660 cars from Siemens in 1993. These Type 2 cars were equipped with doorway wheelchair ramps. They entered service during the partial opening of the Westside MAX in 1997. By 2000, TriMet had ordered 17 more Type 2 cars including six for
17063-449: The most number of spaces in a corridor. Clackamas Town Center Transit Center on the I-205 MAX segment includes a 750-space parking garage, the largest capacity of any single MAX station. Southeast Holgate Boulevard station , also on the I-205 MAX, provides the fewest parking spaces with 125 stalls. In the 2019 report, passengers originating from TriMet park and rides accounted for five percent of TriMet's total weekday ridership. In 2017,
17214-508: The name "South/North" instead of the more conventional "North/South" word order, at the request of representatives in the southern part of the corridor after the southern leg, which had long been planned to be the next-priority MAX corridor after the Westside line, was merged with the northern leg as a single proposed project. In November 1994, 63% of Portland area voters passed a $ 475 million ballot measure to fund Oregon's portion of
17365-505: The north bank of the Banfield Freeway at Sullivan's Gulch . The line then travels over the Interstate 84 and Interstate 205 interchange towards Gateway/Northeast 99th Avenue Transit Center . From Gateway Transit Center, tracks head south along the east side of I-205. A single-track junction south of Gateway Transit Center marks the start of the Airport MAX segment while a double junction south of Southeast Glisan Street splits into
17516-509: The north side of the Sunset Highway before entering the Robertson Tunnel for Washington Park station. After leaving the tunnel, the line passes below the Vista Bridge and enters downtown Portland, continuing along Southwest Jefferson Street before turning north onto the median of Southwest 18th Avenue. Near Providence Park , the tracks diverge eastbound onto Southwest Yamhill Street and westbound onto Southwest Morrison Street, crossing
17667-563: The northbound segment of the transit mall. In 2001, Metro revisited its former light rail plans for Clackamas County and reconsidered proposals similar to those of the canceled South/North project, with two routes extending to Clackamas and Milwaukie. This resulted in a new study, which Metro referred to as the South Corridor transportation project, that evaluated light rail among other alternatives. The study's task force recommend both light rail options in 2003 and suggested splitting
17818-483: The oldest sections of MAX to improve pedestrian safety and compliance with updated ADA standards. TriMet installed pipe barriers at Gateway Transit Center platform crossings to force pedestrians to slow down and face oncoming trains before crossing the tracks and realigned sidewalks and crosswalks at four at-grade crossings in Gresham. Other improvements made throughout the line include the installation of pedestrian warning signals and tactile paving upgrades. Based on
17969-516: The operation of only one or two consists to prevent stopped trains from blocking intersections. Type 2 and 3 low-floor vehicles may run singularly or coupled to another Type 1, 2, or 3 vehicle. Type 1 high-floor vehicles are also capable of running singularly, but doing so would constrain accessibility due to a lack of wheelchair access. Thus, a high-floor car must be coupled with a low-floor car. Type 4 and 5 cars can only be coupled to one another. Twenty-six Type 1 high-floor vehicles were produced for
18120-404: The original contract. On September 5, 1986, the $ 214 million (equivalent to $ 505 million in 2023 dollars) light rail line—now called Metropolitan Area Express (MAX)—opened for service. Its new name was selected through a public contest held by The Oregonian and TriMet in June 1986. TriMet designer Jeff Frane, who attributed inspiration to his son Alex, made the winning suggestion. As
18271-527: The permanent closure of the Mall stations, as well as a one-year pilot closure of Kings Hill/Southwest Salmon Street station, in an effort to speed up travel times. The closures took effect on March 1, 2020. Transfers to the Yellow Line are available at the Pioneer Square and Mall stations and Rose Quarter Transit Center, while transfers to the Green Line (beyond the shared Eastside MAX alignment) and
18422-570: The planning of a light rail line to the west side gained momentum in the mid-1980s, the original MAX line came to be referred to as the Eastside MAX to distinguish it from what would become the Westside MAX extension. Early proposals called for the extension to terminate just west of the Beaverton – Hillsboro boundary on 185th Avenue in Washington County . A dispute between TriMet and the Urban Mass Transportation Administration over
18573-443: The planning of an extension to the west side progressed, this line came to be referred to as the Eastside MAX. Freeway transfer funds provided $ 178.3 million, or 83 percent of the total cost. The project was completed $ 10 million under budget. An estimated 250,000 people attended the opening celebrations which spanned three days. Downtown retailers, many of whom had opposed light rail, reported substantial increases in sales following
18724-456: The project into two phases. The first phase planned for the addition of light rail to I-205, between Gateway Transit Center and Clackamas Town Center. In October of that year, the first phase plans were amended to include adding light rail to the Portland Transit Mall following a petition from Portland business leaders. The combined project was approved for federal funding in 2006 and work began in January 2007. Light rail commenced service along
18875-434: The project without seeking contributions from either Clark County or the state, instead sourcing funds from Clackamas County and Portland. In 1998, TriMet placed a new ballot measure to reaffirm voter support for the $ 475 million originally approved in 1994. The measure failed by 52% in November of that year, effectively canceling the proposed line. Compelled by the rapid expansion of Portland International Airport in
19026-486: The project. The following February, however, Clark County residents defeated a tax measure that would have funded Washington's share. To move the project forward, TriMet downsized the plan and abandoned the line's Clark County and North Portland segments up to the Rose Quarter . That July, the Oregon House of Representatives approved a $ 750 million transportation package, which included $ 375 million for
19177-438: The route through downtown should extend west from 11th Avenue on Southwest Morrison and Yamhill streets or run through the Portland Transit Mall on 5th and 6th avenues. The locally preferred alternative ultimately adopted a continuation of MAX along Morrison and Yamhill streets. The efforts of Huffman and others regarding the proposed Hillsboro extension led to a supplemental study in April 1993, which evaluated options to extend
19328-429: The same route into downtown Portland as the Blue and Red lines. It was realigned to the transit mall in 2009 when light rail service was introduced to that corridor. MAX operates on a mixture of shared and exclusive transit right-of-way. Within downtown Portland, trains run on surface streets. They operate in dedicated lanes restricted to personal vehicles, and operators abide by the city's traffic control system. On
19479-559: The same time TriMet was planning the Westside MAX in the mid-1980s, Metro regional government announced new light rail proposals for Clackamas County . Its planning committee—the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT)—proposed two separate routes that would have run between downtown Portland and Oregon City via Milwaukie and between Portland International Airport and Clackamas Town Center via I-205 . Further planning led JPACT to favor
19630-408: The same tracks from the 11th Avenue loop tracks in downtown Portland to Gateway Transit Center, where Red Line trains diverge towards Portland International Airport . Since 2024, they have shared the same route between Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds station and Gateway Transit Center. The Green Line joined a part of this shared alignment in 2009, entering from the Portland Transit Mall just west of
19781-548: The scaled-back line. The funding was annulled by the Oregon Supreme Court due to the inclusion of unrelated measures that violated the state's constitution. The legislature met again in February 1996 and passed a revised $ 375 million package, but light rail opponents forced a statewide vote and defeated it the following November. A third proposal between Lombard Street in North Portland and Clackamas Town Center followed. This time, Metro and TriMet pursued
19932-486: The section from 11th Avenue to Kings Hill/Southwest Salmon Street was opened in 1997 and the section to Hatfield Government Center —the segment's current western terminus—was opened in 1998. The resulting 33-mile (53 km) MAX line began operating as a single, through service on September 12, 1998. This service was renamed the Blue Line in 2001 after TriMet adopted color designations for its light rail routes. At
20083-467: The system's Type 1 vehicles. The order was expanded to 30 cars in June 2021. The first car was delivered in December 2022, and the type will be designated Type 6. TriMet's vehicle-maintenance complexes for the MAX system are the Ruby Junction facility in Gresham and the smaller Elmonica facility in Beaverton. The Ruby Junction facility is located near Ruby Junction/East 197th Avenue station while
20234-421: The system's first maintenance complex later that July. By January 1984, work had reached East Burnside Street. To minimize the cost of the Banfield Freeway segment, track right-of-way excavation and freeway widening took place simultaneously. Construction along this segment nonetheless slowed due to late material deliveries, particularly between Northeast Union and 39th avenues. Track work in downtown Portland,
20385-432: The system's oldest stations, between Hollywood/Northeast 42nd Avenue Transit Center and Cleveland Avenue. The project includes the installation of new windscreens, shelter roofs, digital information displays , lighting, and security cameras . Three stations— Gresham City Hall , East 122nd Avenue , and East 162nd Avenue —have been renovated as of February 2019. On September 30, 1908, an interurban rail service ran for
20536-473: The time planning resumed in January 1988, significant changes in the Westside Corridor, including the conversion of 3,000 acres (1,214 ha) of vacant Washington County land into mixed-use urban areas, required a re-evaluation that was completed in May 1991. As planning continued on the route between Portland and 185th Avenue, alternative routes through Beaverton included alignments along
20687-467: The tracks run within a street median, intersections are controlled by traffic signals that give trains preemption . Where tracks run on a separate right-of-way, trains are protected by automated grade crossing gates when traversing level crossings . Some segments of MAX are elevated to carry trains over busy thoroughfares and difficult terrain. A three-mile (4.8 km) section of tracks runs beneath Washington Park in Portland's West Hills through
20838-455: The two city blocks in downtown Portland occupied by the Pioneer Courthouse and Pioneer Courthouse Square ; they are the Pioneer Courthouse and Pioneer Place stations —served by the Green, Orange, and Yellow lines—and the Pioneer Square stations —served by the Blue and Red lines. MAX stations vary in size but are generally simple and austere. Platforms are about 200 feet (61 m) long as
20989-455: The two distinct segments, already operating as a single through route between Gresham and Hillsboro, were unified in passenger information as the Blue Line after TriMet introduced a color coding scheme in preparation for the opening of the Red Line to Portland International Airport . The Blue Line currently shares its route with the Red Line on the west side, between Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds station and Rose Quarter Transit Center . On
21140-512: The type of high-capacity transit, which could either be a bus or a rail option. The Blue Line operates along the Eastside and Westside MAX segments, which combined total 32.6 miles (52.5 km) to 32.7 miles (52.6 km). Its western terminus is Hatfield Government Center in Hillsboro, on the corner of West Main Street and Southwest Adams Avenue. From there, the line heads east along
21291-529: The west side and downtown Portland, were reduced to five, replaced by light rail. The line immediately drew strong ridership, exceeding projections for 2005 less than two years after it opened. In September 2000, TriMet adopted a color coding scheme to differentiate its trains operating between Hillsboro and Gresham from those that were going to serve the Airport MAX extension, assigning the colors blue and red, respectively. The line-identification system
21442-490: The west side of I-205 to SE Foster Road, where it ended. The entire transitway has now been adapted for use by TriMet light rail trains. In the mid-1970s, Multnomah County officials negotiated a number of improvements to the proposed I-205 freeway with the Oregon Department of Transportation in order to win their support. Among them was the transitway, a bike path and reconfigured interchanges. The transitway
21593-513: The westside light rail project, among other mode alternatives, to the Westside Commons or downtown Hillsboro. Alternative routes up to downtown Hillsboro included the abandoned BN segment from 185th Avenue to 10th Avenue, Baseline and Cornell roads, and TV Highway. In July of that year, TriMet approved an extension of the initial 11.5-mile (19 km) light rail line, 6.2 miles (10 km) farther west to downtown Hillsboro using
21744-443: Was designated the Red Line. Every MAX line interlines with at least one other service, particularly as it approaches the system's central area. The Steel Bridge accommodates the most interline routes with four lines (Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow) utilizing the same tracks. TriMet has modified train routes over time, often as part of system expansions. For example, the Yellow Line, which began service in 2004, originally followed
21895-433: Was discontinued. Ruby Junction originally housed TriMet's operations, communications, and administrative workers. The Elmonica facility was built as part of the Westside MAX Project in the mid-1990s and was completed in 1996. Its building has 78,000 square feet (7,200 m ) of space. Banfield Light Rail Project The MAX Blue Line is a light rail line serving the Portland metropolitan area in
22046-399: Was eventually inaugurated as Tilikum Crossing , to be "car-free" and to accommodate only transit vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Construction of the line began in June 2011. In September 2012, opponents passed a ballot initiative—with 60% of the vote—requiring all Clackamas County spending on light rail to be approved by voters. Following the county's attempt to end its involvement and
22197-497: Was implemented shortly before the Red Line's opening on September 10, 2001. In February 2006, local government officials proposed an extension of the Westside MAX from its Hatfield Government Center terminus to Forest Grove. City leaders approached a former TriMet engineer to conduct a feasibility study and develop a plan to get the project included in Metro's Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation list of priority projects. The six-month study, completed in October, estimated
22348-406: Was intended to connect at Gateway into the proposed Banfield Transitway, which originally was to have been a busway and would have run along I-84 to the Lloyd District and Downtown . By the late 1970s, light rail became the selected transit mode in the Banfield corridor and opened in 1986 as Portland's first light rail line (now a portion of the Blue Line ). When light rail was selected over
22499-519: Was subsumed into CRAG in 1974, and CRAG incorporated its recommendations in an "Interim Transportation Plan" (ITP) adopted in June 1975. The ITP identified three corridors for potential funding using the highway funds: Banfield , Oregon City /Johnson Creek, and Sunset (Westside). In 1976, CRAG moved forward with a detailed study of the Banfield Corridor and put planning for the other corridors on hold. Among five alternatives developed by
22650-627: Was suspended to make way for construction, and shuttle buses operated between Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport. The project was completed in March 2024. From June 18 to October 21, 2023, TriMet suspended MAX service between Gateway Transit Center and the airport to allow for construction of the second track between the airport and Mount Hood Avenue. From January 14 to March 3, 2024, TriMet suspended MAX Red, Blue and Green Line service between NE 7th and Gateway Transit Center. Inbound Red Line trains from PDX began serving Gateway North on March 4, 2024. These projects eliminated
22801-477: Was waiting to board when a train approached a given stop. MAX cars were equipped with stop-request bell cords (as are commonly found on American transit buses ), which passengers needed to pull to signal the operator that they wanted to get off at the next stop. However, after finding that the times when a train could pass a station without needing to stop – because no one was getting on or off – were mainly limited to late-night hours and
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