160 million The region adopts an “Interim

Transportation Plan” to
Portland’s transit ridership
replace the 1971 Portland-
continues to fall, and the Rose
Vancouver Metropolitan
City Transit Company, faced
TriMet Area Transportation Study
100 million with bankruptcy, demands a
completes an (PVMATS) plan. It calls for a
major fare hike, threatening
“immediate freeze on major new highway
to discontinue all service. The
action plan” projects, as studies look to
Oregon Legislature passes
A 16-mile interurban and a “1990 transit options for long term The downtown
House Bill 1808 allowing the
electric railway and high Master Plan” congestion relief along several Portland Transit Mall
Portland area transit ridership The pioneer interurban creation of transit districts and
voltage transmission to reverse the main corridors. opens on 5th and 6th
peaks at an all-time high electric rail line to providing them with the power
Electric streetcars line are constructed transit system’s Fareless Square opens, creating avenues. Light rail is
during the height of World Oregon City and the to raise revenue through a
begin service, from Willamette Falls in decline. It a free fare zone in downtown chosen for the Eastside
War II. trolleybuses die out payroll tax. The Portland region
gradually replacing Oregon City to Portland, recommends Portland to promote transit corridor. Voters replace
as ridership declines establishes the Tri-County
one of the first attempts Rail transit ridership peaks, CRAG with Metro,
horse-drawn, cable to less than a fifth Metropolitan Transportation consolidating riding within downtown. It
at long distance electrical with new residential areas an elected regional
and steam-powered of its wartime level. District of Oregon, all local bus also seeks to
Twenty-one years after Portland transmission, and one and suburbs springing up government with
lines. Installed by land The transit system called TriMet, service under TriMet, concentrating reduce air
is officially founded, the city’s of the nation’s first along the rail lines, making responsibility to plan
developers to promote now consists of gas to take over downtown service on transit malls along pollution by
growth prompts the need for a interurban electric Portland the center of one for the region’s future.
new subdivisions, a 70 million buses operated by the local bus 5th and 6th avenues, building suburban eliminating
public transportation system. A railways. Other interurban of the largest urban rail
network eventually seven different bus systems and Park and Rides, developing transitways short auto
horse-drawn streetcar line opens, lines follow, connecting systems in the West.
extends out to city companies. provide regional in major corridors and expanding the trips within the
running along SW 1st Avenue. Portland to its suburbs 60 million
limits in all directions. transit service. number of buses. free fare zone.
and outlying towns.

1872 1888 1889 1890 1893 1910 1920s 1930s 1944 1950 1958 1959 1969 1971 Early 1973 Late 1973 1975 1976 1978

A two-line cablecar Several of the interurban The Columbia

35 million
rail lines discontinue Region Association The PVMATS results in a
connects Union Station
passenger service as 28 million of Governments “Transportation Plan for 1990”
through downtown to
Steam-operated streetcar ridership fails to meet (CRAG), a new regional that recommends 54 major new
West Hills neighborhoods,
lines begin service, expectations. The aging planning agency, is set highway projects, many of them 20 million
requiring a 1000-foot long The last streetcar runs as ridership drops
developing into a network streetcar system begins up to coordinate the freeways and expressways. It A transitway is included
trestle constructed on an sharply after the war. As the Portland The newly passed Federal Aid
that serves Hawthorne, converting to buses Portland–Vancouver predicts the declining bus system in the construction of
18 percent grade. region continues to grow, the new 15 million Highway Act allows states to
Mt. Scott, Mt. Tabor, and trolleybuses. In Metropolitan Area will remain insignificant as a I-205 for future transit
suburbs beyond the old transit network transfer funds from segments of
St. Johns, west Portland, and time, Portland enjoys Transportation Study transportation source except connections to Portland
Interurban railway become increasingly dependent on the Interstate system no longer
Vancouver, Washington. an extensive trolleybus (PVMATS). It provides for the rush hour commute to International Airport.
service now extends from automobile, and traffic congestion soon required to fund alternative
network, particularly on the first comprehensive downtown. The Oregon Legislature
Vancouver south to Eugene becomes a concern. road or transit projects. Shortly
the east side. analysis of travel adopts Senate Bill 100 establishing
and Corvallis, and from land-use laws to protect livability after, local jurisdictions formally
demand in the region,
Gresham and Troutdale and prevent sprawl. reject the $400 million Mt. Hood
assuming no constraints
west to Forest Grove and Freeway project in response to
on highway travel.
McMinnville. citizen outcry. The region seeks
to transfer some of the funds
to transit projects. The Oregon
Public Utility Commission
publishes a report proposing a
regional light rail system based
largely on existing railroad
right-of-ways. ridership
 By a 64% margin, local Metro and local governments
Oregon voters approve approve the South Corridor
funding for the 25-mile Project, outlining transportation
South/North Light Rail options for Clackamas County.
Airport MAX
extension, running Phase 1
Red Line
from Clackamas County includes
construction
through North Portland a 6.5-mile
begins, as does
The Vintage and across the Columbia light rail
construction
Trolley returns River to Clark County, project from
of the Portland
to service on the Washington. Shortly Gateway
Streetcar.
MAX line, largely after, Clark County voters Transit
as an historic turned down their local Bechtel Enterprises Center to
attraction for funding for the project. approaches TriMet, the 85 million 88 million Clackamas Town Center with
visiting riders. City of Portland and the light rail also added to the
An Oregon-only light
Port of Portland with a Portland Transit Mall. Phase
rail project to replace
proposal to build light 2 includes a proposed 6-mile
Metro adopts the Banfield Light Rail—named the original South-
rail to the airport in extension from downtown
urban growth the Metropolitan Area North extension fails
an innovative public/ Modern Streetcars Portland to Milwaukie. TriMet
boundary (UGB) to Express, or MAX for in the region, but is
private partnership 69 million return to North develops a Transit Investment
manage regional short—opens on a 15-mile supported within the
that requires no new America with the Plan (TIP), a rolling five-year
land use and alignment between the city of Portland.
taxpayer dollars or opening of Portland guide for directing transit and
development. suburb of Gresham and
federal funds. Streetcar. transportation investment in
downtown Portland.
the region.

1979 1980 1986 1990 1991 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 November 1998
An 18-mile light rail
Spring 1999 1999
Local business
2000 July 2001 September 2001 2003
Airport MAX Red Line
May 2004
Interstate MAX
Innovate . Build . Inspire
48 million Metro adopts the Region extension opens from opens September 10
By a 3-1 margin, and community Yellow Line opens
2040 growth concept, downtown Portland, —one day before the
metro area leaders ask TriMet ahead of schedule
focusing on increased World Trade Center
voters approve through the western to explore building and under budget.
density along major suburb of Beaverton to attacks. Despite the
regional funding a cheaper “North”
transportation and light Hillsboro, serving the fast- ensuing drop in air
for the Westside segment of the
rail corridors to avoid growing high-tech corridor travel, ridership is
MAX extension. Westside MAX sprawl into farmlands.
South-North
construction begins in Washington County. project, but with strong. Fareless Square
Support for a downtown The extension connects is extended to the
with the 3-mile streetcar line grows as
no displacements
twin tunnels under with the eastside line in of homes or Construction begins on Lloyd District, across
close-in westside Portland downtown, creating a the Willamette River
Portland’s West Hills. businesses, and no Interstate MAX, which will
neighborhoods strain from single 33-mile alignment from downtown.
new property taxes. serve north and northeast
growth and urban revival. that will eventually be
The Banfield Light Rail project receives The result is the Portland. Studies begin on a The Portland region’s remarkable history of embracing innovation involves more
federal approval, clearing the way for called the MAX Blue Line. 5.8-mile Interstate possible commuter rail line than rail building–here, land use and transportation have become inextricably
construction. Though used in Europe, the MAX extension. in Washington County.
linked, creating a national model for urban planning. For more than 30 years,
only modern U.S. light rail has just opened TriMet’s leadership has helped make public transportation essential to our livability.
in San Diego. Portland delegations decide Here is how that story has unfolded...
its bare bones treatment is not right
for here and begin to develop their own
approach. Metro adopts a new Regional
Transportation Plan to focus growth
within the UGB and around light rail.
ridership
 Eastside MAX Blue Line
the Banfield light rail project
Expo Center

Airport

Portland N
Hillsboro Milwaukie
Gresham
One of the first light rail systems in the nation, Eastside MAX helped set the
Beaverton
standard for the future of American light rail design. It also marked a pivotal Clackamas
point in Portland’s history, as the region broke away from automobile-focused
urban design to become a civic innovator in land use and transportation.

Background The move to light rail

Breaking the mold
In 1975, the region adopted an Interim Transportation
Plan, rejecting previous plans for 54 new highway
projects at a cost of $2 billion (in 1969 dollars). The new
plan proposed modest roadway projects and a network
of transitways along major travel corridors to meet
future demand. By 1976 the Banfield Freeway corridor
was selected as
the top priority.
The Oregon Dept.
of Transportation
asked the federal
government to
transfer funds
under the 1973
Federal Aid Highway Act from the Mt. Hood Freeway
project to the Banfield. The City of Portland and
Multnomah County had rejected the freeway project
in 1974 after public outcry over its expected cost
and destruction of neighborhoods. Many remember
its defeat and the Interim Transportation Plan as a
benchmark in Portland’s evolution toward a new kind of
American urban planning and civic development.
Originally the Banfield was conceived as a bus
transitway. A Banfield Transitway Study compared
alternative transit scenarios for a busway, carpool/bus
(HOV) lanes, low-cost road improvements and “no-
build.” As the study progressed the community asked
that light rail be added as an alternative. In 1979 light
rail was selected by the community and participating
jurisdictions. Federal approval followed in 1980, making
it one of the first federally funded light rail projects.
Senator Mark Hatfield turned the first spade of dirt
for the Ruby Junction Maintenance Facility in 1982,
declaring that effective transit in the cities should be
as much a national priority as the Interstate Highway
system. Later that year, construction of the trackway
began in Gresham. In September 1986, the 15-mile
Eastside MAX line opened for revenue service.
The 18-mile Westside extension opened in 1998, from
Hillsboro and Beaverton in the west, through downtown
and out to Gresham to the east. When the 5.5-mile
Airport MAX Red Line extension opened in 2001, the
Eastside/Westside line was renamed MAX Blue Line.

Eastside MAX Blue Line

Park & Ride
Transit Center
Design highlights Downtown
The final segment of the line runs for about two miles
New territory
on reserved lanes through the downtown core, with
Modern light rail was still a new and largely untried a turn-back loop at S.W. 11th Avenue. From S.W. 1st
concept in the U.S. in 1979. TriMet assembled an Avenue, the line splits
in-house staff to learn light rail technology, and then onto one-way streets,
managed the project with the assistance of engineering running west in the
design consultants. The project needed to draw on the direction of traffic
best practices in the U.S. as well as Europe—where most on Morrison Street
of the expertise in light rail resided at that time. and returning east
on Yamhill Street.
Traffic preempt system With-traffic operation
Early on, TriMet adopted a design policy that trains allows the trains to run unimpeded from the station
should only stop at stations, and traffic crossings should using the existing downtown traffic signal progression.
be preempted whenever possible to prevent trains from As a result, trains have almost no effect on cross traffic—
being mired in traffic delays. a vital consideration with some 300 trains a day running
Safety each way through downtown.

The construction of the light rail median on Burnside Technical Highlights

Street created a pedestrian barrier through the
neighborhood. Between N.E.197th to N.E. 97th
avenues, 13 uncontrolled pedestrian “zee” crossings
were used, the first modern application of this simple
concept. The design forces pedestrians to slow down
and take notice as they approach the crossing.
Vehicles
In 1980, TriMet placed an order for 26 light rail vehicles
from Bombardier, based on a design used in Belgium
and Rio de Janeiro. These were conventional, six-axle,
articulated cars with steps at each door.

Gateway Vintage Trolley

Gateway Transit Center is
a major bus/rail transfer
point and the midpoint
of the line. Trains, buses,
and pedestrian crossings
were built at grade, on
one level. This design was
cost effective and more
comfortable for transit riders.
As part of the agreement allowing light rail to operate
through the downtown Historic District, TriMet
constructed and operated four
replicas of Portland’s Council
Crest streetcars. A small trolley
barn was constructed under
Interstate 5 at Rose Quarter to
house them.
Accessibility
The Eastside MAX line was built with lifts mounted
on the platforms to accommodate passengers with
wheelchairs. This design was chosen to ensure trains
could continue to
operate if a lift failed.
When low-floor cars
were introduced as
part of the Westside
line, these lifts were
removed.
Transit-oriented development
The Eastside MAX Blue Line was built mostly through
existing neighborhoods and has proven a catalyst for
redevelopment and infill projects along its route. More
than $2 billion in development has occurred along the
entire Eastside MAX line, with development activity
greatest in downtown Portland and the neighboring
Lloyd District. MAX played an important role in
revitalizing the city center. Virtually every parcel of
vacant land adjacent to MAX has changed hands, been
developed or had development plans announced.

Fares Funding
TriMet uses fareboxes to collect fares on the bus system. The entire Banfield Eastside MAX Funding
With light rail, TriMet became a pioneer in self-service project consisted of
fare collection requiring proof of payment—a concept widening five miles $10.9 million
Local
that has since become virtually standard on new light of the Banfield (I-84)
rail systems. Freeway from four $178.3 million
to six lanes, at a Federal
Steel Bridge
cost of $107 million, $24.8 million
The massive Steel Bridge is one of America’s great and constructing a State
monuments to the railroad era. It carries Union Pacific 15-mile light rail line
rail tracks and a pedestrian path on the lower level, and Total: $214 million
from Gresham to (in 1978 dollars)
four traffic lanes that include the light rail tracks on the downtown Portland,
upper level. Both at a cost of $214 million. Federal funds covered 83
levels can lift to allow percent of the project; state and local funds paid 17
ships to pass, either percent. Federal dollars came15largely from trading in
the lower level alone funds slated for the failed Mount Hood Freeway project
12
or both at once. The and investing in transit and smaller road projects.
light rail overhead 9

system moves out Snapshots 6

12.3 mil.
To date
of the way when the bridge opens, copying the method
5.9 mil.
originally installed in 1912 for Portland’s first streetcars. Facilities 3
First year
The west approach to the Steel Bridge features a brief Length 15 miles 0

seven percent grade, the steepest on the MAX system. Stations 30

Park & Rides 5, with nearly 2,500 spaces total
Parking garages 2, with more than 1,100 spaces
Maintenance facility Ruby Junction
 $10.9 million
Local

$178.3 million
Federal
Timeline Frequency
$24.8 million
1979 Local community and jurisdiction approval
State
7–12 minutes weekdays till 6 p.m.
1980 Federal approval 12 minutes Saturdays till 9:30 p.m.
Total: $214 million
March 1982
(in 1978to August 1986 Construction
dollars)
15 minutes weekdays 6 p.m.–late evening, Sundays
September 1986 Opened 30 minutes weekday and Saturday late night trips

Annual ridership Travel times

15

Downtown Portland (Pioneer Square)

12

to Gateway Transit Center 25 minutes

9
Gateway to Gresham end of line 22 minutes
12.11 mil.
6 Downtown to Gresham end of line 47 minutes
3 6.6 mil.

0
FY 88 FY 04

Bus connections
Connects with 62 TriMet bus lines and C-TRAN bus
service to Vancouver, Washington
 Westside light rail
the MAX Blue Line extension
TriMet’s first extension of its light rail network headed for the fast-growing
high-tech corridor on the Westside. One of the largest public works projects in
Oregon’s history, it bore through the West Hills, inspired extensive transit-oriented
development and infused community-focused public art into its innovative design.
Background
In 1979, studies began on transit options and
alignments to connect downtown Portland to Beaverton
as far west as S.W. 185th Avenue. By 1983 the studies
were complete, and local
jurisdictions selected
light rail as their preferred
alternative along the
Sunset Highway (Hwy.
26) corridor. At this
point the TriMet Board
suspended further work,
awaiting completion of the 15-mile Eastside MAX light
rail project, then under construction.
By 1988, Eastside MAX light rail had met with wide
approval and work resumed on Westside light rail. The
first hurdle was crossing the West Hills, which rose
700 feet above downtown Portland and required a six
percent grade along Hwy. 26. While the original MAX
light rail vehicles were designed to handle such a grade
over short distances, concerns arose that the grade
would reduce reliability, particularly during icy weather,
and increase travel times and maintenance costs. After
prolonged debate, the project decided to construct a
three-mile tunnel under the West Hills.
Expo Center
Airport
Portland N
Hillsboro Milwaukie
Gresham
Beaverton
Clackamas
In 1993 construction began on the tunnel, and in 1994,
track construction began in downtown Portland, where
the Westside line tied into the existing line on Morrison
and Yamhill Streets. Work began soon after on the
Beaverton segment to S.W. 185th Avenue, including a
new maintenance facility for low-floor cars at Elmonica.
The 1979 studies for the Westside anticipated that
the line would eventually extend from S.W. 185th
Avenue to the suburban city of Hillsboro. In 1989, the
local jurisdictions asked to add that extension to the
Westside project because of rapid development. The
environmental studies for this 6.2-mile addition, mostly
located on an abandoned rail right-of-way, progressed
rapidly, and in 1994, Hillsboro became the western
terminus of the Westside project.
Design and construction
highlights
Twin tunnels
• The West Hills tunnel is actually twin tubes, each
three miles long and 21 feet in diameter.
Westside MAX Blue Line
Park & Ride
Transit Center
Sunset TC
• Because its geology consists of hard rock from
ancient lava flows up to 16 milion years old,
layered with soft ground and rock fragments, the
tunnel has several horizontal and vertical curves as
designers tried to follow the best rock conditions.
• Excavation began at the west end, where
varied geologic material required the use of
conventional drill and blast mining techniques.
• The eastern two-thirds of the tunnels, composed
primarily of Columbia River basalt, were
excavated using a 278-foot-long tunnel boring
machine.
Tunnel boring machine
• Designed to bore through solid rock, the boring
machine used hydraulically-driven arms to press
against the tunnel walls and propel itself forward.
• The 42 hard metal cutting blades on the front of
the machine ground the rock, which was caught
in buckets and sent out on a conveyor belt that
stretched as much as two miles long.
• In many places, the rock turned out to be highly
fragmented, falling into the boring machine and
jamming it. After months of delays, modifications
to the machine eventually overcame the problem.
• Crews of a dozen people operated the boring
machine three shifts per day, six days a week.
• The first tunnel was excavated in 17 months,
the second in five and a half months. Following
excavation, crews lined the tunnels with concrete.
• Cross passages between the tunnels were built
every 750 feet.
• Trains travel through the twin tunnels at speeds
up to 55 mph.
Washington Park Station
• Washington Park Station,
the only stop in the
three-mile tunnel, is the
deepest transit station
in North America at 260
feet below ground.
• Station elevators and stairwells are monitored
through closed-circuit video cameras. Staff has
direct 9-1-1 access and can operate fire doors,
air vents and electricity in case of an emergency.
• The underground station’s unique public art has
helped make the stop a destination in itself.
• The station serves the Oregon Zoo, Forestry
Center, Children’s Museum 2nd Generation, the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial and offers access to
the rest of Washington Park.
Sunset Transit Center
Leaving the tunnel, the rail line follows Hwy. 26 to the
Sunset Transit Center, then turns abruptly south along
Hwy. 217 and descends a six percent grade for almost a
mile. The Sunset Transit Center was originally intended
as the junction for a light rail line continuing west along
Highway 26, which accounts for the torturous, nearly
90-degree turn in the track.
Beaverton
The alignment approaching Beaverton Transit Center
crosses a previously developed area and is the only
place on the MAX light rail system where an entirely
new right-of-way had to be created. Beaverton Transit
Center was built 10 years before light rail opened, with
space reserved on its south side for future light rail. As it
turned out, final alignment ran along its north side. (The
proposed Washington County Commuter Rail project is
set to use the south side.) The transit center was rebuilt
at the same time, incorporating new amenities and A first for art
facilities to support bus/rail connections.
The Westside MAX
Main Street Bridge was the first light rail
project to include a
At Main Street in
substantial budget
Hillsboro, a former
for art. All of the
railroad trestle that
20 stations are
crossed over the street
embellished with artworks by a variety of artists and are
at an oblique angle
designed to reflect the character, diversity and history of
had been the site of
the surrounding community.
numerous accidents.
The City of Hillsboro did not want a pier in the center of
the street, so a light rail bridge was built with a dramatic
Technical Highlights
overhead arch straddling the road and the track. Vehicles and accessibility
The original Eastside MAX line used platform-mounted
Hillsboro lifts to allow wheelchair access to light rail vehicles.
At 12th Avenue in Hillsboro, the tracks move from a Increasing use led to
former railroad right-of-way and enter Washington service delays, and
Street, which they follow for 14 blocks to the Hillsboro many in the disabled
end of the line, mostly on a 24-foot-wide paved median. community felt the lifts
Here an alternative design gives light rail reserved lanes focused attention on
on a narrower them as the cause of
street while still delays. In Europe, light
allowing other rail systems were introducing low-floor cars to enhance
vehicles to turn access for all users, including wheelchairs.
across the tracks
In 1991 TriMet began to study alternatives to the lift
at driveways and
system. After meetings with the community, plus field
intersections.
trips to several North American and European systems,
Because there was no room for turn pockets, trains pass
the study recommended converting the whole system to
through these intersections on an “all-red” phase, with
low-floor cars. By 1992, TriMet had begun procurement
traffic stopped in all directions. When the train is not
for low-floor cars, the first such cars to be ordered in
present, the intersection functions like any other, with
North America. 
left turns permitted.
The configuration in downtown Hillsboro copies Transit-oriented development
that in Gresham, with a transit center adjacent to the
Westside MAX Blue Line traveled through stretches of
pedestrian downtown, and a Park & Ride at the end of
undeveloped land, as well as the cities of Beaverton
the line to divert its traffic from entering the downtown.
and Hillsboro. The line has become a magnet, with
over $825 million worth of residential and commercial
development including 8,500 housing units launched
within walking distance of the line.
 $145.8 million
Local

$704.1 million
Federal

$113.6 million
State

Total: $963 million

Beaverton Central Annual Ridership

10
Beaverton Central Station was sited on derelict land
once occupied by a sewage treatment plant to act as 8

a catalyst for redevelopment. A project known as The

6
Round was built around the station, featuring a mix of 8.66 mil.
office and high-density residential units, surrounding a 4

circular plaza that includes the MAX station. 8.08 mil.

2

Orenco 0
FY 00 FY 04
Orenco was once a small company town that supported
a large nursery by the same name, located on the old Overall transit ridership in the corridor is up
interurban electric railway. With the nursery and most 188 percent since Westside MAX opened.
of the population having long since moved away, the
City of Hillsboro designated Orenco for transit-oriented
Timeline
development as part of the light rail project. Today it has 1979 Alignment and environmental studies
become a showcase community. begin, to be postponed in 1983
1988 Preliminary engineering and environmental
Snapshots studies begin again
1990 Voters overwhelmingly approve a bond
Travel times measure for the Westside extension
Downtown Portland (Pioneer Square) to 1993–1997 Tunnel construction
Beaverton Transit Center 23 minutes 1994–1998 Alignment construction
Beaverton Transit Center to Hillsboro July 1996 First low-floor car arrives
end of line 28 minutes April–August 1998 Testing, training, service
Downtown to Hillsboro end of line 51 minutes simulation
September 1998 Opened
Westside MAX Funding
Facilities
$145.8 million
Length 18 miles (MAX Blue Line: 33 miles total)
Local Stations 20
Park & Rides 9 with 2,733 total spaces
$704.1 million Parking garages 2 with 880 total spaces
Federal
New maintenance facility Elmonica
$113.6 million
State Bus connections
Total: $963 million Connects with 65 TriMet bus lines and C-TRAN
bus service to Vancouver, Washington.

10

6
8.66 mil.
4

8.08 mil.
2
 MAX Red Line
light rail to the airport
As the first “train to plane” connection on the West Coast, the MAX Red Line is also the first to
take passengers directly to an airport terminal. It came to Portland a decade ahead of regional
plans thanks to an innovative public/private partnership between Bechtel Enterprises and local
governments that required no federal or state general fund dollars and no new taxes. From
initial proposal to opening day, the 5.5-mile project was completed in just five years.

Background Light rail to PDX had been part of regional and airport
master planning since the mid-1980s. The design of
Portland International Airport (PDX) has seen steady Interstate 205 (I-205) included a future transitway in
growth for many decades, becoming the nation’s fastest the median, including a tunnel beneath the northbound
growing airport in the late-1990s. Air passenger traffic lanes. While a preliminary light rail alignment to the
at PDX more than airport terminal was established in the late 1980s,
doubled from 6 regional plans placed development closer to 2010.
million in 1990 to 14
million in 2000, with A unique public/private partnership
2020 projections
In 1997 Bechtel Enterprises approached the region with
for 29 million trips.
a proposal to design and construct a MAX extension to
Additional access
the airport under a public/private partnership. Bechtel
was needed to
would contribute a quarter of the project’s funding and
address growing
be contracted to build the light rail extension. In return,
traffic congestion at and around the airport. At the time,
Bechtel would receive development rights to a 120-acre
transit carried a limited number of airport trips, despite
mixed use commercial site near the entrance to the airport.
frequent bus service between downtown Portland.

MAX Red Line

TC

Parkrose/Summer TC
Park & Ride
ter

Transit Center
uar

Airport extension
eQ

Hollywood TC
Ros

NE 82nd Ave
Gateway TC
TC
t
nse
Su
C
nT
r to
ave
Be
 This innovative cost-sharing venture meant no federal
appropriations, state general funds or additional
Design highlights
property taxes were needed to build the line. Shared alignment
Airport MAX was designed to share tracks with the
Airport MAX Red Line Funding
existing MAX Blue Line between downtown Portland
and Gateway Transit Center. For riders in this corridor, a
$23.8 million train arrives every 3–5 minutes during the most frequent
City of Portland
service hours. With growing MAX ridership, the shared
$28.2 million
alignment was extended west on the Blue Line to
$45.5 million
Bechtel Enterprises
TriMet
Beaverton Transit Center in September 2003.

Gateway
Total: $125 million
Gateway Transit Center was chosen as the junction point
with the MAX Blue Line, offering good connections
$28.3 million
Port of Portland with bus service. However the existing configuration at
Gateway posed several challenges. The tracks beyond
Fast-tracking Gateway were pointed south, while the airport lay to the
Resolving issues between three local public agencies north. If trains were reversed at Gateway, an additional
entering into a unique agreement with a private partner platform as well as complex track crossings and
required open communication, a significant amount of signaling would be required. It would also require an
10
due diligence and a number of interlocking agreements extended stop at the station while the operator moved
to protect the public’s investment. In all, the agencies from one end of the train to the other. In addition, it was
8

and Bechtel executed 85 agreements, with nearly 20 felt passengers might find trains reversing direction to
formal approval steps 6 by various elected and appointed be disconcerting.
bodies ranging from local jurisdictions tomil.
the Federal
8.5
Aviation Administration. The project established
4
and
A unique solution
To date
maintained an accelerated decision-making model, A loop around the
completing all approvals3.14 mil. parking lot was
2
within nine months.
First year considered, but the
Construction started 0 in 1999 on the first design-build
alternative finally
light rail transit project on the West Coast. The line
selected provides a
opened on September 10,
configuration unique
2001, just one day before
on North American
the terrorist attacks on the Construction of I-205 in the late 1970s
light rail systems. It included plans for a transitway in the median.
World Trade Center. Despite
uses the center and More than 20 years later, the transitway was
the ensuing drop in air used for a portion of the MAX Red Line just
outbound tracks
travel, ridership on the MAX north of the Gateway Transit Center.
at Gateway, which
Red Line has been strong.
required no modification to the original three-track
Flyover bridge construction was completed without ever interrupting
traffic on the I-205 freeway.
configuration there. Leaving the station, it heads
south and loops over part of the I-84/I-205 interchange The trackway approaching this site was designated
before descending beside I-205, heading north. It then “temporary,” to be relocated if necessary for future
passes under two bridges, one carrying a freeway ramp, terminal expansion. This “temporary” segment was built
the other the MAX Blue Line tracks from Portland— as single track to fit into the available right-of-way. It can
completing a 180-degree loop. enter the two-track terminal station without the need
for crossover tracks. The terminal platform is wedge-
Parkrose/Sumner shaped, with its widest end at the terminal doors and
The Parkrose/Sumner platform is located in the median narrowing to fit the geometry of the track switch at the
across the freeway from the Transit Center and Park & end of the platform.
Ride. At this location, the I-205 freeway is below grade.
As a design goal, TriMet wanted to avoid maintenance Technical Highlights
and vandalism issues with elevators.
Public art
By raising the trackway at the station, a pedestrian bridge
Incorporating public art into the design of stations and
could carry passengers from the median platform to the
Transit Center and Park & Ride—providing access for
disabled customers without the need for elevators. As an
additional safety measure, passengers access the station
by crossing the outbound track at the outbound end of
the platform, at the point where the train always stops.

Airport terminal
To maximize ridership, the airport line had to offer the
highest level of convenience for passengers. Locating
a suitable airport station site was difficult. At the time,
PDX airport was in the midst of a multi-year expansion
that would likely disrupt any route chosen for light rail
into the terminal.
facilities has become a hallmark of the Portland region’s
light rail system. Those at the Parkrose/Sumner platform
and on the I-205 freeway below experience the striking
“Fishbird” pedestrian bridge that connects the station
platform to the adjacent Transit Center.

Earlier plans had sought to postpone light rail Transit-oriented development

construction until expansion was complete, many years
Land around the new MAX Red Line will be developed
in the future—or to end the line behind the parking
under a single master plan. Cascade Station, a120-acre
structure, away from
transit-oriented development at the entrance to the airport,
expansion activity and
will be served by two light rail stations. The site will provide
an inconvenience to
10,000 jobs and $400 million worth of hotels, conference
transit riders. Finally
facilities, restaurants, retail, entertainment, and office space.
the station was sited
Buildout is set to be complete by 2015.
at the south entry to
the terminal, on the
baggage claim level.
 City of Portland

$28.2 million
$45.5 million
Bechtel Enterprises
TriMet

Total: $125 million

$28.3 million
Port of Portland

Snapshots Facilities
6
Length 5.5 miles (Gateway to airport)
Ridership Stations 4
5
First year 3.14 million Park & Rides 1 with 193 spaces
(FY02, 10 months of 4

operation) 3
Travel times
5.9 mil.
Total to date 8.5 Downtown Portland (Pioneer Square)
2
million, equal to to Gateway 24 minutes
3.14 mil. Gateway Transit Center to airport terminal
5.5 rides for every 1

resident in the 14 minutes

0
Portland metro area FY 02 FY 04 Downtown to airport terminal 38 minutes

Daily ridership each weekday, 2,600 people Timeline

get on or off at PDX, more than three times the
1997 Bechtel approaches City of Portland, TriMet
former bus ridership at PDX
and Port of Portland with a proposal to build
Frequency airport light rail
1998 “Yes” decision by Public Review Committee
Every 15 minutes, every day during service hours June 1999 Major construction begins
Fall 1999 CascadeStation development
Bus connections
construction begins
Connects with 73 TriMet bus lines and C-TRAN September 10, 2001 MAX Red Line opens
bus service to Vancouver, Washington August 31, 2003 Red Line extended to Beaverton
Transit Center to meet ridership demand
 Interstate MAX
Yellow Line
TriMet’s fourth light rail project opened four months early and millions under budget.
Savings and innovations came from every area of the project, from “value engineering”
and the greenest light rail construction in the nation, to creative community involvement
programs and a unique approach to DBE (Disadvantage Business Enterprise) contracting
that has become a national model for public construction projects.
Background
The Interstate MAX light rail project emerged from
the former South-North light rail project, which would
have stretched from the southern suburb of Milwaukie
through Portland and across the Columbia River into
Vancouver, Washington. Vancouver voters rejected
financing for their segment
MAX Yellow Line
of that line in 1995. Three
Park & Ride
years later, the Portland
Transit Center
region rejected a revised,
Oregon-only project,
though it was supported in
Multnomah County and in
the City of Portland.
Support revives
N Lombard TC
light rail for North
Portland
Portland business and
neighborhood leaders
asked TriMet and Metro
to find a way to build the
“north” segment but address
several issues. They wanted
Rose Quarter TC a cheaper project, no home
or business displacements,
and no increase in property
taxes. A 5.8-mile Interstate
MAX line emerged that
would serve North and
Northeast Portland
along Interstate Avenue,
terminating at the Expo Center. It would tie into the
existing MAX Blue Line at Rose Quarter.
Expo Center
Airport
Portland N
Hillsboro Milwaukie
Gresham
Beaverton
Clackamas
Part of the local funding for the $350 million proposal
included the region’s investment in the MAX Red Line,
which was constructed without federal funds. This
brought the federal share
for Interstate MAX to
$257.5 million. Regional
transportation funds, City
of Portland and TriMet
funds made up the $92.5
million balance.
The new MAX extension
opened four months earlier
than projected. Ridership has
been strong since opening day.
Design and
construction highlights
Community-focused design
A design priority was to transform Interstate Avenue
into a pedestrian friendly, multi-modal urban street.
Interstate MAX would serve long-established, diverse
neighborhoods with a strong sense of community.
Station placement, design and art elements reflected
the adjacent communities. The project also enhanced
the streetscape by tripling the number of trees
along Interstate Avenue. Since the project would be
constructed at grade within the existing street right-of-
way, it was also crucial to integrate safety, lighting and
aesthetics into the alignment design.
Rose Quarter junction
The Interstate MAX line begins at a triangular junction
with the existing MAX Blue Line, at the east end of the
Steel Bridge. The MAX Blue Line had to be closed for for the program. It also provided direction for the 18
a brief period while existing tracks were raised and artists and writers who developed over 50 art elements
realigned. During the for the line, and inspiration for an oral history project
closure, buses shuttled entitled Intersections: TriMet Interstate MAX Light Rail
MAX riders around the area. Community History Project.
Immediately after the
junction, Interstate MAX Construction innovations
enters the median of A model in earth-friendly construction
Interstate Avenue, which
Interstate MAX used innovative, green construction
it follows for the next 4.5
practices previously not widely applied to light rail
miles, climbing a six percent grade between Albina and
construction. The focus on green construction saved $3
Overlook Park stations.
million in construction costs. Examples include:
Moving Paul Bunyan • Using 6,000 recycled plastic railroad ties in
In the Kenton neighborhood, a 37- embedded trackway
foot, six-ton statue of Paul Bunyan • Employing recycled plastic bollards and chains to
served as a community icon for more discourage trespassing
than 40 years—and stood in the
middle of the planned alignment. In • Creating art elements for storm water
a community event, the statue was management
moved 59.2 feet to a new plaza. • Recycling asphalt and
Across from the statue, bright blue, concrete as base materials
hoof-shaped seating sculptures invoke for roadways, trackway and
Paul’s legendary companion, Babe the Blue Ox. sidewalks
Community art celebrates cultural • Expanding wetlands and
diversity tripling the number of trees
along the alignment
Guided by an art advisory committee comprised of
citizens and art professionals who live or work near • Reusing excavated soils in
the Interstate corridor, TriMet’s sewer trenches and planters,
Public Art Program was saving on hauling and
committed to representing disposal
the diversity of the Interstate • Recycling excavated old
community. An Art Plan was A tall sculpture suggestive
trolley rails of a ship’s prow at the N
commissioned which captured
Prescott St MAX Station
the unique cultural and historic • Designing system support
gathers and funnels
character of the 10 station areas buildings to shed rainwater rainwater to a drain
and provided the framework into the ground rather than leading to the nearby bio-
into the storm sewer system filtration greenspace.
Success with DBEs and workforce
diversity
From the beginning, TriMet wanted the community in
North and Northeast Portland to benefit economically
from the Interstate MAX project as much as possible. It
also committed to using contractors and a workforce on
the project that reflected the diversity of the community.
In the process, TriMet created a national model for
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) involvement.
Through innovative contracting—including breaking
up large contracts into smaller ones and rotating
DBE subcontractors within a scope of work—as well
as technical and financial assistance to DBEs, TriMet
worked together with its prime contractors to achieve
some remarkable results:
• 19 percent ($35 million) of the project’s total
contracting dollars went to local DBEs
• $8.1 million in contracts went to DBE
subcontractors in North and Northeast Portland
Business support program
Many of the businesses along Interstate Avenue
are small, owner-operated enterprises. To minimize
construction impact, TriMet maintained access to
businesses along the avenue and worked in 3-4 block
segments to complete work as quickly as possible.
To further offset possible construction impacts,
partner agencies created a marketing and advertising
campaign to draw in business. The broad-based
campaign included advertisements, direct mail,
promotions, financial assistance, technical workshops
for the businesses, and a “Lunch Bus” that brought
14,000 people to Interstate restaurants—resulting in
nearly $12,000 in income to these businesses. No
businesses along Interstate Avenue folded solely due to
construction, and 50 new businesses have opened.
Ahead of schedule and under budget
The Interstate MAX project opened four months early
on May 1, 2004, and millions under budget. Much of the
time and money savings came from value engineering,
utilizing the construction management/general
contractor delivery method, bringing the construction
contractor early into the design phase, and using
innovative construction practices and materials.
Technical highlights
Safety
Because of its highly pedestrian environment, a post
and chain barrier was installed between the tracks for
the length of the project. This system, previously used
on the Eastside MAX line prevents passengers from
walking out behind a train into the path of an oncoming
one. The use of recycled plastic bollards (posts) and
chain eliminated the need for an expensive grounding
system, which had been required with the steel chains
and bollards used on
TriMet’s previous rail
projects. Zee crossings
were also used to
protect pedestrians,
and new countdown
crossing signals were
introduced—the first use of these in Portland.
Vanport Bridge— Snapshots
the “Long Bridge”
Facilities
North of Kenton, Interstate
Length 5.8 miles
MAX goes aerial. A 4,000-
Stations 10
foot long elevated structure carries light rail over several
Park & Rides 2 with 300 spaces each
industrial properties, a railroad, river, floodplain and
Maintenance facility Expansion of the Ruby Junction
highways. Initially referred to as the Long Bridge, this
Maintenance Facility in Gresham accommodates the
is by far the longest structure built on the MAX system
new trains
to date. It was renamed the Vanport Bridge in memory
of the former city of Vanport located at this site. The Timeline
city was washed away by floodwaters in 1948, killing at
1999 Preliminary design and environmental studies began
least 15 people and leaving 18,000 residents homeless.
2000-2001 Project approval and construction
Vehicles 2002 Utility relocation completed
Winter 2003 Track/street/sidewalk construction
TriMet purchased new low-
completed
floor cars sporting TriMet’s
Summer 2003 Art pieces installed at all 10 stations
new logo and colors along
2003-2004 Signals, overhead power, shelters, testing
with 10 additional cars.
May 1, 2004 Opened four months ahead of schedule

Transit-oriented development Frequency

Interstate Avenue saw positive economic growth even During rush hours Every 10 minutes
before the project wrapped up. More than 50 new Midday and evenings Every 15 minutes
businesses have opened along the alignment. Two
major grocery stores enhanced service in the area: Fred Travel times
Meyer remodeled and upgraded its store at Interstate & 25 minutes from Expo Center to downtown Portland
Lombard; New Seasons built a new store at N. Portland (Interstate MAX Yellow Line service travels through
Boulevard, across from the MAX station. Nearby downtown Portland on the MAX Blue Line tracks from
neighborhoods are also seeing an increase in home sales the junction at Rose Quarter.)
and values.
Bus connections
Funding
• Interstate MAX service replaced Line 5-Interstate
$37.5 million
Regional
bus service.
transportation funds
• Service hours from Line 5 were used to improve service
Total: $350 million $257.5 million
on existing bus lines in North and Northeast Portland.
Federal
$30 million
City of Portland

$25 million
TriMet
 Portland Streetcar
Modern streetcars returned to North America after nearly a half-century with the
Portland Streetcar project. Serving as a catalyst for $1.5 billion in transit-oriented
investment, it has helped revitalize Portland’s urban core with over 5,300 new housing
units and more than 3.7 million square feet of office, institutional, retail and hotel
construction, all within a 90-block area formerly home to industrial land in decline.

A 0.6-mile River District extension of the Portland

Background Streetcar opened March 11, 2005. Starting at PSU and
Much of Portland’s early development grew up traveling to RiverPlace, the extension will soon extend
around its original streetcar lines. By the 1950s the to South Waterfront, connecting with the proposed
streetcar had disappeared from Portland, replaced by Portland Aerial Tram.
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Future planning
South Waterfront development strategy
An extension of streetcar service into the heart of the
South Waterfront District is an integral part of the
North Macadam Urban Renewal Plan adopted by
the City Council. The district has approximately 130
acres of land, most of which is either vacant or has
strong redevelopment potential. Portland Streetcar is
seen as a key catalyst to the development of housing,
neighborhood retail and office space with plans calling
for 10,000 new jobs and 3,000 housing units.
Gibbs Extension
The Portland Streetcar started construction on the
Gibbs Extension in January 2005, with completion to
SW Gibbs set to be in Fall 2005. Service begins in late
2006. This 0.6-mile extension connects at SW River
Parkway and SW Moody, follows SW Moody south
to SW Sheridan and from SW Sheridan to SW Gibbs
utilizing the former Willamette Shore trolley rail right-of-
way. All track work from SW River Parkway to Gibbs will
be single tracking. One additional stop will be located
at SW Moody and Gibbs to connect with the Portland
Aerial Tram. Development projects are already under
construction in the area.
When the Gibbs extension is complete, the Portland
Streetcar system will provide service from Northwest
Portland and Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital through
the Pearl District and West End of downtown to
Portland State University continuing to RiverPlace and
South Waterfront.
Design and construction
highlights
Contracted service
In 1995, the City of Portland contracted Portland
Streetcar, Inc. (PSI), a single-purpose, nonprofit
company to design, manage construction and operate
the Streetcar project. PSI consists of a group of selected
citizens and property owners along the alignment. This
partnership allowed the City to retain basic control
and employ a streamlined permitting and construction
process. It also eliminated the conflicts that can arise
when an outside agency builds a project in the public
right-of-way.
Design specs
• Portland Streetcar generally runs on opposite
one-way streets, with a single track on each
street, except to River Place from PSU , where it
runs in the center lane on the same street.
• Track is paved throughout with a shallow section
girder rail encased in a rubber boot that is set in
a reinforced concrete pavement slab eight feet
wide and 14 inches thick.
• Track and power systems are generally
compatible with the light rail system so
major maintenance can be done in TriMet’s
maintenance facilities.
Minimizing construction impacts
With much of construction occurring in Portland’s
city center and densely-populated neighborhoods,
minimizing construction impacts along the entire line
proved especially important. Street construction was
confined to the trackway itself to minimize disruption
to traffic and businesses. The construction activity was
also sequenced so that track could be paved with a
single pour, reducing the time needed to construct each
segment.
Fitting into its surroundings
A design priority for the Portland Streetcar alignment
was that it not affect the integrity of the neighborhoods
it runs through. As a result, the Portland Streetcar fits
the scale and traffic patterns of its surroundings:
• Shelters are small and fit within the
neighborhood’s architecture.
• Most of the Portland Streetcar’s route is shared
with other traffic, and as a result the Streetcar
can pre-empt traffic signals in only a few places.
• To the extent possible, the trackway conforms to
existing street grades.
• Stops are placed every two or three blocks with a
low platform extension from the street curb.
• Except at platforms, the Portland Streetcar’s
alignment maintained existing curbside parking
and loading.
Vehicles
In 1999, streetcars from Inekon-Skoda in the Czech
Republic were ordered. They are 66-foot-long, four-
axle, double articulated cars with low floors for
accessible boarding. Streetcars use basically the same
technology as light
rail, but are smaller
to fit into an urban
landscape. A carbarn
for storage and daily
maintenance was
constructed under
the I-405 Freeway. The system currently has seven
streetcars and two electric vintage trolleys.
Transit-oriented development
The Portland Streetcar
is part of the City’s
growth management
strategy and travels
through the heart of the
Pearl District—the gem
of pedestrian-friendly
and transit-oriented
development in the
region. Since 1997, over
$1.5 billion has been invested near the Streetcar line,
including over 5,300 new housing units and more than
3.7 million square feet of office, institutional, retail and
hotel construction—all within a 90-block area formerly
home to mostly decaying industrial buildings adjacent to
the downtown core. New parks, employment and retail
have made the Pearl a major destination and key source
of rides for Portland Streetcar.
Extending the line to SW Gibbs is a high priority for
the newly emerging South Waterfront “River Blocks”
development and the Oregon Health and Science
University’s designed Building One, a 16-story building,
slated to contain outpatient practices, educational
offices and research laboratories.
Funding
The total project cost for Phase I/II (Legacy to PSU) was
$56.9 million. The principal funding sources included
revenues from City-owned parking facilities, a local
improvement district and tax increment financing.
The cost of the $15.8 million Gibbs extension includes
purchase of three additional streetcars. Capital funding
sources include revenues from a local improvement Facilities
district, tax increment financing, and regional
Length 3 miles roundtrip
transportation funds.
Stations 40 platform stops
Snapshots Maintenance facility Carbarn at
Annual ridership 1516 NW Northrup

First year (FY02) 1,365,000 Timeline

Second Year (FY03) 1,623,000 1994 Portland City Council adopts the Central
City Streetcar alignment
Third Year (FY04) 1,994,000
1995 Portland Streetcar, Inc., is formed and
Travel Times chosen by the Portland City Council to lead
55–65 minutes Portland Streetcar does not the project
stop at every station automatically—only when a June 1998 TriMet’s Board of Directors approves
passenger is waiting or if an onboard passenger funding for a portion of Portland Streetcar’s
signals a stop request. operating costs—eventually agreeing to
contribute up to two-thirds of the cost.
Fares
Portland Streetcar and TriMet fares are the same, and 1999 Construction begins
valid TriMet tickets and passes are valid on the Portland July 20, 2001 Streetcar opens for service
Streetcar. Streetcar-only tickets are sold on board and
March 11, 2005 Extension to RiverPlace begins
are transferable to TriMet. The annual Streetcar-Only
passenger service
pass is available at TriMet’s Customer Assistance Office,
the PSU Information Office at the Urban Plaza and at January 2005 Construction begins from
Streetcar’s maintenance facility. Streetcar service is free RiverPlace to SW Moody/Gibbs
in Fareless Square.
Hours
Frequency Monday–Thursday 5:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m.
Weekdays Every 13 minutes from 9 a.m.
Fridays 5:30 a.m.–11:45 p.m.
to 8 p.m.
Saturdays 7:15 a.m.–11:45 p.m.
Weekdays after 8 p.m. Every 20–25 minutes
Sundays 7:15 a.m.–10:30 p.m.
Saturdays Every 13 minutes, 11 a.m.–
8 p.m., with morning and evening service every
20–25 minutes
Sundays Every 20 minutes
TriMet’s Transit Investment Plan
and future rail projects
Regional planning sets
the course
In 2002, TriMet developed a Transit Investment Plan. It
lays out TriMet’s strategies to meet transportation and
livability goals established by Metro, the Portland area’s
regional government charged with planning for the
region’s future.
Metro’s Region 2040 Growth Concept directs
development to population centers and along major
transportation corridors. Focusing new jobs, housing
and services in these areas reduces the need to drive.
The Growth Concept relies on a balanced transportation
system that accommodates walking, bicycling, driving,
using transit, and keeping freight moving to national and
international destinations.
Metro also produces the Regional Transportation Plan
(RTP). It sets direction for transportation development
over the next 20 years, though Metro periodically
updates the plan to reflect changing conditions and new
planning priorities.
Focusing resources for transit
The Transit Investment Plan (TIP) outlines how TriMet
will implement the transit portion of the RTP over a
five-year period through annual investments in service
improvements, on-street amenities and customer
information. Updated annually, it serves to focus TriMet,
local, regional, state and federal money into specific
transit corridors and geographic areas identified in the
regional plans.
Building the Total Transit System
The Total Transit System describes the many elements that
must be present to make transit attractive to riders. The
total transit system includes:
• Frequent, reliable service during all times of the day,
every day
• Clear customer information
• Easy access to stops
• Comfortable places to wait for transit
• Modern vehicles
Focusing on improvements to the Total Transit System
in a specific geographic area has resulted in double digit
ridership increases in those areas.
Regional partnerships
TriMet partners with local, regional, and state agencies
to provide many of important elements necessary to the
Total Transit System, such as roadways, sidewalks, safe
pedestrian crossings, signal priority for transit vehicles,
and building codes that promote and enhance pedestrian-
friendly areas. The TIP provides the framework for forming
these regional partnerships to improve access to transit and
encourage transit-oriented development.
TIP priorities
Transit investments are planned and programmed several
years in advance. TriMet and its partners must balance
competing needs and priorities to make choices on where
and how to invest limited transit-related dollars. The TIP
priorities are to:
• Maintain the quality of the existing system
• Grow the high capacity system—primarily the
rail system
• Expand the Frequent Service system—lines with
15-minute frequency or better, every day
• Improve local service within communities and their
connections to regional service
Growing high capacity transit and the proposed OHSU aerial tram. Eventually it could
extend to Lake Oswego along the Willamette Shore
The 2003 Transit Investment Plan identifies new light Trolley alignment.
rail projects for development over the next five years.
Here’s a look at some of the rail projects on the horizon. Currently the Willamette Shore Trolley provides
recreational service between Lake Oswego and
I-205 MAX and Portland Mall RiverPlace. The alignment was purchased from Southern
Revitalization Pacific in 1988 by a regional consortium to preserve the
right-of-way for future passenger rail service.
Over the past four years, the South Corridor Project, led
by Metro, has worked to identify transportation options Washington County Commuter Rail
for the fast-growing I-205
The Washington County Commuter Rail line would
and Milwaukie/Oregon
serve the heavily traveled Interstate 5 and Highway 217
City corridors. With the
corridor. The proposed 14.7-mile project would travel
overwhelming support of
between Beaverton Transit Center and Wilsonville, with
the community, not one,
stops in Tigard and Tualatin. Commuter Rail would share
but two light rail lines have
tracks with freight trains on the Portland & Western
been selected to serve
Railroad. The project is awaiting federal approval to
Clackamas County.
begin final design. It could open as early as 2006.
The first phase would bring light rail to I-205 between
Clackamas Town Center and Gateway, as well as add a TriMet’s Transit Investment Plan
second downtown Portland light rail alignment on the High Capacity Transit (Rail) Priorities
Transit Mall along S.W. 5th and 6th avenues. The second
phase would extend light rail from downtown Portland
to the southern suburb of Milwaukie.
Phase I projects are under review, with hopes to move
into Preliminary Engineering in Spring 2004.

Streetcar and Willamette Shore Trolley

The City of Portland’s 2.4-mile Streetcar line is ready
to expand. A planned 0.6-mile Portland Streetcar
extension would continue the existing line from Portland
State University to the RiverPlace development at the
southern end of downtown Portland. The extension
could open as early as 2005 and cost $18.2 million,
including two additional streetcars and the new Harrison
connector roadway. TriMet partners with the City by
contributing up to two thirds of the operating costs.
There is interest in extending the Streetcar line to
connect with the South Waterfront redevelopment area Dashed lines represent proposed expansion

200 • 11/04 • 04914 Printed on recycled paper

 Regional transportation and
land use planning
The story of how the Portland metropolitan region has become a national model for innovative and
effective land use and transportation planning.

Just like other cities Transit in trouble

Until the late 1960s, Portland was just like other Meanwhile transit ridership continued to fall. From a
American cities its size. It grew up around a streetcar high of 160 million during World War II, transit ridership
system, which then fell to 16 million in 1969. That year, the Rose City Transit
faded away as Company, facing bankruptcy, demanded a major fare
automobiles came hike and threatened to discontinue all service.
to dominate urban
In response, the Oregon Legislature passed House
transportation.
Bill 1808 in 1969, allowing establishment of public
Faced with low-cost,
transit and transportation
widespread auto use
districts and providing
and starved of capital,
them with the power to
transit declined
raise revenue through a
rapidly. Aggressive highway building—as an outgrowth
payroll tax. The Portland
of the Interstate Highway program initiated in 1956—
region, which stretches into
became the logical solution to the growing region’s
Multnomah, Clackamas,
transportation needs.
and Washington counties,
With growing auto use came growing congestion. By formed the Tri-County
1959 the local governments, under the coordination Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, or
of a new regional planning agency called the Columbia TriMet, to take over the struggling local bus companies
Region Association of Governments (CRAG) initiated including Rose City Transit in the city and the Blue Lines
the first comprehensive analysis of travel demand in in the suburbs and to provide public transit service
the region. Its Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan Area throughout the new district.
Transportation Study (PVMATS), completed in 1966,
assumed no constraints on highway travel—a common Re-thinking the transportation
approach for its
time. By 1971, it
problem
had produced a In the early 1970s came a revolution in how Portland
Transportation and the state envisioned their future. In 1971, the
Plan for 1990, Oregon Legislature set the stage with Senate Bill
recommending 100, establishing the country’s first statewide land-
54 major use planning laws to protect the state’s livability and
new highway rural farmland by preventing unchecked sprawl. Two
projects, many years later, the State adopted the Land Conservation
of them freeways and expressways to be “superimposed Development Commission’s 14 statewide planning
on the existing street network.” goals and required cities and counties to develop
comprehensive plans to meet those goals.
Downtown Portland focuses on transit
for revival
Long before the new statewide planning laws, suburban
growth began to outstrip that in the central city, leaving
downtown
Portland to
struggle against
the urban
decline affecting
many cities
around the
country. Historic
buildings
were razed to
construct surface parking lots, and “urban renewal”
efforts had replaced once-vibrant neighborhoods with
superblocks and high-rise apartments.
Mayor Neil Goldschmidt stepped forward to lead
the1972 Downtown Plan. It focused on linking the
density and type of development with the transportation
system and the creation of a “parking lid” to control
auto access and reduce air pollution. It also envisioned
a “24-hour downtown” with housing and abundant
ground-floor retail to revive the central city. The Plan
established S.W. 5th and 6th avenues as the office and
retail spine for downtown. It also designated 5th and
6th avenues as primarily transit streets for buses and
the streets on either side of 5th and 6th as primarily
auto access streets. This set the tone for development of
a balanced regional transportation system.
Public transportation steps forward
By 1973, the newly-formed TriMet had completed
an Immediate Action Plan and a 1990 Master Plan to
reverse public transportation’s decline in the region.
The plans supported concentrating transit service in
downtown Portland on bus-only transit malls along S.W.
5th and 6th avenues and also recommended building
a series of suburban park & rides to attract auto users
to the bus system and developing transitways in major
corridors to enhance bus service. Light rail is mentioned
only briefly, but was not recommended for further
consideration.
The move to a balanced transportation
system
In May 1973, Governor Tom McCall appointed a task
force to create a new transportation plan for the
Portland region. Their groundbreaking 1975 Interim
Transportation Plan said the region should scale back
highway building to a handful of basic needs and
develop a balanced transportation system that included
a network of transitways in major travel corridors,
focusing first on the Banfield Freeway corridor.
Equally
important, the
plan suggested
future
development
and land
use in the
region should
be tied to
corresponding
transportation development. Portland became the first
major urban area in the U.S. to adopt such a philosophy.
In 1974, public opposition to the planned Mount Hood
Freeway crested as studies showed how the project
along the Powell Boulevard corridor would destroy
southeast Portland and Gresham neighborhoods at a
cost of over $400 million in 1972 dollars. That year, the
Portland City Council and the Multnomah County Board
officially rejected the project and began considering
other ways of providing access in this east-west
corridor—reflecting the region’s new approach to land
use and transportation.

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Regional transportation and
land use planning (cont’d.)

Embracing regional planning Beginning the light rail network

By the late 1970s Portland had begun to transform as it The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1973 had made it
embraced regional land use and transportation planning possible for states to transfer funds from unneeded
to promote and preserve its livability: freeway projects to other transportation projects,
including transit. In 1977, Oregon asked to transfer
• In 1976, funding from the discontinued Mount Hood Freeway
Portland project to the Banfield Light Rail Project. Receiving
replaced a federal approval in 1980, this landmark decision—
four-lane brokered by the Mayor of Portland, the Governor and
downtown the head of the Oregon Transportation Commission—
expressway marked the beginning of a light rail network that has
with today’s served as a catalyst and focal point for development
Waterfront throughout the region, and as emerged as the backbone
Park. for the regional public transit system.
• By 1977,
the new Transit Mall on S.W. 5th and 6th avenues Adopting a 50-year land use and
became the focus for downtown redevelopment, transportation vision for the region
as envisioned in the Downtown Plan. The region Affirming the region’s new direction in 1978, voters
studied replaced the Columbia Region Association of
transit Governments (CRAG) with the Metropolitan Service
options for District, or Metro. This new elected regional government
the Banfield was given expanded powers and
(Portland to responsibilities to
Gresham) plan for the region’s
corridor, future. A year later
and light rail Metro established
emerged as the region’s Urban
the preferred alternative over the bus transitway Growth Boundary
initially proposed. (UGB) as required by
• In 1981, the City of Portland rejected plans to the Statewide Plannjng
build a 10-floor parking garage in the heart of Law to contain sprawl
downtown, ultimately choosing to construct and provide cost-
Pioneer Courthouse Square—today often referred effective urban services
to as “Portland’s living room”—in response to and transportation within the boundary. By 1983 it had
community demand. adopted a new Regional Transportation Plan to guide
investments in the region’s transportation system.
In 1992 voters approved
a new charter for Metro,
strengthening its land use
responsibilities and authority,
and directing it to prepare a
vision to guide the region’s
growth for the next 50 years.
The Region 2040 Plan was
created to guide growth for
the entire region, analyzing
several growth scenarios
and their implications for transportation, housing,
urban services, the environment, land use, parks and
open space, and other key indicators. In 1994, after an
extensive public process, the Metro Council adopted
the 2040 Growth Concept that focused dense urban
growth in the central city and a hierarchy of regional and
town centers connected by highways and high capacity
transit. The growth concept also identified areas for
transit station communities and main streets that create
a better environment for pedestrians and transit.
Metro has authority to review local comprehensive plans
to ensure that they meet the goals of the Region 2040
Plan. Metro identifies targets for local governments, but
local zoning authority establishes the actual land use
pattern in a community.
Implementing the transportation system
Metro’s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) implements
the transportation elements of the Region 2040 Plan,
following policies contained in the plan. All major
transportation decisions in the Portland region are made
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by the Joint Policy Advisory
Committee on Transportation
(JPACT), made up of local
elected officials and agency
heads. JPACT allocates federal
funds to both highway and
transit projects and provides
the forum where the region’s
balanced approach to
transportation is hammered
out. After the planning
phase is complete, TriMet moves projects into design,
construction and operation and is the project owner.
Essential to the region’s
livability
The Portland metropolitan area has become a national
model for innovative and effective land use and
transportation planning—helping our region grow
quickly while helping keep our communities and natural
environment healthy and strong. As the primary public
transportation provider in the region, TriMet plays
a leading role in these efforts. The region’s light rail
system has helped spur $3 billion in transit-oriented
development along the MAX lines. Much of this
development mixes residential with retail and other
commercial use, creating communities where people
can live, work and play. That has helped enrich our cities
and neighborhoods while protecting them and our
natural environment from sprawl, traffic congestion and
associated air pollution.
 An environmental model:
Interstate MAX construction
Innovative green construction practices not previously applied to light rail saved $3 million

A commitment to Eliminating wooden and steel forms

our environment
TriMet is an environmental leader in the transit
industry. From Environmental Management Systems
to green construction practices, TriMet is committed to
environmental protection.
Four miles of trackway concrete wa
placed by the extrusion method—
speeding up construction work and
eliminating the need for wooden and
steel forms.

Construction innovations Reusing materials

TriMet worked with its contractor Stacy and Witbeck,
and FE Ward to test and develop new practices for light
rail construction. This collaborative effort resulted in
several innovations and cost savings on the Interstate
MAX Yellow Line.
Plastic railroad ties
TriMet is the first to use recycled plastic railroad ties in
embedded light rail trackway. Instead of using steel,
the MAX line used 6,000
plastic ties made of
recycled plastic automobile
gas tanks. Another benefit
is that the plastic ties won’t
affect the MAX signaling
system, unlike steel ties.
Plastic bollards
Interstate MAX is the first to use recycled plastic
bollards in paved portions of the trackway. The bollards
and the recycled plastic chain discourage pedestrians
from crossing the trackway. The recycled bollards are
20 percent cheaper than steel, saving $100,000. The
plastic bollards also eliminated the need for grounding
that is required for steel bollards, saving an additional
$150,000.
TriMet reused materials that were located along
Interstate Avenue. This saved money by reducing the
amount of new materials purchased and the cost of
sending materials to landfills.
Layering instead of removing
On several acres of track construction, TriMet used an
innovative practice that allows the existing road base
concrete to stay in place while a new layer of asphalt
is laid on top. This practice saved nearly $2.4 million in
demolition, trucking and disposal fees.
Recycling pavement and
track
In sections where the existing roadway
couldn’t be left in place, TriMet used
recycled asphalt and concrete as
base materials for roadway, trackway
and sidewalks. About 80,000 yards
of material was used in all, enough to cover a 50-foot
wide strip, five miles long and 1.5 feet deep. TriMet
saved $186,000 by foregoing the purchase of solely
virgin materials and on disposal fees. Old trolley rails
uncovered during excavation were excavated, saved and
recycled into rebar.
Reusing excavated soils
TriMet worked with environmental regulators so that
excavated soils could be reused on site. Typically
excavated soil is hauled to a disposal site. Because
TriMet showed the soil was not
polluted, it could be reused as fill
material along the line.
Storm water
management
Where construction was near
waterways, TriMet came up with
environmentally sensitive solutions
and the innovation of incorporating
art into its storm water management projects.
At Delta Park/Vanport Station
TriMet constructed a pond with plantings and artwork
to collect and naturally clean storm water runoff from
the Park & Ride lot at the Delta Park/Vanport MAX
Station. A bio-swale receives runoff from the 4,000-
foot Vanport Bridge via a cast-bronze art scupper,
providing natural filtration prior to entering the storm
sewer system. Using a water quality pond saved TriMet
$186,000 by avoiding the cost of additional piping and
a pumping station.
At N Prescott St Station
A tall sculpture suggestive of a ship’s prow at the
Prescott MAX station gathers rainwater and funnels it to
a drain leading to the nearby bio-filtration greenspace.
Filtering roadway runoff
TriMet replaced four drains that sent polluted storm
water into the Willamette River. The new drains trap
and filter out debris and pollutants from 36 acres of
roadway.
Eco-friendly landscaping and
buildings
TriMet tripled the number of trees located along
Interstate Avenue, and numerous large trees were
relocated in the area. Neighbors helped select the size
and type of tree species to be planted. Naturescaping
principles were applied when selecting plantings that
could survive in an urban environment using
less water, fertilizers and pesticides.
Wetlands
TriMet expanded and re-created the
wetland next to the Forebay Slough on
Portland International Raceway property.
About 18,000 cubic yards of soil was
excavated to allow the newly restored
wetland and the Forebay Slough to become
one continuous body of water. TriMet enhanced the
wetland by planting more than 200 trees, 12,000
deciduous shrubs and 12,000 plants. The wetland
provides wildlife habitat and the ability to bio-cleanse
the water.
Less impervious surfaces
Interstate MAX reduced the amount of impervious
surfaces along Interstate Avenue. More than two acres
have been converted to pervious surfaces, allowing
rainwater to filter into the ground.
Concrete unit pavers were used at all 10 MAX station
platform areas allowing rainwater to filter into the
ground. The pavers also provide easy access for
maintenance.
TriMet’s public art program

The goal of TriMet’s public art program is to promote increased transit usage and community pride by integrating
temporary and permanent art works into the public transit system. The art recognizes the cultural richness of the
region served by TriMet and celebrates public transportation.
TriMet initiated the Public Art Program as part of the planning and construction of the Westside extension of the
MAX Blue Line in 1992. TriMet formalized its commitment to art by passing a resolution to establish an agency-wide
program in 1997. Public art is now a component of all new projects in both TriMet’s bus and light rail systems.

MAX Blue Line

• The vision of artists was incorporated into the planning and design of the
Westside extension of the MAX Blue Line. Two volunteer citizen committees
oversaw the work of eight design team artists and 15 project artists.
• More than 100 permanent art elements bring individual identity to each of the
20 MAX stations and honor the history, culture and landscape along the line.

Washington Park: 16 million years of Washington Street/SE 12th Ave: Over 650 local Goose Hollow/SW Jefferson St: Images
geological history is revealed in the nearly Hillsboro residents created tiles for a 140 foot- of goosewings stretch across the glass
300 foot-long core sample timeline. long wall along the platform. canopy of the eastbound shelter.

MAX Red Line

• Artists developed an Art Plan and worked with project architects to design system-wide art elements along
the Airport Line.
• Two design team artists and three station artists created public art projects at five stations along the Airport Line.

Parkrose/Summer TC: Home furnishings made of The “Fishbird” pedestrian bridge spans I-205 to link the light rail platform
galvanized steel blend the private with the public behind to the Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center and Sandy Blvd.
a screen of swirling blue art glass.
 Interstate MAX Yellow Line
• Guided by an art advisory committee comprised of citizens who live
or work near the Interstate corridor, the program established a unique
identity for each of the 10 stations along the new line.
• Eighteen artists and writers developed approximately 50 art elements
that draw upon the history and culture of the individual station areas.

N Killingsworth St: Colorful mosaic tile Interstate/Rose Quarter: Two groups Traditional timber gates mark the
on shelter columns is inspired by the of metal trees generate their own entrance to the station at the site
traditional arts of Africa. electricity through solar panels that of the WWII Japanese-American
branch out of the upper boughs. Assembly Center.

Bus stops and transit centers

An innovative pilot project reuses graffiti-damaged glass Gresham Central TC: The “Living Room” features a
bus shelter panels by sandblasting them into artwork. community-made mosaic “rug” and furniture cast of
concrete and bronze.

To learn more
Contact Mary Priester, TriMet Public Art Manager at 503-962-2291, or Stacey Drake Edwards, Public Art Coordinator
at 503-962-2159.

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 Stations
Designing for a positive transit experience and community aesthetic
With the opening of Interstate MAX on May 1, 2004,
TriMet now has 64 stations in the MAX system, In
addition, the Portland Streetcar line includes 32
platforms stops.
Station basics
• The short blocks in downtown Portland restrict
station length to 200 feet, which can handle a
two car consist.
• All platforms are 10 inches above top of rail,
allowing virtually level boarding to low floor
cars—which have a bridgeplate for wheelchairs to
cross the small vertical and horizontal gap at the
car threshold.
• Both side and central platforms are used on
the MAX system, and some transit centers and
terminal stations have three tracks for layover
and emergency storage.
• Platforms are equipped with shelters, ticket
vending machines and ticket validators, posted
schedule and station information, and real time
“next-train” displays are being added throughout
the system.
Aesthetics
TriMet has made stations’ appearance a priority,
reflecting TriMet’s goal to create a positive total transit
experience for
passengers. The
station architecture is
purposefully designed
to relate to the local
community context
and helps establish a
local character:
• The Eastside MAX Blue Line stations generally
followed a traditional style, constructed in
modern materials. The shelters have pitched roof,
with scalloped eaves and perforated ridgelines.
The roof and structure is a subdued turquoise
color.
• Inner Westside Blue Line stations follow a more
contemporary line, with shed roofs, and angular
supports. The roof and structure is painted
TriMet’s agency standard dark blue.
• The Hillsboro stations on the Blue Line reverted
to a more traditional style. The basic roofs and
structures are painted a sea-foam green, except
for the Main St. station’s copper roofs.
• The Airport Red Line
also developed a
contemporary design
which utilized a
‘gull-wing’ shape that
reflected an airport
sensibility. Its color
scheme is a silver
painted roof, and
dark blue structure.
• Interstate MAX has created a more economical
design that utilizes a traditional pitched roof,
but uses an elegant stainless steel corrugated
roof material, and rich, deep red color for the
structure.
Station highlights
A number of stations stand out for their interesting
architecture or operating characteristics:
• Gateway Transit Center Station includes three
platforms and tracks as the junction with the
 Airport MAX Red Line and numerous bus
lines—all at-grade to make transfers easier for
passengers.
• Rose Quarter Station is adapted to handle
crowds from the nearby Rose Garden Arena,
with a third track and platform adjacent to a bus
transit center. The new Interstate MAX Station
lies a short distance beyond, making this a major
transfer point.
• Pioneer Square North and South stations have
platforms that
function as
extensions of
the Pioneer
Courthouse
Square—often
called Portland’s
living room.
• Beginning with the Westside MAX Blue Line, all
station designs have incorporated significant
public art elements created to reflect the
communities, history and unique character
around each station area.
• Washington Park Station, constructed in the
middle of the West Hills tunnel, lies 260 feet
below ground—making it the second deepest
transit station in the
world. Station design
used core samples
taken during the
tunnel’s construction
to create geological
interpretive displays.
The engraved elevators
take visitors up to the multi-level station plaza
at the front steps of the Oregon Zoo, Forest
Discovery Center and Children’s Museum.
• Beaverton Transit Center offers a spacious
waiting hall for rail and bus connections, along
with a streamside walk. It will be the northern
terminus for the Washington County Commuter
Rail line set to open in 2007.
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• Hillsboro Central Transit Center recalls the old
interurban railway station that once stood on
the site, even down to
its semaphore signal
weathervane sculpture.
• The first Interstate MAX
station at the Rose
Quarter incorporates
elegant stainless steel
‘trees’ that are illuminated at night by battery
power LED lights, which receive their power from
photo-voltaic panels.
• Vanport/Delta Park Station art includes rooftops
floating on the ground below the station—
commemorating the Vanport community lost
here to flooding in 1948.
• The final Interstate MAX station at the Expo
Center features five Japanese design inspired
cedar “gates” over 30 feet tall. Stainless steel
“tags” flutter from the timbers to commemorate
the Japanese-Americans held at an internment
processing center here during World War II.
Portland Streetcar platforms
Portland streetcar stops are considerably smaller
than the MAX stations, with platforms about 45 feet
long—just long enough to cover the vehicle. Most of the
platforms consist of an 8-foot extension of the sidewalk,
with a small shelter and a real-time next arrival display.
At the Portland State University stop, the platform is
part of the Urban Studies Center plaza. Because of their
urban locations the
stations are part
of the sidewalk,
and extend out
into the parking
zone to create the
necessary platform
width. The
streetcar tracks
are located in one of the vehicular traffic lanes, so auto
traffic and streetcars mix together.
 Rail maintenance facilities
Ever evolving facilities keep maintenance at the leading edge
TriMet’s Ruby Junction facility
TriMet’s first rail maintenance facility, Ruby Junction in
Gresham was built in 1982 as part of the Eastside MAX
light rail project.
• The main facility houses the 112,000 square
foot workshop area for light rail vehicle (LRV)
maintenance and repairs including inspection
pits, wheel truing, paint shop, truck repair, and
long-term and short-term repair stations.
• The facility was expanded in the 1990s to
accommodate low-floor cars and increase
storage capacity from 26 LRVs to 42 to
accommodate new cars from the Westside
MAX extension.
• By 2001, with the
completion of Airport
MAX and Interstate
MAX on the way, the
yard was expanded
again to store 67
LRVs. A new building
was added to
relocate maintenance
of way, the paint
shop, the body shop and metal fabrication—
making room for expanded unit repair and bay
areas in the existing shop.
Control Center
Ruby Junction houses TriMet’s bus and rail Control
Center. When Eastside MAX light rail began operating
in 1986, the design philosophy was to “keep it simple.”
Initially built for rail only, the Control Center included a
two-channel desktop radio, a computer to log events, a
magnet board to show train location in the yard, a strip
map of the line, and a staff person on duty 24-hours-
a-day to operate the system. Additional computer and
radio systems were added to track alarms from the
fare machines and
substations.
When Westside MAX
opened in 1998, the
rail fleet went from
26 to 72 cars stored
at two locations.
Control Center was
upgraded at that time
to electronically track trains and monitor field equipment
such as power substations, fare machines, elevators,
and new security and emergency ventilation systems in
the tunnel.
In 2001, as part of the Airport MAX extension, Control
Center was expanded to incorporate bus operations
dispatch into the same work space, providing more
effective coordination between the bus and rail
dispatch, especially during service disruptions. The
Control Center was recently expanded to accommodate
the Interstate MAX line, bringing the rail system to 44
miles and 105 cars.
TriMet’s Elmonica facility
Elmonica is located near the midpoint of the Westside
MAX Blue Line and was built as a satellite facility to
reduce deadhead mileage and improve reliability in the
event of a service disruption on the Eastside Blue Line.
• It’s North America’s first facility expressly
designed to accommodate low-floor cars.
• All work areas were equipped with roof level
service bays
 • A wheel-truing
bay and pit bay were
Portland Streetcar facility
added later in an A two-block site between Lovejoy and Northrup streets
area designed for under the I-405 freeway holds a 75,000 square foot
expansion. shop equipped to handle cleaning, inspection, running
repairs, materials storage. Heavy repairs and body work
• The site’s 18 acres can be done at Ruby Junction or contracted out. The
and 70,000 square facility also houses
foot shop supports operations and
inspections, light maintenance staff.
repairs, component
exchanges for both high and low-floor cars, Three parallel
HVAC unit repairs, and rebuild for the entire fleet. exterior tracks can
store of up to 10
• It has storage for 42 LRVs and can be expanded cars, with space
to 48. for two additional
tracks in the future.
Vintage Trolley carbarn Two of the three
In 1988 a small carbarn was constructed under I-5 at tracks pass through
the Rose Quarter MAX Station to provide day-to-day the building, each with repair stations and pits. One
cleaning and is also equipped with elevated work platforms and an
maintenance overhead crane to service roof mounted equipment.
for four
replica Lake Oswego carbarn
streetcars. It In 1998 the City of Lake Oswego obtained an ISTEA
also serves grant and constructed a carbarn to store and service the
as a crew elderly streetcars used to operate the Willamette Shore
report site. Trolley. The facility has two tracks, pits and a small office
The simple area. It stores the line’s two streetcars with generator
brick building carts and track inspection motor cars.
has two tracks, a pit, and a short spur track off the MAX
Blue Line. Large windows allow public viewing of cars
when not in service.

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 Portland’s rail vehicle fleet
Looking for a better customer experience leads to America’s first low-floor cars
Type 1 light rail vehicles
Two classes of light rail vehicles (LRV) operate on the
TriMet system. The first class is referred to as Type 1.
Between 1984 and 1986, 26 LRVs were purchased
for the original Eastside MAX line and delivered by
Bombardier. Bombardier developed the design from
cars previously supplied to Rio de Janeiro and Manila.
They’ve run reliably over a million miles on the TriMet
system since their first arrival.
Type 1 specifications
• Vehicles are six axle, single-articulated cars, 89-
feet long.
• Cars have high floors and interior steps for use
with low platforms.
• Platform-mounted lifts were used for wheelchair
loading before the arrival of low-floor cars. (The
Type 1 cars are now only run in consist with Type
2 LRVs, so that all trains are fully accessible.)
Type 2: Low-floor cars
In 1992 TriMet conducted a “Level Boarding Study” on
low-floor cars and concluded that they were the least
costly way to provide universal, level boarding on the
entire light rail system.
TriMet first ordered 35 low-floor cars for the Westside
light rail project, supplied by Siemens and assembled in
Sacramento. With subsequent add-on orders for system
ridership growth and an extension to the airport, a total
of 52 cars were delivered between 1997 and 2000.
Type 2 specifications
• Vehicles are six-axle, double-articulated cars,
92-feet long.
• The low-floor design is 14 inches above top of rail
(empty, with new wheels) for use with a 10-inch
platform.
• The low-floor center section makes up 70 percent
of the floor area, with interior steps to carry
people to the high-floor section that rests atop
the powered trucks.
• The bridgeplate provides what is known as “level
boarding” for passengers who request it. Bridge
plates extend out 15 inches and span a nominal
two-inch horizontal and three-inch vertical gap.
Type 3 LRVs Portland Streetcar specifications
TriMet has 27 Type 3 LRVs ordered from Siemens. • The four-axle, double-
These newest LRVs are essentially the same as the Type articulated cars are
2s, except they have automatic passenger counters and 67-feet long.
improved air conditioning systems. Seventeen were • Cars have fixed non-
rotating trucks under
each high-floor end
section with a center
low section suspended
between them.
• A bridge plate is used to provide level access for
passengers in wheelchairs.

ordered for the new Interstate MAX line, and 10 for Vintage Trolley
ridership growth. They can be identified by the new blue
Vintage Trolleys are replicas of the famous Council Crest
and yellow TriMet exterior graphics.
streetcars. They operate on the Streetcar alignment and
on Sundays on MAX between downtown Portland and
Train configurations Lloyd Center. Ordered from Gomaco and delivered in
Two-car trains provide most of TriMet’s service. Type 2 1988, they are four axle, non-articulated and are not
cars are designed to run singularly, in pairs or coupled wheel-chair accessible.
to another Type 1, 2 or 3 cars. These configurations
ensure that at least one car in a train is fully accessible,
making it possible to remove the obsolete Eastside MAX
platform lifts.
TriMet now operates 105 LRVs.

Portland Streetcars
In the late 1990s, the search began for a suitable
streetcar to run on the new Portland Streetcar system.
Formal proposals were requested to supply four to
six streetcars of proven design that are lower, shorter
and narrower than LRVs. Inekon-Skoda of the Czech
Republic won the bid. To date, seven of these cars have
been delivered to Portland, and two more are on order
for the RiverPlace extension.
Historic streetcars
The Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society runs an
historical Portland Broadway Car built by Brill in 1930. It
recently retired the use of a Blackpool (England) double
decker car from 1902 . These cars use generator carts to
operate.

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 Power, signals and traffic interface
Reliability, flexibility and a commitment to trains stopping only stations, not intersections
Power
The TriMet light rail system is powered by a
conventional 750 volts DC overhead system. In central
city areas, a single contact wire is used to minimize the
amount of overhead wiring. All other locations use a
dual wire catenary, having a contact wire supported by a
messenger wire. This system allows higher speeds and
requires fewer poles.
Overhead
Particular attention has been
given to the visual impact of light
rail overhead wires. In downtown
Portland, ornamental poles support
the overhead and street lighting. In
some locations, particularly on the
Portland Streetcar, buildings and
bridge structures are used to avoid
the need for poles. Extensive tree
planting and tall buildings often mask
the silhouette of the wires. On the
new MAX Yellow Line, light poles in the street median
support the overhead.
Substations
Substations convert high voltage power from the
public supply to the 750 volt DC power used by trains.
MAX substations are spaced at roughly one and a
half mile intervals. The power system can bridge any
one substation so trains can continue to run when a
substation or its supply is down.
The Portland Streetcar uses a compatible 750-Volt
DC system, but with smaller substations located more
frequently. This way, the system can operate without
feeders between power supply points.
Signals and train control
Approximately 30 percent of the TriMet light rail
(LRT) line operate in the median of city streets. In
these sections, train operation is on line of sight. Train
operators observe traffic signals and are prepared to
stop short of any obstruction. Speeds do not exceed
35 mph in these sections and are generally restricted to
15–30 mph.
Block signal system and ATS
Where operating speeds do not allow line-of-sight
operation, TriMet uses three aspect, Automatic Block
System (ABS) wayside signals. In these sections,
Automatic Train Stop (ATS) protection applies a train’s
braking system automatically should a train operator fail
to obey a red (stop) signal. Approximately 70 percent of
the MAX alignment use this type of signal protection.
The system provides for both interline routes and
turn-backs, with route signaling and power switches
where the MAX Red Line and Yellow Line intersects
the Blue Line. The end of each line also has turn-backs
with route signaling and power switches. Reverse
running is provided in the Washington Park tunnel and
in single-track sections of the MAX Red Line. Signal
interlockings are also furnished in dark territory, where
powered switches are provided. The system provides a
design headway of two minutes forty five seconds and a
scheduled headway of three minutes.
Traffic interface
TriMet and the local traffic signal jurisdictions use
various forms of interconnect to accomplish two major
goals: first, to provide safe operations for both MAX and
vehicle traffic, and second, to minimize delays to both
MAX and vehicle traffic. Traffic interface has to be site
specific, use proven equipment, be simple to program
and maintain, and fail safe.
Pre-empt strategies
Preemption varies by degree. For the most part, MAX
operates between station platforms without stopping
for intermediate intersections.
East Burnside Street and sections of Interstate MAX
In these segments, the light rail trains (LRTs) operate
at track speeds of up to 35 mph within the median
of city streets. Trains pre-empt the intersections
using conventional traffic signal equipment. Trains
are detected by inductive loops or by train/wayside
communications loops and the intersection controller
starts a pre-timed routine that will bring up the pre-
empt while the train is still further than stopping
distance from the intersection.
Wayside pre-empt indicators display four traffic signals
to the LRT operator: yellow horizontal, flashing yellow
horizontal, white vertical, flashing white vertical. Colored
signal indications such as Ts or Xs can be misinterpreted
by vision challenged motorists. To avoid confusion to
motorists, TriMet has adopted the bar signal system
used in Europe for buses and rail transit.
A “Decision Point” marker is installed on the track to
help the operator decide what speed to use. In the event
a pre-empt does not occur, the train can stop at the
normal service braking rate. A second detector sounds
as soon as the train has cleared the intersection, causing
normal activity to resume.
The intersections are intertied to postpone the
pedestrian phase at closely spaced intersections if
needed, but otherwise operate autonomously—reducing
the risk of multiple failures. If an individual intersection
fails, the train stops at the intersection and may then
proceed on the next safe phase, usually the parallel
traffic green.
Hillsboro
Hillsboro uses a similar concept except that narrow
roadway prevented installation of left turn pockets at
intersections. Left turns are permitted across the tracks
by running the trains through the intersections on an
“all-red” phase. Left turns are then permitted simply by
not being prohibited! Train speeds do not exceed 25
mph in this segment.
Downtown Portland
The city center’s 200-foot blocks and alternating one-
way streets allow a traffic progression at approximately
15 mph in all four directions. MAX runs from station to
station on the Morrison/Yamhill Street couplet within
this progression. Trains must wait at stations for the
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progression, resulting in minor delays—depending on
dwell time. TriMet expects to operate 3-minute headways
in the streets with negligible impact on cross traffic.
Parallel traffic can turn across the tracks on a green
signal. A train-actuated white bar signals the train to
enter the intersection ahead of any turning traffic. The
few seconds required for this advance white bar is
gained by shortening the two succeeding green phases.
This is the only loss of green time caused by trains
operating through downtown.
When MAX first ran on Morrison Street, turns across
the tracks were prohibited. Several accidents happened
when motorists turned illegally. When the signals were
changed to allow these turns, the accidents occurred
less frequently.
Portland Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar system operates within the
traffic signal system and only pre-empts where it must
turn across traffic on S.W. Market Street at 5th and
11th avenues.
Gated crossings
The MAX system
includes 36 gated at-
grade crossings with
flashing lights and bells
where the LRT crosses
a public road at speeds
greater than 25 mph
and at intersections that
do not have existing
traffic control signals. Crossings adjacent to stations use
wayside signals and ATS to hold the train at the platform
until the minimum crossing warning is completed.
Where signal-controlled intersections are close to gated
crossings, interconnect provides traffic clear out time.
Traffic signal intersections and MAX
interlockings
Where the track configuration, street geometry and
MAX operations dictate, street interlocking protection
facilitates train moves by means of powered switches.
Traffic signal pre-empt display and route signaling
display are merged into a single signal head to simplify
the information given to the operator.
 Trackways
Tailoring trackway configurations for flexibility on Portland’s nationally recognized system
Evolution of track in Portland
The MAX and Streetcar systems use three types of track:
paved track, direct fixation track, and open (tie and
ballast) track. The evolution of paved track standards
in Portland is of
some interest.
Paved track is
required where
the track will be
shared with other
road traffic or in
city streets where
a paved surface
is required for
safety, aesthetics
or drainage. Railroads and the original streetcar systems
usually built paved track by paving over regular tie and
ballast track. Today electric rail systems must usually
provide electrical isolation to prevent the return current
in the rails from leaking into utilities and accelerating
corrosion. Modern street standards also require a high
quality trackway finish to minimize obstacles to other
road users.
Eastside MAX track
The Eastside MAX line adopted a European design that
uses Ri 59 girder rail “glued” into a slot in the pavement
with a rubberized elastomer. This system is expensive
to construct and difficult to repair, but very dependable.
The track from Lloyd Center to S.W. 11th Avenue is an
example.
Westside track
Westside MAX provided an opportunity to explore
alternative designs. The MAX track from S.W. 11th to the
tunnel was constructed in an insulated trench, where a
track slab is installed. Ri 59 girder rails are fastened to
this slab and rubber spacer strips are used to separate
the rails from the adjoining pavement. This system
was designed to facilitate rail replacement, and its
construction is less dependent on dry weather.
Hillsboro track
Downtown Hillsboro introduced a new design with a
track that runs for about a mile on a paved median.
Specifically, the base and sides of Ri 59 girder rail is
encased in an insulating plastic “boot” exposing only
the running head and flangeway. The track is assembled
over a layer of steel reinforcement and concrete is
poured under and around the rails. A top lift is poured,
providing a colored textured finish. This design
significantly reduces both cost and construction time for
paved track.
Portland Streetcar track
Evolving from the Hillsboro line, Portland Streetcars
required a paved track that had to be constructed
almost entirely in active traffic lanes. The streetcar has a
lighter axle load, and the project wanted to minimize the
trackway structure’s depth to save excavation, concrete
and utility costs.
A Ri 53N girder
rail (with about
two inches less
web depth than Ri
59) was selected,
which saved over
500 cubic yards
of excavation and
concrete over
the four miles
of track. The rails are encased in insulating boots and
track and rebar assembled in the track excavation.
A single concrete pour completed the track slab and
finished street. The cost and construction, compared to
Hillsboro, was much less.
Interstate MAX trackway treatment can be
found in downtown
This project required miles of median track for rail
Portland on First
use only, eliminating the need for a level finish. The
Avenue, Morrison
design uses 115# Tee rail, encased in a boot. The track
and Yamhill streets,
is assembled using recycled plastic ties at about 10-ft.
and 18th Avenue.
centers, with threaded holes for leveling. A single rebar
mat was placed in the slab’s base, and the trackway was
completed in a single pour. The space between the rails
Side running trackways
is depressed to the base of flangeway, with drain inlets Side running trackways are used when light rail is
at intervals to collect track slab runoff. The trackway can installed on the side of the street where the street is one
be used by emergency vehicles but is not intended for way, or most of the activity is on one side. For example,
normal traffic. side running is used on N.E. Holladay Street.

Direct fixation & open track Street medians

• Direct fixation (DF) track is used on bridges and Street medians provide a common and effective
tunnels, and follows general transit practice. It light rail configuration. Train operation is far from the
uses 115# RE rail, with pads under the rail and sidewalks, and property access is retained. Intersections
elastic rail fasteners. are controlled by
traffic signals. The
• 115# RE rail and tie and ballast track is used on
primary conflicting
all other MAX systems. On the Eastside MAX
movement is with
line traditional wooden ties and cut spikes were
left turns, which
used, but on subsequent lines, concrete ties with
are safer because
elastic clips were adopted. Interstate MAX used
they are normally
6,000 recycled plastic ties.
illegal on red. The
• Open tie and ballast track is used for most of the MAX system runs
MAX Blue Line, all of the Red Line, parts of the in medians on Burnside, Washington Street in Hillsboro
Interstate MAX line and in the yards. and Interstate Avenue.
• Precast concrete panels are used for grade
crossings. Configuration flexibility keeps
• TriMet has seven miles of paved track, five miles costs down
of DF track, and 34 miles of tie and ballast track. Portland rail systems exhibit the full range of light
rail track configurations. The ability to use a variety
Reserved lane trackways of options keeps costs under control. Mixed traffic
operation is also the least obtrusive, installed in street
Reserved lane trackways are paved flush with the street.
pavement and used by general traffic. Examples include
This design allows for decorative treatment of the track,
on the Steel Bridge and in grade crossings. The Portland
such as the use of pavers, and allows some protection
Streetcar track runs entirely in mixed traffic operations.
from traffic congestion. Reserved lanes with decorative

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