Jump to content

MAX Blue Line

Edit links
This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Banfield Light Rail Project)

MAX Blue Line
A light-rail train crossing a bridge
A Blue Line train crossing the Steel Bridge in Portland
Overview
Other name(s)Eastside segment:
Banfield Light Rail Project
Eastside MAX[1]
Westside segment:
Westside MAX[2]
OwnerTriMet
LocalePortland, Oregon, U.S.
Termini
Stations48 (1 temporarily closed)[3]
WebsiteMAX Blue Line
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemMAX Light Rail
Operator(s)TriMet
Daily ridership55,370 (as of September 2018)[4]
History
OpenedSeptember 5, 1986 (1986-09-05)
Technical
Line length33 mi (53 km)[a]
Number of tracks2
CharacterAt-grade, elevated, and underground
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 750 V DC
Maximum incline7.0%[5][6]
Route diagram

Legend
 Hatfield Government Center
Parking
 Hillsboro Central/​Southeast 3rd Avenue Transit Center
Hillsboro Health District
Parking
 Washington/​Southeast 12th Avenue
Hillsboro Airport/​Fairgrounds │ Terminus
Hillsboro Airport Parking
 Hawthorn Farm
Orenco
Parking
 Quatama
Parking
 Willow Creek/​Southwest 185th Avenue Transit Center
Parking
 Elmonica/​Southwest 170th Avenue
Parking
 Merlo Road/​Southwest 158th Avenue
Beaverton Creek
Parking
 Millikan Way
Parking
 Beaverton Central
Beaverton Transit Center
WES Commuter Rail
US 26.svg
US 26
Sunset Highway
 Sunset Transit Center
Parking
 Washington Park
Goose Hollow/​Southwest Jefferson Street
Providence Park
I-405.svg I-405
11th Avenue loop tracks
B NS (SW 11th Ave)
A NS (SW 10th Ave)
 Galleria/​Southwest 10th Avenue
Portland Streetcar
 Library/​Southwest 9th Avenue
Portland Streetcar
 Pioneer Square North
Pioneer Square South
Portland Transit Mall (SW 6th Ave)
Portland Transit Mall (SW 5th Ave)
 Morrison/​Southwest 3rd Avenue
Yamhill District
Oak Street/​Southwest 1st Avenue
Skidmore Fountain
Old Town/​Chinatown
Portland Transit Mall (NW Glisan St)
Steel Bridge over Willamette River
Interstate MAX
 Rose Quarter Transit Center
I-5.svg I-5
 Convention Center
Portland Streetcar
B (NE Grand Ave)
A (NE 7th Ave)
 Northeast 7th Avenue
Portland Streetcar
 Lloyd Center/​Northeast 11th Avenue
Hollywood/​Northeast 42nd Avenue
Northeast 60th Avenue
Northeast 82nd Avenue
I-84.svgI-205.svg I-84 / I-205
 Gateway/​Northeast 99th Avenue Transit Center
Parking
I-205 Light Rail │ Airport MAX
 East 102nd Avenue
East 122nd Avenue
Parking
 East 148th Avenue
East 162nd Avenue
East 172nd Avenue
East 181st Avenue
Parking
 Rockwood/​East 188th Avenue
Ruby Junction/East 197th Avenue
Civic Drive
Gresham City Hall
Parking
 Gresham Central Transit Center
Parking
 Cleveland Avenue
Parking
This diagram:

The MAX Blue Line is a light rail line serving the Portland metropolitan area in 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 221⁄2 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 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 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 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, 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 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.

Eastside history

[edit]

Early freeway opposition

[edit]
See also: Mount Hood Freeway and Interstate 505 (Oregon)

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,[7] among others, the Stadium, Mount Hood, and Industrial freeways.[8] Added to the Interstate Highway System as Interstate 405 (I-405), the Stadium Freeway was the first to start construction in 1963.[9][10] Its route through downtown Portland led to condemnations that fostered one of the first grassroots opposition to freeways,[11][12] which grew considerably as planning continued for the others.[13] In 1971,[14] the Portland–Vancouver Metropolitan Transportation Study (PVMTS),[b] published a "1990 Transportation Plan".[16] The plan, later adopted by the Columbia Region Association of Governments (CRAG) as a regional transportation plan,[14] called for 54 new road and highway projects.[17][18] 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 the Portland City Council and eventually, mayor.[19]

By 1972, local groups had filed lawsuits against the Oregon Transportation Commission to halt the Mount Hood and Industrial—by then called I-505[20]—freeways.[21] 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.[20][22][23] In 1973, 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.[13][24] 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.[13][25] Multnomah County and the City of Portland withdrew their support for the Mount Hood Freeway later that year,[13][26] and in 1978, the City of Portland did the same for I-505.[27][28]

Transitway planning and construction

[edit]

With highway revolts similarly occurring in cities across the country,[29] 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,[30][31] including mass transit.[32] The Mount Hood Freeway and I-505 were officially removed from 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[33] on other projects in the Portland area started much earlier.[34] In May 1973, Governor Tom McCall assembled a task force to determine alternative uses for the highway funds.[35] The task force, in turn, recommended a network of "transitways".[36] The task force was subsumed into CRAG in 1974, and CRAG incorporated its recommendations in an "Interim Transportation Plan" (ITP) adopted in June 1975.[30] The ITP identified three corridors for potential funding using the highway funds: Banfield, Oregon City/Johnson Creek, and Sunset (Westside).[30] In 1976, CRAG moved forward with a detailed study of the Banfield Corridor and put planning for the other corridors on hold.[37][38] Among five alternatives developed by the Highway Division, including the removal or extension of an existing high-occupancy vehicle lane,[39] a busway had been favored for the Banfield Corridor.[40] 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.[1][41] 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 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.[42]

In September 1978, TriMet became the first jurisdiction to adopt a resolution supporting a combined light rail and highway expansion plan.[43] Remaining local jurisdictions each announced their support by November,[44][45] and the State Transportation Commission approved the project in 1979.[46][47] The Banfield light rail project received federal approval for construction in September 1980.[48]: 36  Plans for a 27-station, 15.1-mile (24.3 km) line,[49][50][a] running from Southwest 11th Avenue in downtown Portland to just east of Cleveland Avenue in Gresham, were produced by Wilbur Smith Associates.[52] 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.[48]: 8  Planners selected 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.[48]: 26  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.[53]: 13 [54] From Ruby Junction to Cleveland Avenue, planners assumed acquisition of a two-mile (3.2 km) section owned by the Portland Traction Company (PTC).[55] In August 1983, PTC agreed to surrender this segment as part of a longer abandonment up to Linnemann Junction,[56] 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.[55] Anticipating 42,500 riders by 1990,[48]: 11  TriMet purchased 26 light rail vehicles from Bombardier, with each car costing $750,000.[57] Bombardier started their production in 1982 and began delivering them in 1984.[58][59] Zimmer Gunsul Frasca designed the line's stations and overpasses, earning the firm a Progressive Architecture Award in 1984.[60]

Photograph showing a lattice of steel girders on the Glisan Street ramp of the 1912 Steel Bridge, in Portland as redecking work is under way
Redecking work on the Glisan Street ramp of the Steel Bridge in 1985

The groundbreaking ceremony took place at Ruby Junction Yard, which would house a 98,000-square-foot (9,100 m2) maintenance and operations building, in March 1982.[61][62] 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.[63][64] The Ruby Junction facility opened as the system's first maintenance complex later that July.[65][66] By January 1984, work had reached East Burnside Street.[67] To minimize the cost of the Banfield Freeway segment,[61] track right-of-way excavation and freeway widening took place simultaneously.[68] Construction along this segment nonetheless slowed due to late material deliveries, particularly between Northeast Union and 39th avenues.[69] Track work in downtown Portland, the final section to be built, began in March 1984 and involved utility relocation, cobblestone paving, and tree planting across 36 downtown blocks.[70][71] The line's use of the Steel Bridge necessitated a $10 million rehabilitation that started the following June.[72] System testing followed the completion of electrification work.[71] 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.[73] On July 28, 1986, an eastbound car conducting a test run struck and killed a man who had trespassed onto the light rail tracks near Northeast 68th Avenue.[74] 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 the original contract.[75][76]

Inauguration and later improvements

[edit]
see caption
A MAX car stopped at Oak Street station in 1987

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.[1][77] Its new name was selected through a public contest held by The Oregonian and TriMet in June 1986.[78] TriMet designer Jeff Frane, who attributed inspiration to his son Alex, made the winning suggestion.[79] As the planning of an extension to the west side progressed, this line came to be referred to as the Eastside MAX.[1] Freeway transfer funds provided $178.3 million, or 83 percent of the total cost. The project was completed $10 million under budget.[1][60] An estimated 250,000 people attended the opening celebrations which spanned three days.[60] Downtown retailers, many of whom had opposed light rail, reported substantial increases in sales following the line's opening.[80] Nine new bus lines were created and six existing bus routes were modified as feeder routes.[81] 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.[82] Rides were free within Fareless Square from opening day until 2012.[83][84]

Originally, MAX trains did not automatically stop at every station, if no one 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 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.[85]

Photograph of Greshan Central Station showing a train with the station platform in the background
Gresham Central station in 1989, when the line section on which it is located was still single-track

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.[86]: 319–320 [87] Trains traveling in opposite directions were unable to pass in these sections, resulting in delays when service ran behind schedule. In early 1996, a second track was laid and a second platform was constructed at Gresham Central Transit Center,[88] making the section double-track and eliminating the only remaining single-track on the Eastside MAX.[89] The new track was brought into use in May after a three-month suspension of MAX service east of Rockwood/East 188th Avenue station;[88] it had been replaced by shuttle buses to allow the work to be carried out.[89][90]

Since 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.[91] After operating for 30 years, these stations closed permanently in March 2020, owing to low ridership and to speed up train travel times across the city center.[92] In September 1990, the Oregon Convention Center opened to the public with MAX service from Convention Center station.[93] Work on the line's newest station, Civic Drive, started in 1997 as part of the Civic neighborhood development,[94] 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.[95][96]

In 2015, TriMet began renovating fourteen of 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.[97]

Westside extension

[edit]

Early planning and delays

[edit]
See also: Forest Grove branch § History
Photograph of a single railway line crossing a road
The former-OE railway crossing on 185th Avenue in 1995, prior to the start of construction

On September 30, 1908, an interurban rail service ran for the first time between Portland and Hillsboro.[98]: 31  It was operated by the Oregon Electric Railway (OE), which built a branch line from its Garden Home depot to Forest Grove.[99] The Great Depression and the rise of the automobile in the 1920s led to the closure of the Forest Grove Branch in 1932.[98]: 29  The Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) later acquired much of this alignment and used it for freight service. It abandoned a segment between Orenco and central Hillsboro in 1977.[100]: 3–32 

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.[101]: 2 [100]: 2–1  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 a preliminary engineering study.[100]: 2–2 [102] 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.[103] 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.[104][102] By the time planning resumed in January 1988,[105] 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.[100]: 2–2 [106]

As planning continued on the route between Portland and 185th Avenue, alternative routes through Beaverton included alignments along 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,[107] and the agency's board ultimately selected that recommendation.[108][109] The terminus station would have been along the BN right-of-way near 185th Avenue and Baseline Road.[110][111] Meanwhile, the Portland City Council formed an advisory committee to determine whether 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.[112] The locally preferred alternative ultimately adopted a continuation of MAX along Morrison and Yamhill streets.[113]

The efforts of Huffman and others regarding the proposed Hillsboro extension led to a supplemental study in April 1993, which evaluated options to extend the westside light rail project, among other mode alternatives,[100]: 2–4  to the Westside Commons or downtown Hillsboro.[100]: S–14 [110] Alternative routes up to downtown Hillsboro included the abandoned BN segment from 185th Avenue to 10th Avenue, Baseline and Cornell roads, and TV Highway.[100]: 2–4  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 the abandoned BN route.[114][5][a] This brought the project's new total distance to 17.7 miles (28.5 km) (some sources say 17.5 km).[50][a] At the time, the line was scheduled to open as far as 185th Avenue in September 1997,[115][111]: R2  and downtown Hillsboro by the end of 1998.[110]

Funding and construction

[edit]
Photograph of a railway tunnel
East portal of the Robertson Tunnel in Portland's Goose Hollow neighborhood

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.[116] 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 the head of UMTA's office.[117][118] In 1990, Congress adopted legislation requiring the federal government to cover a 75 percent share of transit projects approved within the fiscal year.[119] 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.[120] With a year-end deadline approaching the 25 percent local-share stipulation, TriMet introduced a $125 million local bond measure in July 1990.[121] 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.[122][123] The Federal Transit Administration (the new name for UMTA) completed the funding package in 1991, granting $515 million to build the line up to 185th Avenue.[115] 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.[124][123]

Construction of the Westside MAX began in August 1993 with the excavation of the 21-foot-diameter (6.4 m) Robertson Tunnel.[2][111] Several alternative alignments through 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".[125][126] TriMet chose the "long tunnel" in April 1991.[127] Frontier-Traylor, the project's general contractor,[128] used conventional drilling and blasting techniques to dig through the west end. On the east segment, a 278-foot (85 m) tunnel boring machine was used to drill for two miles.[1][129] Highly fragmented rock initially made machine excavation difficult, delaying the project for nine months.[129] The $166.9 million tunnel was completed in 1997.[130][131] 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.[132]

Work along Oregon Highway 217 started in March 1994.[133] Initially planned to run alongside freight trains through Beaverton and Hillsboro, the alignment was replaced with light rail following TriMet's acquisition of the BN right-of-way in June.[134] The 600-foot-long (180 m) horseshoe tunnel below Sunset Highway was completed in July 1995 and all highway work ceased in December.[135] 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.[136][137] The model SD660 low-floor cars, jointly developed by TriMet and Siemens,[138] became notable as the first low-floor light rail vehicles in North America.[139][140] The final rail spike was driven on Hillsboro's Main Street Bridge in October 1997.[131] System testing took place in June 1998.[141]

Opening

[edit]
A light-rail train at an at grade crossing
A two-car train crossing 185th Avenue and entering Hillsboro

Owing to delays caused by tunneling work, the line's planned September 1997 opening up to 185th Avenue was postponed by one year.[142][143] On August 31, 1997, the Westside MAX opened its first section, a two-station extension west to the Civic Stadium and Kings Hill/SW Salmon Street,[144] in conjunction with the entry into service of the first low-floor cars.[145] Grand opening celebrations for the entire $963.5 million (equivalent to $1.68 billion in 2023 dollars) line took place on September 12, 1998.[131] Ceremonies were held at various stations and speeches were delivered by local and national dignitaries, including Vice President Al Gore.[146] Twelve TriMet bus routes, which had operated between the west side and downtown Portland, were reduced to five, replaced by light rail.[147] The line immediately drew strong ridership, exceeding projections for 2005 less than two years after it opened.[148] 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.[149][150] The line-identification system was implemented shortly before the Red Line's opening on September 10, 2001.[151]

Proposed extension to Forest Grove

[edit]

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.[152] The six-month study, completed in October, estimated 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.[153] Metro proposes a high-capacity transit extension to Forest Grove as part of its 2018 Regional Transportation Plan for 2040 but does not specify the type of high-capacity transit, which could either be a bus or a rail option.[154]

Route

[edit]
Photograph of a section of rail tracks next to a freeway exit ramp with busy a six-lane freeway to the left
A section of the light rail tracks next to the Banfield Freeway
Photograph of a train running next to a busy freeway on the right
A MAX train next to the Sunset Highway, east of Sunset Transit Center

The Blue Line operates along the Eastside and Westside MAX segments, which combined total 32.6 miles (52.5 km)[50][155][a] to 32.7 miles (52.6 km).[156][157][a] Its western terminus is Hatfield Government Center in Hillsboro, on the corner of West Main Street and Southwest Adams Avenue.[158] From there, the line heads east along 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,[159][110] traveling mostly at-grade except at grade-separated crossings—notably, the Main Street Bridge and Cornelius Pass Road—until it reaches Beaverton Transit Center.[101]: 11  It then turns north, running adjacent to Oregon Highway 217 to Sunset Transit Center. From there it continues eastwards along the north side of the Sunset Highway before entering the Robertson Tunnel for Washington Park station.[1] 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.[160]

Near Providence Park, the tracks diverge eastbound onto Southwest Yamhill Street and westbound onto Southwest Morrison Street,[161] crossing the Portland Transit Mall near the Pioneer Courthouse and Pioneer Courthouse Square.[162] 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.[163] It enters its grade-separated segment along the north bank of the Banfield Freeway at Sullivan's Gulch.[164] The line then travels over the Interstate 84 and Interstate 205 interchange towards Gateway/Northeast 99th Avenue Transit Center.[165] 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 the I-205 MAX. The Blue Line turns east and enters the median of East Burnside Street at East 97th Avenue.[166] 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.[166]

The Blue Line shares much of its alignment with the Red Line. Between 2001 and 2003, they used 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.[167] Since 2024, they have shared the same route between Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds station and Gateway Transit Center.[168] The Green Line joined a part of this shared alignment in 2009, entering from the Portland Transit Mall just west of the Steel Bridge, diverging at Gateway Transit Center, and continuing south towards Clackamas.[169]

Map
A geographic map of the MAX Blue Line (in red) relative to the rest of the network (in black) with icons marking the line's termini. The official system schematic can be viewed on the TriMet website.

Stations

[edit]
Further information on the stations, including TriMet bus connections: List of MAX Light Rail stations
Photograph of a train station with two trains at its platforms with a road to the right
Hatfield Government Center station, the Blue Line's western terminus
Photograph of a train station with a platform running down the middle and a train on either side
Cleveland Avenue station, the Blue Line's eastern terminus

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.[48]: 37  The Mall stations on Southwest 4th and 5th avenues were added in conjunction with the opening of Pioneer Place in March 1990,[170] followed by the Convention Center station and the Oregon Convention Center in September.[171] The Westside MAX opened in two stages due to delays in construction.[142] The first two stations, Civic Stadium—now Providence Park—and Kings Hill/Southwest Salmon Street opened on August 31, 1997.[172] The remaining 18 stations opened during the segment's inauguration on September 12, 1998.[131] The newest station is Civic Drive, which was opened on December 1, 2010.[96][173]

On July 24, 2019, TriMet announced 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.[3][92]

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 the Orange Line can be made at the Pioneer Square and Mall stations.[174] 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,[175] 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.[176]

Key
Icon Purpose
† Terminus
→ Eastbound travel only
← Westbound travel only
List of MAX Blue Line stations
Station Location Began service Line transfers[174] Notes[174][177][c]
Hatfield Government Center† Hillsboro September 12, 1998 — —
Hillsboro Central/Southeast 3rd Avenue Transit Center — Connects to YCTA[178]
Hillsboro Health District — —
Washington/Southeast 12th Avenue — —
Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds —
Hawthorn Farm —
Orenco Connects to North Hillsboro Link
Quatama —
Willow Creek/Southwest 185th Avenue Transit Center Connects to CC Rider, North Hillsboro Link
Elmonica/Southwest 170th Avenue Beaverton Near Elmonica maintenance facility
Merlo Road/Southwest 158th Avenue —
Beaverton Creek —
Millikan Way —
Beaverton Central —
Beaverton Transit Center Connects to WES Commuter Rail
Sunset Transit Center Connects to POINT, TCTD
Washington Park Portland Connects to Washington Park Free Shuttle
Goose Hollow/Southwest Jefferson Street —
Kings Hill/Southwest Salmon Street August 31, 1997 Closed on March 1, 2020[3]
Providence Park —
Library/Southwest 9th Avenue→ September 5, 1986 Connects to Portland Streetcar
Galleria/Southwest 10th Avenue←
Pioneer Square South→     Connects to Portland Transit Mall
Pioneer Square North←    
Mall/Southwest 4th Avenue→ March 26, 1990     Closed on March 1, 2020[3]
Mall/Southwest 5th Avenue←    
Yamhill District→ September 5, 1986 —
Morrison/Southwest 3rd Avenue←
Oak Street/Southwest 1st Avenue —
Skidmore Fountain Closing August 2025[179]
Old Town/Chinatown —
Rose Quarter Transit Center    Connects to C-Tran
Convention Center September 20, 1990   Connects to Portland Streetcar
Northeast 7th Avenue September 5, 1986   Connects to Portland Streetcar
Lloyd Center/Northeast 11th Avenue   —
Hollywood/Northeast 42nd Avenue   —
Northeast 60th Avenue   —
Northeast 82nd Avenue   —
Gateway/Northeast 99th Avenue Transit Center   Connects to Columbia Area Transit[180]
East 102nd Avenue — —
East 122nd Avenue — —
East 148th Avenue — —
East 162nd Avenue Gresham — —
East 172nd Avenue — —
East 181st Avenue — —
Rockwood/East 188th Avenue — —
Ruby Junction/East 197th Avenue — Near Ruby Junction maintenance facility
Civic Drive December 1, 2010 — —
Gresham City Hall September 5, 1986 — —
Gresham Central Transit Center — Connects to Sandy Area Metro
Cleveland Avenue† — —

Transit-oriented development

[edit]

In an Institute for Transportation and Development Policy study conducted in September 2013, the Blue Line was credited with generating $6.6 billion in transit-oriented development investment.[181]

Service

[edit]

From Monday to Thursday, the Blue Line runs for 221⁄2 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 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 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.[182] TriMet designates the Blue Line as a "Frequent Service" route along with the rest of the light rail system, ensuring service runs on a 15-minute headway for most of each day.[183] 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.[182]

Ridership

[edit]

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.[80][184] In June 1987, TriMet's general manager, James Cowen, claimed MAX ridership had grown to a point where it was "a peak all day" with a farebox recovery ratio of 50 percent.[185] 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.[186] To relieve overcrowding, TriMet extended the Red Line further west to Beaverton Transit Center on August 31, 2003.[187] 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 the agency to add three Red Line trains running up to Hatfield Government Center on March 2, 2008.[188] 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.[189] TriMet attributes the drop to lower-income riders being forced out of the inner city by rising housing prices.[190] The Blue Line is currently the busiest line in the MAX system, carrying 18.9 million passengers in 2015.[1] It averaged 55,370 riders on weekdays in September 2018,[4] up from 55,330 for the same month in 2017.[191]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Although several sources provide more precise figures, TriMet itself almost always gives only rounded figures for the lengths of the distinct segments of the Blue Line, of 15 miles (24 km) (Banfield/Eastside MAX), 12 miles (19 km) (Westside MAX), 6 miles (9.7 km) (Westside MAX Hillsboro Extension), and a total of 33 miles (53 km), with no tenths digit. At least one TriMet-issued news release referred to the Blue Line's length as "nearly 33 miles".[51]
  2. ^ The Portland–Vancouver Metropolitan Transportation Study, also referred to as the "Portland–Vancouver Metropolitan Area Transportation Study", or PVMATS, by some publications, was an agency charged with highway planning.[15]
  3. ^ This list of service connections excludes TriMet bus connections. For a complete list that includes all transfers, see: List of MAX Light Rail stations.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Banfield Light Rail Eastside MAX Blue Line" (PDF). TriMet. July 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 9, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Westside MAX Blue Line Extension" (PDF). TriMet. July 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 2, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Altstadt, Roberta (July 24, 2019). "TriMet to make MAX service more efficient with closure of three stations in Downtown Portland in March 2020". TriMet. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "September 2018 Monthly Performance Report" (PDF). TriMet. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Sebree, Mac (1994). "Portland's Westside Tunnel: An LRT Breakthrough". 1994 Light Rail Annual & User's Guide. Pasadena, CA: Pentrex. pp. 10–14. ISSN 0160-6913. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  6. ^ Sheldrake, Arlen; et al. (2012). Steel Over the Willamette. Portland, Oregon: Pacific Northwest Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-9851207-0-2.
  7. ^ Fackler 2009, pp. 9–10.
  8. ^ Shoemaker, Mervin (June 29, 1955). "Plan Given for Traffic of Future". The Oregonian. p. 1, 33. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  9. ^ Kramer 2004, p. 65.
  10. ^ Edwards, Herman (October 13, 1963). "Earth-Moving Equipment Starts Gouging Out Bypass Road For Freeway Construction". The Oregonian. p. 40.
  11. ^ Kramer 2004, p. 66.
  12. ^ Thompson 2005, p. 4.
  13. ^ a b c d Mesh, Aaron (November 4, 2014). "Feb. 4, 1974: Portland kills the Mount Hood Freeway..." Willamette Week. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  14. ^ a b Thompson 2005, p. 2.
  15. ^ Abbott, Carl; Abbott, Margery Post (May 1991). "Abbott: A history of Metro, May 1991" (PDF). Metro. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  16. ^ Fackler 2009, p. 90.
  17. ^ United States. Federal Highway Administration, United States. Urban Mass Transportation Administration & Oregon. State Highway Division 1980, p. 1-4.
  18. ^ Stein, Joseph A. (August 26, 1973). "Air pollution is what happens when you drive into town". Northwest Magazine. The Sunday Oregonian. p. 12. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  19. ^ Thompson 2005, p. 5.
  20. ^ a b Kramer 2004, p. 70.
  21. ^ Fackler 2009, pp. 92, 102, 112.
  22. ^ "Foes sue to halt NW Portland Freeway". The Oregonian. September 18, 1971.
  23. ^ "Impact statement ordered for I-505 freeway corridor". The Oregonian. December 4, 1971.
  24. ^ Sultana, Selima; Weber, Joe, eds. (2016). Minicars, Maglevs, and Mopeds: Modern Modes of Transportation Around the World: Modern Modes of Transportation around the World. ABC-CLIO. p. 314. ISBN 978-1440834950. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  25. ^ Young, Bob (March 8, 2005). "Highway to Hell". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  26. ^ Fackler 2009, pp. 92–93.
  27. ^ Kramer 2004, p. 71.
  28. ^ Fackler 2009, p. 108.
  29. ^ Fackler 2009, p. 112.
  30. ^ a b c United States. Federal Highway Administration, United States. Urban Mass Transportation Administration & Oregon. State Highway Division 1980, p. 1-6.
  31. ^ Thompson 2005, pp. 7–8.
  32. ^ Weingroff, Richard F. (July–August 2013). "Busting The Trust". Public Roads Magazine. Vol. 77, no. 1. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  33. ^ Kramer 2004, pp. 72, 74.
  34. ^ Thompson 2005, pp. 7.
  35. ^ United States. Federal Highway Administration, United States. Urban Mass Transportation Administration & Oregon. State Highway Division 1980, p. 1-5.
  36. ^ Selinger 2019, p. 21.
  37. ^ United States. Federal Highway Administration, United States. Urban Mass Transportation Administration & Oregon. State Highway Division 1980, p. 1-7.
  38. ^ Thompson 2005, pp. 12.
  39. ^ Hortsch, Dan (February 3, 1977). "Light rail alternative studied for Banfield". The Oregonian. p. C1.
  40. ^ "Meetings on transit ideas slated". The Oregonian. May 4, 1975. p. C2.
  41. ^ "Tri-Met board backs Banfield rail option". The Oregonian. February 8, 1977. p. 1.
  42. ^ "Banfield Transitway Project, Multnomah County: Hearing and Project Report". TriMet/ODOT. 1978. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  43. ^ Hortsch, Dan (September 27, 1978). "Tri-Met board votes to back Banfield light-rail project". The Oregonian. p. F1.
  44. ^ Selinger 2019, p. 30.
  45. ^ Alesko, Michael (November 17, 1978). "CRAG endorses light rail plan". The Oregonian. p. D3.
  46. ^ Hortsch, Dan (December 20, 1978). "Atiyeh to include light-rail system in '79–'81 budget". The Oregonian. p. 1.
  47. ^ McDonough, Sanda (July 24, 1979). "Governor signs bill for light-rail project". The Oregonian. p. B1.
  48. ^ a b c d e Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (November 1, 1981). Banfield Light Rail Project: Conceptual Design Information for the City of Portland (Report). Vol. 9. TriMet Collection. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  49. ^ Shedd, Tom (November 1987). "MAX: Portland's Light Rail Is an Instant Success". Modern Railroads. Chicago, Illinois: International Thomson Transport Press. pp. 14–15. ISSN 0736-2064.
  50. ^ a b c Transportation Research Circular Number E-3145 – Joint International Light Rail Conference: Growth and Renewal (PDF) (Report). Transportation Research Board. July 2010. p. 11. ISSN 0097-8515. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  51. ^ Becker, Tim (August 10, 2018). "Rail crossing improvements in Gresham to affect MAX service, auto traffic". TriMet. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  52. ^ Selinger 2019, p. 31.
  53. ^ Wilkins, Van (Spring 1995). "Portland's MAX". The New Electric Railway Journal. pp. 12–18. ISSN 1048-3845.
  54. ^ "Gresham: Downtown" (PDF). Metro. April 16, 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 28, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  55. ^ a b Federman, Stan (December 17, 1983). "Tri-Met acquires rail right-of-way". The Oregonian. p. D9.
  56. ^ "Public Notices; Portland Traction Company, Docket No. AB-225 (Sub-No. 1)F, Notice of intent to abandon and discontinue Service". The Oregonian. August 17, 1983. p. 4.
  57. ^ Running, Jim (October 18, 1983). "Light-rail line nerve center taking shape for arrival of first car". The Oregonian. p. ME1.
  58. ^ McConnell, Pete (November 16, 1982). "Trollies' late arrival won't delay light rail". The Oregonian (East Metro ed.). p. ME1.
  59. ^ "First car for light rail delivered". The Oregonian. April 11, 1984. p. C4.
  60. ^ a b c Murphy, Jim (November 1986). "Portland transit system inaugurated". Progressive Architecture. Vol. 67. p. 25.
  61. ^ a b Thompson, Richard (Summer 1982). "Portland Light Rail" (PDF). The Trolley Park News. Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  62. ^ Federman, Stan (March 27, 1982). "At ground-breaking: Festivities herald transitway". The Oregonian. p. A12.
  63. ^ Federman, Stan (March 11, 1983). "Tri-Met opens bids on first light-rail track work". The Oregonian. p. B1.
  64. ^ Federman, Stan (March 31, 1983). "Light-rail work gets go-ahead". The Oregonian. p. D16.
  65. ^ Johnson, Sara (September 4, 1986). "Operations center forms heart of MAX system". The Oregonian. p. 8ME.
  66. ^ Federman, Stan (June 2, 1983). "Ruby Junction due to open in July; track work beginning". The Oregonian. p. C7.
  67. ^ "Work to begin on more light rail segments". The Oregonian. January 4, 1984. p. B4.
  68. ^ Federman, Stan (April 27, 1983). "'Big, bad Banfield' work shifts into high gear". The Oregonian. p. B12.
  69. ^ Federman, Stan (September 5, 1986). "After miles of frustration, construction ends under budget". The Oregonian. p. T9.
  70. ^ "Light-rail work [photo and caption only]". The Oregonian. March 10, 1984. p. C1. Ralph L. Mowatt, a welder for Portland General Electric Co., cuts iron beam in street at Southwest First Avenue and Morrison Street on Friday as construction on the Banfield light-rail project moved downtown this week with utilities beginning to relocate lines.
  71. ^ a b Federman, Stan (March 4, 1986). "Light rail's jolly trolley progress on track". The Oregonian. p. B5.
  72. ^ "Steel Bridge shut down for light rail". The Oregonian. June 12, 1984. p. B1.
  73. ^ Federman, Stan (April 7, 1986). "End in sight for light rail's 'breakdowns'". The Oregonian. p. B2.
  74. ^ Hallman, Tom Jr. (July 30, 1986). "Light-rail car strikes, kills man". The Oregonian. p. B2.
  75. ^ Federman, Stan (April 14, 1986). "Light-rail decision planned for May 15; system opening depends on status of Steel Bridge work". The Oregonian. p. B8.
  76. ^ Federman, Stan (May 30, 1986). "Bridge party trumpets reopening". The Oregonian. p. E2.
  77. ^ Federman, Stan (September 5, 1986). "All aboard! MAX on track; ride free". The Oregonian. p. 1.
  78. ^ "Name That Train Contest". The Oregonian. June 30, 1986. p. A8.
  79. ^ "TriMet: Celebrating 25 Years of MAX Blue Line to Gresham". TriMet. Archived from the original on July 14, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  80. ^ a b McCloud, John (December 28, 1986). "National Notebook: Portland, Ore.; Where MAX Is the Most". The New York Times.
  81. ^ Wade, Michael (September 4, 1986). "New bus routes to feed light-rail stations". The Oregonian. p. 8ME.
  82. ^ Federman, Stan (September 5, 1986). "Going to the MAX: Your ticket to light rail". The Oregonian. p. T10.
  83. ^ "At last, here's your chance to jump all over Tri-Met". The Oregonian. August 24, 1986. p. A20.
  84. ^ Rose, Joseph (June 13, 2012). "TriMet board kills Portland's Free Rail Zone, raises fares, cuts bus service over protesters' shouts, jeers". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  85. ^ "World News [regular news section]". Light Rail and Modern Tramway. Ian Allan Publishing. December 1994. p. 331. ISSN 0964-9255.
  86. ^ Special Report 221 – Light Rail Transit: New System Successes at Affordable Prices (PDF). Transportation Research Board. 1989. pp. 25, 34, 90, 92, 317, 319, 468. ISBN 0-309-04713-7. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  87. ^ Kunz, Richard (December 1986). "Portland: MAX-imum effort". Passenger Train Journal. pp. 14–16. ISSN 0160-6913.
  88. ^ a b Chen, Stanford (May 10, 1996). "MAX line will reopen 4 stations in Gresham: After three months of work on double-tracking, the new light-rail service is touted as an improvement, with more trains and less waiting". The Oregonian.
  89. ^ a b "World News Review [regular news section]". Light Rail and Modern Tramway. Ian Allan Publishing. July 1996. p. 274. ISSN 0964-9255.
  90. ^ "Construction will close 4 Gresham MAX stations". The Oregonian. February 16, 1996.
  91. ^ "Arriving with a smash (photo and caption only)". The Oregonian. March 27, 1990. A Metropolitan Area Express train breaks through a banner Monday afternoon marking the opening of a new light-rail station in front of Pioneer Place...
  92. ^ a b Theen, Andrew (February 25, 2020). "2 downtown MAX stations close permanently next week; changes coming to more than a dozen TriMet bus routes". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  93. ^ Kirchmeier, Mark (September 29, 1989). "3-year-old MAX near turning point". The Oregonian. p. E10.
  94. ^ Briggs, Kara (May 15, 1996). "Winmar prepares to start project". The Oregonian. p. B2.
  95. ^ "No. 85! TriMet breaks ground on new MAX station". TriMet. May 17, 2010. Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  96. ^ a b Rose, Joseph; Buxton, Matt; Beaven, Stephen (December 4, 2010). "New MAX station opens at Civic Drive On Wednesday". The Oregonian.
  97. ^ "Renovating MAX Blue Line Stations and Crossings". TriMet. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  98. ^ a b Thompson, Richard (January 1, 2008). Willamette Valley Railways. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0738556017. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  99. ^ "Historic Hillsboro Old Orenco Walking Map" (PDF). City of Hillsboro. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 8, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  100. ^ a b c d e f g Hillsboro Extension of the Westside Corridor Project, Washington County: Environmental Impact Statement (Report). Federal Transit Administration. 1994. p. P1–P5. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  101. ^ a b Keeler, Robert W. (August 1993). "Oregon Electric Railway Westside Corridor (Burlington Northern Railroad Westside Corridor)" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  102. ^ a b Federman, Stan (November 7, 1987). "Tri-Met heats up study for westside light rail". The Oregonian. p. E14.
  103. ^ Hamilton, Don (February 23, 2000). "Shirley Huffman, fiery lobbyist, earns praise; hard work and a sharp phone call put light-rail trains into downtown Hillsboro". The Oregonian. p. E2.
  104. ^ Federman, Stan (September 26, 1987). "Goldschmidt appoints two to Tri-Met's board". The Oregonian. p. B2. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  105. ^ "Westside MAX: Blue Line Extension Fact Sheet" (PDF). TriMet. August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 10, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  106. ^ Ostergren, Jack (September 22, 1988). "Light-rail panel surveys options for westside corridor". The Oregonian. p. C4.
  107. ^ Federman, Stan (December 15, 1988). "Consultant picks route for light rail". The Oregonian. p. A1.
  108. ^ Manzano, Phil (February 23, 1989). "Westside light rail route OK'd". The Oregonian. p. C2.
  109. ^ Bodine, Harry (September 22, 1989). "Timetable puts westside light-rail service 8 years away". The Oregonian (West Metro ed.). p. D2.
  110. ^ a b c d Oliver, Gordon (July 29, 1993). "Tri-Met approves rail line extension". The Oregonian. p. F4.
  111. ^ a b c Oliver, Gordon (August 8, 1993). "Groundbreaking ceremonies set to launch project". The Sunday Oregonian. "Westside Light Rail: Making Tracks" (special section), p. R1–R2.
  112. ^ Oliver, Gordon (February 21, 1989). "Panel eyes downtown link with westside light-rail line". The Oregonian. p. B2.
  113. ^ Westside Corridor Project, Multnomah/Washington Counties (Portland): Final Environmental Impact Statement (Report). Urban Mass Transportation Administration. August 1991. pp. 2–5, 2–9. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  114. ^ "Creation and Benefits of Positive Public Relations". Federal Transit Administration. February 5, 1996. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  115. ^ a b Bella, Rick (August 13, 1993). "Westside light-rail work begins". The Oregonian. p. C1.
  116. ^ Selinger 2019, p. 69.
  117. ^ Selinger 2019, p. 69–70.
  118. ^ Swisher, Larry (December 12, 1989). "Oregon gets its pork, but Washington fattens up". The Register-Guard. Eugene. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
  119. ^ Mayer, James (May 9, 1990). "Ballot Measure 1 holds key to light-rail plan". The Oregonian. p. B4.
  120. ^ Mayer, James (May 18, 1990). "Westside light-rail backers reel after vote". The Oregonian. p. D5.
  121. ^ Mayer, James (July 26, 1990). "Tri-Met directors decide to seek light-rail bonds". The Oregonian. p. A1.
  122. ^ Mayer, James (November 8, 1990). "Light-rail bond approved, but Tri-Met worries not over". The Oregonian. p. C4.
  123. ^ a b Selinger 2019, p. 70.
  124. ^ Oliver, Gordon (November 8, 1994). "Light-rail extension wins Clinton's support". The Oregonian. p. B8.
  125. ^ Kirchmeier, Mark (January 27, 1989). "Tri-Met picks Goose Hollow for MAX route". The Oregonian. p. E4.
  126. ^ Mayer, James (January 25, 1990). "Revised westside light-rail options run to $496 million". The Oregonian. p. C3.
  127. ^ Mayer, James (April 13, 1991). "Board picks light-rail tunnel". The Oregonian. p. 1.
  128. ^ American Concrete Institute (1999). "Concrete International. Design & Construction". Vol. 21. The Institute. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2018. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  129. ^ a b Selinger 2019, p. 74.
  130. ^ Oliver, Gordon (August 29, 1996). "Tri-Met's light-rail tunnel costs continue to rise". The Oregonian. p. B4.
  131. ^ a b c d Oliver, Gordon; Hamilton, Don (September 9, 1998). "Go west young MAX". The Oregonian. p. C1.
  132. ^ Altstadt, Roberta (August 2, 2019). "UPDATE: TriMet to replace elevators at the deepest transit station in North America". TriMet. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  133. ^ Oliver, Gordon (January 30, 1994). "Blasting the tunnels". The Oregonian. p. D1.
  134. ^ Oliver, Gordon (June 23, 1994). "Railroad deal provides Tri-Met with westside light-rail route". The Oregonian. p. D4.
  135. ^ Mahar, Ted (February 9, 1995). "On the right track". The Oregonian. p. C2.
  136. ^ Colby, Richard N. (January 11, 1996). "Work is under way in Hillsboro preparing the way for light rail". The Oregonian. p. C2.
  137. ^ Colby, Richard N. (January 22, 1996). "Light-rail milestone: The $16 million Westside MAX maintenance building in Elmonica is dedicated by Tri-Met". The Oregonian (West Metro ed.). p. B2.
  138. ^ Corselli, Andrew (July 29, 2019). "Siemens Receives Two LRV Orders". Railway Age. Archived from the original on July 29, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  139. ^ Oliver, Gordon (April 15, 1993). "Tri-Met prepares to purchase 37 low-floor light-rail cars". The Oregonian. p. D4.
  140. ^ Oliver, Gordon (July 1, 1993). "Westside light-rail costs increase". The Oregonian. p. C5.
  141. ^ Hamilton, Don (June 25, 1998). "Tri-Met gets ready, set for Westside MAX start-up: Every week until Sept. 12 will see drills and tests to be sure the system is in good order after 5 years, $1 billion of work". The Oregonian. p. 1.
  142. ^ a b Hamilton, Don (August 25, 1995). "Tri-Met experiencing a holdup in the hills". The Oregonian. p. B2. The agency [Tri-Met] says digging the tunnel for westside light rail will cause a year's delay in completing the entire project.
  143. ^ Oliver, Gordon (January 6, 1997). "Westside rail finally looks like a reality". The Oregonian. p. B2.
  144. ^ O'Keefe, Mark (September 1, 1997). "New MAX cars smooth the way for wheelchairs". The Oregonian. p. B12.
  145. ^ Selinger 2019, p. 76.
  146. ^ "Celebrating the Grand Opening of Tri-Met's Westside MAX Light Rail!". TriMet. September 11, 1998. Archived from the original on November 18, 1999. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  147. ^ Hamilton, Don (September 9, 1998). "Bus changes aim to sell commuters on using rail". The Oregonian. p. C5.
  148. ^ Stewart, Bill (September 13, 2000). "Westside MAX celebrates two years on track: The light-rail line surpasses expectations, averaging more riders daily than were projected for 2005". The Oregonian. p. C3.
  149. ^ "Systems News [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. December 2000. p. 471. ISSN 1460-8324. With the light rail system due to expand to two services in September 2001, and three in 2004 (with all three using the same routing and stops in the city centre), Tri-Met has decided to assign route colours as follows ...
  150. ^ Selinger 2019, p. 83.
  151. ^ Briggs, Kara (August 29, 2001). "Airport MAX light-rail service in sight". The Oregonian. p. C2.
  152. ^ Smith, Jill (February 23, 2006). "Expert hired to draw up light-rail plan options". The Oregonian. p. 4.
  153. ^ Smith, Jill (November 2, 2006). "The early line on light rail". The Oregonian. p. 14.
  154. ^ Public Review Draft, 2018 Regional Transportation Plan, Chapter 6: Regional Programs and Projects to Achieve Our Vision (PDF) (Report). Metro. June 29, 2018. pp. 15, 19. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  155. ^ "Portland LRT: The Beat Goes On" (PDF). LRT News. 20 (1). Transportation Research Board: 4. April 2008. ISSN 0162-8429. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  156. ^ Morgan, Steve (November 1998). "US Vice-President Gore launches Portland's new Westside route". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISSN 1460-8324.
  157. ^ Webb, Mary, ed. (2007). Jane's Urban Transport Systems 2007–2008. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group. p. 460. ISBN 978-0-7106-2816-9. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  158. ^ "Stop ID 9848 – Hatfield Government Center MAX Station, Southbound". TriMet. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  159. ^ "Stop ID 9843 – Tuality Hospital/SE 8th Ave MAX Station, Eastbound". TriMet. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  160. ^ "Stop ID 10118 – Goose Hollow/SW Jefferson St MAX Station, Eastbound". TriMet. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  161. ^ "Stop ID 9758 – Providence Park MAX Station, Eastbound". TriMet. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  162. ^ "Stop ID 8334 – Pioneer Square South MAX Station, Eastbound". TriMet. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  163. ^ Portland City Center and Transit Mall map (PDF) (Map). TriMet. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  164. ^ "Stop ID 8343 – Lloyd Center/NE 11th Ave MAX Station, Eastbound". TriMet. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  165. ^ "Stop ID 8347 – Gateway/NE 99th Ave TC MAX Station, Southbound". TriMet. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  166. ^ a b TriMet System map (PDF) (Map). TriMet. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  167. ^ "MAX Light Rail System". TriMet. 2001. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2018 – via Transit Maps.
  168. ^ Anderson, Luisa (August 28, 2024). "TriMet's MAX Red Line from PDX airport to Hillsboro officially opens". KGW. Tegna Inc. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  169. ^ Pantell, Susan (December 2009). "Portland: New Green Line Light Rail Extension Opens". Light Rail Now. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  170. ^ Schneider, Joachim (2012). Public Private Partnership for Urban Rail Transit: Forms, regulatory conditions, participants. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 343. ISBN 978-3322817082. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  171. ^ Mayer, James (September 20, 1990). "Dedication kicks off Convention Center fete". The Oregonian. p. A1.
  172. ^ Oliver, Gordon; Hamilton, Don (August 29, 1997). "MAX moves west new rail stations will go on-line". The Oregonian. p. A1.
  173. ^ "Eastside Revitalization Report" (PDF). TriMet. April 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  174. ^ a b c Rail System Map with transfers (PDF) (Map). TriMet. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  175. ^ "Maps + Schedules - Portland Streetcar". Portland Streetcar. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  176. ^ "WES Commuter Rail". TriMet. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  177. ^ Portland City Center and Transit Mall (PDF) (Map). TriMet. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 28, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  178. ^ "McMinnville – Hillsboro, Route 33" (PDF). Yamhill County Transit Area. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 20, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  179. ^ "Speeding Up MAX Through Downtown: Skidmore Fountain MAX Station closing August 2025". TriMet. May 2024. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  180. ^ "Cascade Locks & Portland – CAT". Columbia Area Transit. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  181. ^ Rose, Joseph (September 25, 2013). "Study: Blue Line is a big moneymaker". The Oregonian. p. 7.
  182. ^ a b MAX Blue Line schedules:
  183. ^ "Frequent Service" (PDF). TriMet. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 9, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  184. ^ Hayakawa, Alan (September 18, 1986). "MAX training fast; ridership proves it". The Oregonian. p. 1.
  185. ^ Hill, Jim (June 10, 1987). "TriMet's manager predicts westside light rail". The Oregonian. p. B7. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  186. ^ Stewart, Bill (September 13, 2000). "Westside MAX celebrates two years on track". The Oregonian. p. C3.
  187. ^ Leeson, Fred (August 27, 2003). "MAX fares increase, direct service from Beaverton to PDX starts". The Oregonian. p. D2.
  188. ^ "TriMet extends rush-hour MAX trains between Hillsboro, PDX". Beaverton Valley Times. March 3, 2008. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  189. ^ Keizur, Christopher (June 12, 2017). "Safe travels?". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  190. ^ Zielinski, Alex (May 18, 2018). "You Know Portland's Transportation Woes Have Reached a Breaking Point When..." Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  191. ^ "September 2017 Monthly Performance Report" (PDF). TriMet. October 18, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.

Sources

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to MAX Blue Line.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MAX_Blue_Line&oldid=1258791007"