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92-538: Ruby Junction/East 197th Avenue is a MAX light rail station in Gresham, Oregon . It serves the Blue Line and is the 22nd stop eastbound on the eastside MAX line. The station is at the intersection of SE 197th Avenue and Burnside Street. The station's namesake, Ruby Junction, was a junction of electric interurban lines located immediately east of this location for many years and the name of an interurban stop. With

184-596: 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

276-612: 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

368-405: A counting function that would allow the fares to be added together so that a total per shift could be maintained by the transit revenue department. In many cases, fareboxes retain the cash in a secure manner with the driver having no access; this increases security as well as reducing employee fraud. Fareboxes did not change again until around 1984, when fares in many larger cities reached $ 1.00 and

460-667: A fare based on the distance traveled between the origin and destination stations or stops of a service. Such a system may use an exit fare at the destination station in order to correctly charge the customer based on the distance traveled. Examples include the Beijing Subway and the San Francisco Bay Area's BART system. Certain transportation systems have subscription passes that provide an advantage over paying fares individually. Certain services, often long-distance modes such as high-speed trains, will charge

552-483: 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 ,

644-546: 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:

736-514: A fixed price for a given service. For example, the Los Angeles Metro charges $ 1.75 for a standard single ride on its buses or rail services. A flat fee may be charged for a single ride, or for an unlimited number of rides within a single time period such as 90 minutes, a day or a week. Zoned-based fare systems charge a traveler a price that depends on the number of geographically determined fare zones that are expected to be traversed in

828-708: A given trip. Examples include the London Underground ticketing system and the integrated ticketing system of transportation authorities such as the Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg or the Autoritat del Transport Metropolità in the Barcelona metro area. Transfer fare systems charge a fare depending on previous trips. Timed transfers and pre-booked combined transfers are examples of that. Some transportation systems charge

920-657: 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

1012-623: 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

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1104-468: A new fare to be paid for the return trip. Penalty fares are fares issued for passengers without valid tickets; standard fare is a term with similar meaning. In the United Kingdom , certain train operating companies , such as South Western Railway and Southern , have revenue protection inspectors who can issue penalty fares to passengers who travel without a valid ticket. As of January 2023,

1196-506: 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

1288-495: 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,

1380-657: 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

1472-674: 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

1564-574: A separate conductor. Nearly all major metropolitan transit agencies in the United States and Canada use a farebox to collect or validate fare payment. The first farebox was invented by Tom Loftin Johnson in 1880 and was used on streetcars built by the St. Louis Car Company . Early models would catch coins and then sort them once the fare was accepted or "rung up". Later models after World War II had

1656-440: 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

1748-605: 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

1840-517: 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

1932-429: 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

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2024-528: 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

2116-598: 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

2208-661: 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

2300-404: A variable fare with a price that depends on complex factors such as how early the ticket is bought or the demand for the service. A prominent example is airline ticketing . Other examples include high-speed rail services such as Eurostar and regional buses such as Megabus . A farebox is a device used to collect fares and tickets on streetcars, trains and buses upon entry, replacing the need for

2392-484: 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

2484-626: 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 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

2576-422: 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

2668-547: 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

2760-551: Is frequently the case with publicly supported systems) or total. The portion of operating costs covered by fares - the farebox recovery ratio - typically varies from 30%-60% in North America and Europe, with some rail systems in Asia over 100%. The rules regarding how and when fares are to be paid and for how long they remain valid are many and varied. Where the fare can generally be predicted (such as fixed fare systems) fare

2852-404: Is usually collected in advance; this is the usual practice of rail and bus systems, who usually require the payment of fares on or before boarding. In the case of taxis and other vehicles for hire , (where the total fare will not be known until the trip is completed) payment is normally made at the end of the ride. Some systems use a hybrid of both, such as a rail system which requires prepayment of

Ruby Junction/East 197th Avenue station - Misplaced Pages Continue

2944-571: 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

3036-567: 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

3128-921: 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

3220-743: 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

3312-799: 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

3404-425: 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

3496-544: 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

3588-417: 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

3680-413: 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

3772-514: 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

Ruby Junction/East 197th Avenue station - Misplaced Pages Continue

3864-734: 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

3956-575: 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

4048-703: 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

4140-451: 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

4232-581: 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

4324-617: 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

4416-751: 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

4508-599: 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

4600-535: 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

4692-462: 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

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4784-625: 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

4876-403: 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

4968-502: The abandonment of the interurban lines west along Burnside Street to Montavilla and north to Troutdale , in 1927, it ceased being a junction, but interurban cars running between Portland and Bull Run (later cut back to Gresham) continued to pass through the area until the 1940s, and the location was still referred to as Ruby Junction. The station serves the Ruby Junction Maintenance and Operations Facility—often

5060-491: 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

5152-586: 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

5244-430: 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

5336-489: 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

5428-470: 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

5520-525: 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

5612-509: 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

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5704-487: 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

5796-586: 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

5888-427: 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

5980-647: 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

6072-482: 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

6164-532: 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

6256-594: 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

6348-471: The minimum fare, and collecting amounts above the minimum (if the net cost of the trip exceeds the minimum fare) at the end of the trip. Some systems allow free transfers : that is to say that a single payment permits travel within a particular geographical zone or time period. Such an arrangement is helpful for people who need to transfer from one route to another in order to reach their destination. Sometimes transfers are valid in one direction only, requiring

6440-479: The minimum was £20 or twice the single fare for the journey made. In Canada, the Toronto Transit Commission charges $ 500 for people evading the $ 3 fare. Public transportation fares are organized under various kinds of fare structures which price the service based on criteria such as distance traveled, demand for the service, and time of day. The simplest fare structure is a flat fee with

6532-436: 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

6624-449: 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,

6716-508: 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

6808-563: 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

6900-483: 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

6992-516: 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

7084-668: 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

7176-652: The point where MAX operators switch shifts or trains returning to the yards terminate, according to their rollsigns . Construction of that facility, which was also the first construction on TriMet's MAX system, began in March 1982, and the facility opened in mid-1983. It has been expanded several times since then. The station was located in TriMet fare zone 4 from its opening in 1986 until September 1988, and in zone 3 from then until September 2012, at which time TriMet discontinued all use of zones in its fare structure. MAX Light Rail The Metropolitan Area Express ( MAX )

7268-456: 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

7360-490: 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

7452-546: 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

7544-429: 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

7636-559: 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

7728-548: 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

7820-430: 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

7912-586: 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

8004-467: 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

8096-586: 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

8188-443: 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

8280-421: 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. Fare The fare paid is a contribution to the operational costs of the transport system involved, either partial (as

8372-399: 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

8464-627: 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

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