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2 MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY > TriMet.org | AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers Expo Center

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Hillsboro MAX Blue Line turns 25 Beaverton Gresham Milwaukie

Clackamas What a transformation! Wilsonville

Who would have thought that back in the 1970s, when the region said “no” to building an eight-lane freeway through Southeast Portland and instead said “yes” to build- ing light rail, that we would become the national leader on creating great communities with transit? In the 25 years since we opened the fi rst MAX line be- tween Portland and Gresham, we have seen neighborhoods created and enhanced along all of our light-rail lines. These are vibrant places to live, work and play. Since that original 15-mile line to Gresham, the MAX system has grown to 52 miles, serving all three counties in our region. Our fi ve MAX lines have been so successful that ridership continues to grow — now averaging more than 130,000 rides each weekday. And we continue to expand the system with our sixth line under construction — the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project. We hear from our community that they want more — not just MAX, but also more bus service. Just last year our buses and trains carried more than 100 million rides! We also hear from cities around the country asking how they can replicate our success with light rail. Our success is founded on the commitment to work together to en- hance our communities. We couldn’t have accomplished this without the support of the communities we serve and the strong partnerships we’ve built over the past 25 years with: the cities of Beaverton, Gresh- am, Hillsboro, Milwaukie and Portland; Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties; Metro; Portland Development Commission; Oregon Department of Transportation; the Oregon Congressional Delegation and Oregon State Legislature; and the Federal Transit Administration. It’s been an amazing transformation to watch as this region has grown around the MAX system. I look forward to expanding and improving MAX and bus service in the years ahead. Working to- gether, think about what we can accomplish over the next 25 years. Thanks for riding!

Neil McFarlane, TriMet General Manager

Published by Publisher: J. Mark Garber Advertising Sales: Editorial department: Photography: Contributing Designers: Special thanks to: Community Newspapers Claudia Stewart, Kathy Schaub, Jeff Spiegel, Shannon Wells, Pamplin Media Group. Karl Deutsch, Dan Adams Mary Fetsch, Pam Wilson, and the Portland Tribune Marketing and Sales Vice Irene Pettengill, Lanette Bernards, Nancy Townsley, Cathy Siegner, Archive photos courtesy TriMet Carolyn Young, Drew Blevins President: J. Brian Monihan Laura Davis, Michael Beaird, Lauren Gold, Mara Stine, and the staff of TriMet Tamara Hollenbeck, Janet Peters, Christian Gaston, Stover Harger Advertising Design and 6605 S.E. Lake Road Advertising Director: Wendy Beyer, Beth Caldwell, III, Calvin Hall and Jim Redden Production: Cheryl Duval, Portland, OR Christine Moore Michael O’Shaughnessy, Chris Fowler, Debra Kirk-Rogers, Phone: 503-684-0360 Deanie Bush Photo Coordinator: Kathleen Riehl, Gail Park, COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Fax: 503-620-3433 Art Direction & Design: Anni Tracy Cheryl Douglass, Kathy Welsh, Kevin Anspach Keith Klippstein, Valerie Clarke, PORTLAND TRIBUNE Dan Adams

Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | TriMet.org > MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY 3 The line that started it all After years of planning, MAX opened 25 years ago to a new dawn in transit

By JEFF SPIEGEL set aside money for these type of projects, Pamplin Media Group but when Ronald Reagan was elected presi- dent, no one was sure quite how things U.S. News & World Report has dubbed would change. With the help of Feeney and Portland as one of the nation’s leaders in Sen. Mark Hatfi eld, however, any problems public transit, while Forbes magazine has were quickly solved. called this region’s public transportation “We were getting 92 percent of the fund- system “one of the most progressive mass ing from the federal government,” Feeney transit systems in the country.” recalls, “and in 1979 we went down to the But such accolades didn’t always come state Legislature wanting them to give us Portland’s way — because up until 25 years some, but we needed to get a vote fi rst. Un- ago the entire transit system was built fortunately, the representative from Gresh- around buses. The rail transformation that am and Troutdale wouldn’t declare himself followed was made possible when a few key one way or the other until he got an idea of leaders raised their hands with the idea of a how the people in Gresham wanted him to light rail train. go.” The story begins around 1976, when Port- To test community sentiment, the editor land-area leaders recognized that three sub- at the Gresham Outlook suggested to the regions within the metropolitan area all legislator that a mail-in poll be placed in that needed a public transportation overhaul. week’s paper. The three subregions were the eastside, the “We heard about that and we went crazy westside and the Oregon City area, but it because a mail-back poll isn’t scientifi cally quickly became clear that in order to pay for accurate,” Feeney said, “and then we found a project with federal funds, the region out that people who were opposed to us would need to choose one area to focus on. were going down to the newsstands and get- While all this was taking place, the east- ting all the copies that they could fi nd to side of Portland was also in the planning send back in. So I gave $100 to two people stages to build the Mount Hood Freeway who work for Multnomah County and I told from Portland out to 102nd Avenue along them to buy all the papers they could, be- Powell Boulevard. But the communities in cause I fi gured, we have no choice but to southeast Portland were opposed to the idea play this game too.” of a new freeway running through their ar- As word spread about the poll, papers be- ea, and plans for the freeway fell apart. Many gan to fl y off the shelf, to the point where people now would say that was a blessing in students from Mt. Hood Community College disguise. called the editor to ask if they could photo- With the freeway plan abandoned, the dis- copy the poll to mail back in. At this point, cussion began to focus on how to revamp the the editor had enough, and realized that the public transportation system to serve Port- poll needed to be done right. land’s eastside. The Outlook decided that the best way to “The goal was to increase ridership to and gauge community feelings was to hire an from downtown effi ciently without damag- agency to do the research. Thousands of dol- ing the environment, while also supporting lars and hundreds of votes later, the results regional environmental and land use policy, were in and 57 percent of residents wanted so light rail was pretty clearly the decision” the light rail system — and the representa- Bob Post, a TriMet project manager at the tive voted accordingly. time, said. Once the funding was in place, the next While the environment was the biggest The opening days of the MAX train in 1986 drew crowds of people who were curious about this new issue was the line’s exact location. Accord- key, the project’s developers also were more mode of transportation. PHOTO COURTESY TRIMET ing to Post, the federal government wanted concerned with the cost per rider than they the line to run along Division Street, but that were about any initial costs. And it became with a European-style system that would where. path didn’t make sense to local planners. clear that the cost per rider on a light rail run from downtown Portland all the way “Dick Feeney was largely responsible for “East of I-205, Division was slated to be a train was far less than that of buses. This into Gresham, and the attention quickly getting this done,” Roger Martin, the execu- primary arterial, but inside of I-205, it was remains true today: In June of 2011, the cost shifted to how to fund it. tive director of the Oregon Transit Associa- far less so than Powell was,” Post said. “Plus to TriMet of one rider on the MAX was just To lobby state government, the Oregon tion, said, “because not only was he spear- there were major water lines underneath $1.58, while a single bus rider costs the agen- Transportation Association hired Dick heading the efforts in Salem, but he was do- Division.” cy an average of $2.94. Feeney, a lobbyist with a background in ing the same thing at the federal level.” The solution was to run the line along So the decision was made to move ahead politics, to take its case to Salem and else- At the time, President Jimmy Carter had Burnside, which bisected growth areas and

4 MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY > TriMet.org | AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers also happened to have ample space. This “So the contract fi nally arrived and the idea, however, then brought about the de- highway didn’t show up on it, which was a bate about where the line would end within big portion of the total funding,” Feeney Gresham. said. “So we called Senator Hatfi eld and One of the proposed designs had the line told him that it wasn’t included. He told us running through the old Multnomah Coun- to send it back, but that was taking a huge ty fairgrounds and ending in Gresham’s risk because they were offering us so much historic downtown area, while the other money, but he insisted that if it wasn’t what design called for the line to follow an old we asked for, to send it back and that he freight trail into a parking lot, where the would back us up.” line currently terminates. This issue of According to Feeney, by the time the cer- whether to end a line in an emony was fi nished, the deal urban center or in a parking was done, because Hatfield lot would be a recurring con- “This wasn’t had spoken with an adminis- cern in the development of going to happen trator from the Urban Mass future lines in the MAX sys- Transportation Administra- tem. unless all of the tion and gotten it taken care By the time the project was of. nearing construction, the de- jurisdictions In all, the light rail construc- velopers decided to bundle it worked together tion cost a total of $214 million with renovations of Interstate and took four years and six 84, one of the oldest freeways collectively.” months before its completion in the state. But they faced a in September 1986. By the funding challenge, since mass — Bob Post, TriMet time it was fi nished it wasn’t project manager in the transit projects and highway the fi rst of it’s kind in North 1980s projects were funded in dif- America, as projects had been ferent ways. completed in Edmonton and “We didn’t have time for the freeway to San Diego — but both of those projects be built at a different pace, so we had to were funded completely at the local level. turn the freeway into a ‘transitway’,” While Post admits that at the time of his Feeney said. “So legally in the early ’80s we appointment to project manager he had no referred to the Banfi eld Transitway, which clue what light rail was, the signifi cance of included 15 miles of light rail track and six- MAX is clear to him now. and-a-half miles of interstate freeway, with “I take a lot of pride in being a part of this 390829.090111 MBL the hope of signing one contract to get all of process because it was a lot of hard work the money at once.” by people both locally and congressional- But on the eve of the project’s ground- ly,” he said, “and this wasn’t going to hap- breaking in March 1982, the contract had pen unless all of the jurisdictions worked yet to show up from the government. together collectively.” Congratulations 25 years of MAX Blue Line

A gallon of gas is 89 cents Halley’s Comet gives earthlings a show Comet gives earthlings a show Halley’s Ronald Reagan is president of the U.S. Ronald Reagan is president Mark Hatfield is serving his 4th term in the US Senate The 386 series of microprocessor is introduced by Intel is introduced The 386 series of microprocessor IBM unveils the PC Convertible, first laptop computer Smoking is banned on all public transport including trains, planes, buses and coaches Internet Mail Access Protocol defined for e-mail transfer Bud Clark is the Mayor of Portland 389921.083111 MBL

Interstate 84 commuters could see the progress of MAX construction in the early and mid-1980s. PHOTO COURTESY TRIMET www.deainc.com

Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | TriMet.org > MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY 5 Back on the train: Revisiting opening day Curious crowds, proud politicians found a common track on MAX line’s opening day

By SHANNON O. WELLS “It proves that we can get more bang for Pamplin Media Group the buck out here,” he told the crowd.

In a parking lot south of Gresham City Tale of two cities Hall 25 years ago, more than 600 curious on- Sure, there were opening-day glitches. lookers gathered on a cool, foggy, Friday Some eager riders were left cooling their morning in early September. heels on the platforms while waiting for As thunderous feedback crackled from tardy trains. And a lack of air conditioning the amplifi ers, dozens of smoke bombs and led several to complain of heat as the late Roman candles fl amed and billowed into a summer sun beat down on the MAX cars. dramatic backdrop from which the first “Too many people, too hot and crowded, MAX light-rail train was expected to emerge and there were five babies crying,” Jeff any second. Clark of Portland told the Gresham Outlook Then … nothing. on opening day. The delay at the new City Hall MAX sta- But overall on its opening weekend, the tion lasted less than fi ve minutes. But as Blue Line was a hit. Approximately 200,000 smiles and chatter led to puzzlement across riders took advantage of the three days of the faces of eastward-gawking onlookers, free fares on the 15-and-a-half-mile line. the long-anticipated wait for the light-rail Dignitaries including Portland Mayor Bud train’s debut threatened to turn into a disap- Clark, state Sen. Glenn Otto and Gov. Vic pointing anticlimax. Atiyeh rode the train from Gresham to Port- “It probably stopped to pick up some pas- land. sengers,” said a stalling Kathy Smith, the Mayors of the cities the Blue Line con- event’s master of ceremonies. “Maybe I nected playfully jousted over which locality could do a tap dance.” marked the train line’s beginning and end But soon after gospel singer Willa Dorsey points. Gresham Mayor Margaret Weil even belted out an adapted version of the spiritu- presented a special token to Clark. al, “Gospel Train’s A-Coming,” all was “Hang this medallion in an east window quickly forgiven: The fi rst Blue Line train so you will truly know where light rail rounded the bend and glided — smoothly starts,” Weil said to him. and quietly — toward the cheering throng at the station. Back and forth The year was 1986. That lightheartedness, however, was not characteristic of the entire process that led Time to remember to the MAX line, said AuCoin, refl ecting on The average cost of a gallon of gasoline the diffi culty of getting Oregon and Wash- was less than $1. ington, D.C., leaders on the same page de- January brought heartbreak when the spite deep philosophical differences. Challenger space shuttle exploded, killing The Reagan administration, he noted, was all seven crewmembers on board. May deliv- not supportive of alternative transportation ered some uplift, however, as “Hands Across projects. America” literally joined nearly 7 million Leverage, in the form of unspent federal people together to raise awareness of hun- funding originally earmarked for the aban- ger and homelessness. doned Mount Hood Freeway project, not to In his second term as president, Ronald mention a fair amount of Hatfi eld-led bipar- Reagan took on nuclear disarmament talks tisan dickering, eventually turned momen- with Russia’s Mikhail Gorbechev while tum in light rail’s favor. grappling with the Iran-Contra arms-trading “A constellation of forces came together scandal. Opening-day festivities included balloons, fl owers, entertainers and dignitaries. PHOTO COURTESY TRIMET and put everything into alignment,” AuCoin Tom Cruise was at the height of his game said from Bozeman, Mont., where he and his in “Top Gun.” “Cheers” and “The A-Team” politicians of differing parties and philoso- The late Sen. Mark Hatfi eld, R-Portland, wife live part of the year. “Sometimes the were prime-time TV smashes, and Steve phies — after years of wrangling over the who was then serving as chairman of the sun, moon and stars are in alignment, and it Winwood’s “Higher Love” topped the sum- direction of the region’s transportation Senate committee on appropriations, worked all happened with the MAX.” mer pop charts. needs — smiled and made nice. closely with AuCoin to secure federal fund- A lot of sweat equity went into that align- And as Portland-area residents lined up “We all ought to be feeling awfully good ing for the massive transit project. ment, however. to take their fi rst trip on the Metropolitan about ourselves today,” said U.S. Rep Les He proudly hailed the MAX line as more “Mark (Hatfi eld) and I worked very hard Area Express, or “MAX” light-rail train on AuCoin, D-Ashland, then representing Ore- cost-effective than that of other cities at the on this. It would not have been possible to its Gresham-to-downtown-Portland line, gon’s fi rst district in Washington, D.C. time. accomplish this project — the largest public

6 MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY > TriMet.org | AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers ■ feel and use a functioning cross-town rapid- From page 6 transit system helped to quell most skeptics of the $214 million project. works project in the state — without a very “It was a phenomenal success,” he said of strong partner on the Senate side,” AuCoin the event. “Over that (opening) weekend, it added. “We had to go through a number of was recognized as one of the most signifi - obstacles.” cant things we’ve done in the region. It took For his part, Gov. Atiyeh said he would two days to pretty much turn the public that only agree to former Mayor Neil Gold- was skeptical, a negative, to the best thing schmidt’s multi-million-dollar request to we ever did.” help fund the project if upgrades to Inter- Admitting he wasn’t initially enthused state 84 were also included. about the MAX line’s potential to solve the “I said, ‘No, I’m not going to do that.’ One region’s transportation problems, Gov. Ati- of the things that needed to be done was to yeh had mixed feelings about the project. really make I-84 safer,” he explained. “I said, “I wasn’t one of the real excited propo- ‘Give me money from (the Mount Hood nents,” he said, noting the cycle that led Freeway) to use on 84, and I’ll give you $16 from streetcars to automobiles and back to million.’” mass transit. “Over the years, we had street- cars, then we paved over ’em. So, I get a little Train to the future cynical about these things. Regardless of the political give and take it “I didn’t believe everybody was going to took to get there, AuCoin remembers the leave their cars and get on light rail,” he fanfare on the MAX line’s opening day as a added. “And obviously, I was right about monumental moment in Oregon history. that.” “You would’ve thought the World’s Fair Conceding the MAX line has improved had come to Portland,” he recalled. “The the area’s transportation options and quali- fi rst event was in Gresham. There was an- ty of life, he also remembers the train’s other event somewhere at the midpoint, and opening day as one of excitement. a fi nal event downtown at Pioneer Square. It “It was something brand new,” he said of was a day of great celebration.” Sept. 6, 1986. “That day was a good day for U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfi eld, left, U.S. Rep. Les AuCoin, top, and Gov. Vic Atiyeh all made remarks on the Rick Gustafson, who was president of light rail — and a good day for mass tran- fi rst day of operation. PHOTOS COURTESY TRIMET Metro Regional Government when the Blue sit.” Line opened, said the ability to actually see,

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Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | TriMet.org > MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY 7 Early train operators rode wave of excitement Since opening day, MAX has been a ‘phenomenon,’ says one of fi rst operators

By NANCY TOWNSLEY Pamplin Media Group

When he tries to explain how things at TriMet have changed since the fi rst light rail route opened a quarter-century ago, Jim Strickland turns to the numbers. “Back then, there were 33 train operators, and now we have 161,” said Strickland, 63, a Sandy resident and former train operator who now works as assistant manager of rail training for the transit agency. Much has changed, but Strickland’s offi c- es are still at Ruby Junction, a decades-old railroad station at 197th Avenue and Burn- side Street in Gresham. Twenty-fi ve years ago, when Strickland was one of fewer than three dozen operators strapped into driver seats on trains covering the one and only Metropolitan Area Express, or MAX, line — which ran from Gresham's Cleveland Avenue Park & Ride to 11th Ave- nue in downtown Portland — there were a Larry Morgan recently reminisces about the early days of MAX, when he was one of the fi rst train operators. PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP PHOTO: JIM CLARK. mere 15 miles of rail to cover. Today, he said, four types of trains whiz some time. “It was a phenomenon,” he not- morning, because the roads went every- zling over the enormity of the cutting-edge along more than 50 miles of track on the ed. “Everyone was interested in MAX.” where,” Morgan said. “But with trains, you technology. city’s east and west sides. There’s the Blue only went one direction: where the rail “I didn’t have any idea what light rail was Line between Portland, Hillsboro and Gresh- ‘White-knuckle experience’ went.” at the time,” he said with a chuckle. “But I’d am; the Red Line from Portland Internation- Once the initial reverie faded, however, it TriMet brought a trainer out from New been driving buses for a decade, and I was al Airport to city center to Beaverton; the was time to get down to business, said early Jersey to break in the MAX operators “in ready for a change.” Yellow Line from the Expo Center to city train operator Larry Morgan, a TriMet re- the nick of time,” Morgan said. Just days af- After passing TriMet’s tests and “jumping center to Portland State University; and the tiree who lives in La Center, Wash. ter their lessons ended, TriMet opened the through a few hoops,” Strickland was ready Green Line from Clackamas to city center to “At fi rst it was kind of a fl oodgates to a long weekend to roll. PSU. white-knuckle experi- “At fi rst it was kind of of free train rides. When he fi rst set eyes on one of the giant “It’s a whole new environment to operate ence,” said Morgan, 72, “It was fun, it was exciting, trains, “I looked at it and said, ‘Who’s gonna in,” said Strickland, who drove TriMet buses who lived close to the Ru- a white-knuckle but it was crazy,” Morgan be the engineer and drive this?’ ” Strickland for a decade before MAX had its debut. by Junction train yard in experience. There’s a said. “There’s a big difference recalled. “Our trainer said, rather sharply I “There are so many more people, [and] so Gresham in those days. between driving a train in thought, ‘None of you are going to drive many more types of riders to contend “There’s a lot of tension lot of tension when practice and driving one with these. You’re going to operate them.’ ” with.” when you fi rst get behind you fi rst get behind 400 people on it. In that moment, Strickland said, the dif- Strickland was there on Sept. 5, 1986, those controls.” “We literally couldn't get ferences between a bus and a train became when the Banfi eld Light Rail Project opened Morgan drove TriMet those controls.” the doors closed — people’s crystal clear. to citywide fanfare. buses for 12 years and arms and legs were hanging “First of all, you’re on these tracks — it’s a “We were one of three such systems in the trains for 15 years between Larry Morgan, out.” fi xed driveway,” he said. “Secondly, I real- nation at the time,” recalled Strickland, 1974 and 2004. As a bus early train operator Morgan, who operated the ized that as a train operator you have the pushing the numbers again. “Opening day driver, he took riders “all No. 8 train for the bulk of his opportunity to be perfect every day. We was a party — it was huge. The city of Port- over the place” — to Ore- career, arrived at the train were able to provide our customers with ex- land really embraced and welcomed light gon City, to Beaverton, to Hillsboro, to most yard early most days. He made sure his ve- tremely effi cient and dependable transpor- rail.” anywhere they wanted to go on Portland’s hicle was shiny-clean before leaving Ruby tation, on time to the second.” From then-Gov. Vic Atiyeh to suburban east and west sides. Junction. socialites and “regular folks,” Strickland For him, the difference between driving a “We’d put the trains through what Best job anywhere said, Portlanders fl ocked to the community bus and a train came down to the surface the amounted to a big car wash,” he said. “We Quiet and smooth, the trains were a wel- celebration, which drew 200,000 people over wheels touched. wanted them to look slick for the riders.” come antidote to Strickland’s years of cop- three days. “With buses, you never knew what route While Morgan was tending to MAX’s ap- ing with the frequent, and sometimes sud- That festive atmosphere remained for you’d be on when you went to work in the pearance and comfort, Strickland was puz- den, starts and stops that go along with driv-

8 MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY > TriMet.org | AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers ■ much perfect.” From page 8 As Portland’s population has burgeoned, traffi c-clogged freeways have spawned in- ing a bus. creasing interest in public transportation, “I fully believe operating the train is the according to TriMet offi cials. Add to that best job anywhere,” noted Strickland, who mix the current economic downturn, and still hops on the MAX whenever he can. “I hundreds more folks are punching the MAX love going out and riding the trains.” train ticket, making it an ever-evolving en- For Morgan, a father and grandfather terprise. who’s been married to his wife, Rose, for 49 Still, Strickland is happy his days operat- years this month, his time operating buses ing the train are behind him. He’s content to and trains is a source of professional pride. keep tabs on what he calls “new system “I have some real good memories,” said startups,” ensuring that all TriMet opera- Morgan, who was a parachute rigger in the tors maintain up-to-date credentials and U.S. Air Force before hiring on with TriMet. certifi cations. “I spent eight to 10 hours a day as an opera- “The operator today has so much more to tor, fi ve days a week. I had fun with it.” deal with than we used to,” he said. “Nowa- There was always something new to learn, days there are so many signals and cross- he added, particularly when a new line traffi c … and so much risky behavior. opened up. “The Westside line had a tunnel involved “I can’t tell you how many times a day a — that was a totally different feeling,” Mor- rail operator has to look out for the immedi- gan said. “One time a Buddhist priest came ate safety of the people.” down and blessed the line that went by the Morgan, for his part, is content with his underground platform at the Oregon Zoo.” retirement routine on the north side of the Ridership was outstanding “right from Columbia River. He’d rather not bother with the beginning,” he added, “and it was great a Global Positioning System, or even a fancy being part of that.” map. Punctuality was a big goal for Morgan “It’s amazing,” he said. “When I was driv- when he was in the operator’s compartment ing for the company, I could get around any- of a light rail train. “You tried to be on the where in the Portland-Vancouver area. minute if not the second when it came to the “Now, the geography is kind of lost on me.” schedule,” he said. “You wanted to be pretty 390832.090111 MBL ANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE URBAN RENEWAL ORKFORCE JOB CREATION DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS XES LAND USE EDUCATION ECONOMIC TRADE LAND ROWTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS TAX ND USE EDUCATION ECONOMIC GROWTH TRADE JO EATION TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE URB NEWAL EDUCATION SUSTAINABILITY LAND USE INFR UCATION ECONOMIC GROWTH WORKFORCE BUSIN XES EDUCATION TAXES TRADE LAND USE WORKFO SINESS TAXES LAND USE EDUCATION JOB CREATION ANSPORTATION BUSINESS TAXES INFRASTRUCTURE ORKFORCE JOB CREATION URBAN RENEWAL TRANP Vision ORTATION SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS XES LAND USE EDUCATION TRANSPORTATION JOB C HDR congratulates TriMet IONGet TRADE involved TAX TRADE in the ECONOMIC issues that GROWTH matter. WORKF on achieving the Vision of RCEJoin DEVELOPMENT the Portland EDUCATIONBusiness Alliance. TRANSPORTATION J the MAX Blue Line. 390182.090111 MBL

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Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | TriMet.org > MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY 9 Portland’s experience with rail and transit-oriented development has inspired similar projects in Seattle. This photo shows a lower-income housing project in Seattle -- a transit-oriented development that’s been created next to a Sound Transit System’s rail line. PHOTO COURTESY OF G.B. ARRINGTON

A national (and international) model for public transit

has, many observers agree there’s a differ- day is it isn’t just a transportation system. land State University, the group has hosted People travel from across ent and particularly desirable quality about It’s land use, quality of life, environmental 76 such tours, representing nearly 900 visi- Portland and how its residents have chosen quality, all these things reinforce each oth- tors, since its creation in May 2009. the world to observe to get around this special place. er,” says Ethan Selzer, an urban studies pro- Visitors want to know how Portland made “There is something about the Northwest, fessor at PSU. “What people really come its transportation system work so well, says Portland's transit system but you can oversell it,” says Robert Liberty, here to look at … is not just development of First Stop Portland Program Manager Nan- former Metro councilor and 1,000 Friends of a transit system but the link of transporta- cy Hales. And, once given a tour, they get a By CATHY SIEGNER Oregon attorney who now heads the Univer- tion and land use in a way that gets more good sense of how forward-thinking those in Pamplin Media Group sity of Oregon’s Sustainable Cities Initiative. from the whole than just from the individual the City of Roses have been. “You don’t have to be a latte-lapping liberal parts.” Among the contingents of visitors check- Portland’s reputation as “the best U.S. city to benefi t from a lot of choices in housing What draws people from around the coun- ing out Portland’s public transit credentials for public transportation” goes beyond the and cheaper and more choices in transporta- try, and, increasingly, from around the in the past two-and-a-half years, Hales re- pages of magazines that have awarded it tion.” world, to check out Portland’s transit-orient- members one group in particular. They that specifi c honor. Today, transportation alternatives — from ed developments? And what do these visi- were from Amsterdam, which made some In the real world, places such as Vancou- rail and automobiles to bike routes and tors think after they’ve been here? Oregonians on the tour wonder why they ver, B.C., Charlotte, N.C., and Waco, Texas, trams — abound in Portland. And public A good place to direct such questions is were over here instead of the Portlanders are eagerly looking for ways to replicate the transportation has opened up even more First Stop Portland, which organizes tours going over there. Portland area’s public transportation system choices across the board because of how it for national and international delegations The leader of the Dutch group later an- and the network of neighborhoods and com- interrelates with housing, shopping, work intrigued by Portland’s relatively high pro- nounced that they had gotten together to munities it serves. While these cities may and recreation. fi le in green building, sustainability, public refl ect on that particular question, Hales re- not adopt the same strategies that Portland “What really distinguishes the system to- transit and land use planning. Based at Port- calls, and decided it mattered enough to re-

10 MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY > TriMet.org | AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers ■ “It was profound for Portland because it From page 10 would have displaced a lot of people and made a great big ditch,” he says. spond. When the proposed freeway’s potential “Amsterdam is a medieval city that was toll on Southeast Portland became clear, a built several hundred years ago, and it was neighborhood-level revolt began to take built on effi ciency and function,” Hales re- shape. As a result, the project was canceled members him saying. “Let me compare that in 1974, Interstate 205 landed on the drawing to Portland. Your city is being based on aspi- board and the city’s collective vision eventu- rational values. We came here to visit your ally began to shift in favor of light rail. The city because of that. We think you could use rest is public transportation history. more effi ciency with your aspiration, and we “Some of the smartest people in the coun- could use more aspiration and art with our try come and look at this and how the pieces effi ciency.” fi t together,” Blumenauer says. “We used What about Portland’s as- MAX to start a regional con- pirations? Is this city really versation about how to put a that good at planning for the “Some of the line in.” future? smartest people in While the consensus is that “A contextual comment: I Portland has plowed new would say Portland is so good the country come wauk ground in transit-oriented de- Whole Grain Foods because other places are so and look at this velopment, experts also say BUY TWO - GET ONE bad,” says G.B. Arrington, a the region can’t rest on its lau- for Every Meal of the Day transit planner and consul- and how the pieces rels. The task now is to con- E tant for Parsons Brinckerhoff fi t together” tinue to think about how Port- FREE who was a TriMet planner land’s public transportation BOB’S RED MILL PRODUCTS back when the Blue Line was — U.S. Rep. Earl network fi ts with how people BUY TWO PRODUCTS AT REGULAR PRICE - built. “I often tell people that 52614.090909 MGL GET A THIRD PRODUCT FREE! Blumenauer interact with the built environ- (Of Equal or Lesser Value) Max Value $5 in the land of the blind, the ment. one-eyed man is king. That Liberty sums it up this way: • Bakery • Breakfast • Lunch Deli said, you know Portland still does a better “I was born in Portland, and in the ’70s, there Bakery Supply Store & Milling History job than anyone else in terms of having an was no indication that we wouldn’t end up overall strategy at a regional level. In the being a Columbus, Ohio. And that is some- www.bobsredmill.com Good with coupon only at Bob’s Whole Grain Store.

382836.083111 MBL 382836.083111 GoodNot only valid at Bob’s on Bakery Whole items.Grain Store.Expires Exp 10-31-11 2-28-07 broad scale of the region, no one really WL thing we should never forget.” – touches Portland.” There was a clear-cut crossroads facing Portland 30-some years ago. Would it ex- pand the Banfi eld model (Interstate 84) and build more freeways through the city? Or would it consider the options and plan a transit system for decades to come? The MAX Blue Line was barely a gleam in the collective eye back then. It’s a time Con- gressman Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, re- members well. “I’ve got my fi ngerprints all over this,” as Blumenauer puts it. He was in the state Leg- islature then, trying to get money for light rail, lobbying Oregon’s congressional dele- gation and working with TriMet to get Your Family’s Medical Home things rolling. “At this point, the only other sort of mod- ern light rail in the country was in San Di- ego, and that had just opened,” he recalls. SureCare Program “But it really wasn’t like ours because we 383074.090111 MBL built ours from scratch. We had to put in an Affordable healthcare alignment in an established neighborhood both in downtown and in Gresham. But we were confi dent that it was the most effective solution to get people from east to west, and Call Us! 503-659-4988 that it would potentially carry far more than an extra lane of freeway, even if we could afford that, which we couldn’t.” MAX presented a dramatic alternative to the proposed, and controversial Mt. Hood NWPC.com Freeway, which Blumenauer says would have destabilized a lot of neighborhoods  #  #  # along its path from the Willamette River out to Southeast 92nd Avenue. 382839.083111 MBL

Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | TriMet.org > MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY 11 ),P<8IJF=KI@D

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Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | TriMet.org > MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY 13 MAX enhances safety features

By LAUREN GOLD ensures that MAX stations are safe is decrease crime. The design theory, Pamplin Media Group through security offi cers patrolling both the called “Crime Prevention Through platforms and the trains. With its fi rst cen- Environmental Design” is not Rider and pedestrian safety is always a tral precinct opening downtown in 1997, unique to transit systems, and is concern on mass public transit, and it is one TriMet’s Transit Police Division has since also used by the city of Portland. that has not been lost on TriMet and the established three more precincts through- One of the fundamental concepts MAX lines. Since 2008, the MAX stations out the line. in this crime prevention strategy is and trains have seen signifi cant safety im- The transit district has 58 law enforce- ensuring that the platform has a goodd provements, which have helped reduce ment offi cers, with 17 agencies in the tri- sight line. Landscaping and building fea-ea- crime and accident rates. county area contributing personnel. In the tures are constructed to keep the platformform East Precinct, which was launched in 2008, open. Along the same lines, the stationsations Portland, Gresham, Tigard, Troutdale and have good lighting with 1,000 newer, bright-right- Pedestrian Safety Crime prevention along the MAX Green Line the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Offi ce all er bulbs, transparent shelters and lessss sta- sta In terms of pedestrian and biker accident includes the use of numerous closed circuit contribute offi cers. tion clutter. rates, TriMet Communications Director security cameras located on light rail station “We work seamlessly with jurisdictions’ “The Rockwood station is a great example Mary Fetsch said that the new features are platforms. PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP PHOTO: L.E. BASKOW improving safety overall, and especially on police,” Fetsch said. “We partner in mis- of CPTED. People driving by on Burnside the Eastside MAX line. sions, but also in whatever is happening in get a good view of what’s going on on the Throughout the system, there were 12 the community.” platform,” Lomax said. “If there are motor- trance to the station. pedestrian-related incidents in 2010 and 11 The offi cers spend 70 percent of their time ists driving by and can see what’s happen- “People aren’t allowed to just loiter on the the year before that. So far this year, there on the system, which increases the police ing, I think bad guys are less likely to do bad platforms in those clearly defi ned spaces,” have been fi ve incidents systemwide and presence to help prevent and control crime. things.” Lomax said. “You have to be catching and one incident (a suicide) on the Eastside The platform is also clearly defi ned as dif- using transit if you’re in a fare zone.” MAX. Cameras ferent from the sidewalk, with access-con- Intern Lauren Gold can be reached by “With only the suicide on the Eastside as After Sept. 11, 2001, TriMet received a trol fencing, fare zones and clearly desig- calling 503-492-5120 or at lgold@theout- the only incident in the fi rst eight and a half number of federal grants to improve safety, nated ticket vending machines at the en- lookonline.com. months of 2011, I think our safety improve- and cameras were one of the main features ments are making a difference and helping that came from those funds. Now, 78 of the people be more aware of the train,” Fetsch 85 total MAX stations have cameras. Every said. MAX train also has four security cameras TriMet’s Executive Director of Opera- on board. Installation of cameras at the oth- tions, Shelly Lomax, said the agency con- er stations is under way. ducted a study in 2008 to analyze station “If you’re on transit, there’s a good chance confi gurations and safety features. The goal you’re being photographed,” Lomax said. was to assess any concerns or areas for im- The cameras not only help deter crime, think. see. teach. heal. provement, and “get an idea of the best prac- but they also help catch criminals in the pacificu.edu/discover tices throughout the industry,” Lomax said act. In February 2009, TriMet received federal “The great thing about the cameras is stimulus funds to begin improving safety that they help to tell the story as it relates to features on the MAX lines. criminal activity,” Lomax said. “Or in the Many of these improvements, added to 45 event of a severe or minor accident, often- stations throughout the system, were geared times the camera will fi ll in the blanks and toward pedestrian safety. Along with sig- tell us what happened.” nage and fencing, TriMet added “channel- The MAX system moves more than 300,000 ing” treatments, which force pedestrians people every day (and 41.2 million a year). It and cyclists to physically turn their body to records about three criminal incidents per look for an oncoming train before crossing day (471 total for last year), most of which the tracks. are minor things like property damage or a “I think, overall, people who use the sys- missing wallet. tem and live around it absolutely appreciate “When you put it in that context, overall the investment,” Lomax said. the system is very safe,” Lomax said. The cameras have assisted in many crim- Precincts inal cases, as well as deterring criminal ac- tivity at the stations and on the trains. Fetsch said that reported crime on the MAX system decreased by 18 percent from 2007 to 2008 and by 19 percent from 2008 to Crime prevention through 2009. From 2009 to 2010, there was a 2 per- environmental design ARTS & SCIENCES | OPTOMETRY | EDUCATION | HEALTH PROFESSIONS cent increase, but Fetsch says that overall Using federal stimulus funds, TriMet has reported crime has generally been decreas- upgraded its stations, using design elements ing and staying low. to infl uence a more positive environment to 800-677-6712 | [email protected]

One of the major ways in which TriMet 382973.090111 MBL

14 MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY > TriMet.org | AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers Expo Center Evolution of the Blue Line Airport

Portland N

TriMet's original MAX line has benefi ted Hillsboro Beaverton Gresham as the overall system expanded, improved Milwaukie Clackamas By MARA STINE facility to accommodate more vehicles; and Pamplin Media Group laying fi ber optic cable along the entire orig- Wilsonville inal Eastside line to upgrade the communi- Despite being the very fi rst link in what cations system. has become a regional light-rail network, “When we opened the Eastside MAX line MAX’s original Blue Line from downtown in 1986, we only had radios to communicate Portland to Gresham has continued to with train operators and maintenance and evolve. fi eld personnel,” Fetsch said. “We had to In the 25 years since the Blue Line opened have someone in the fi eld observing a situa- in September 1986, fi ve more MAX projects tion if there was an issue or some disruption. have more than tripled the overall system’s We upgraded the communications network size. and moved from a radio-only based control Along the way, the original 15 miles of system to a visual high-tech command cen- Blue Line tracks have benefi ted from nu- ter that still includes radio use. Rail control- merous innovations and upgrades, said lers could then monitor the system visually Mary Fetsch, TriMet spokes- and see the exact location of all woman. trains.” “TriMet’s light rail system “When we opened now spans 52 miles,” Fetsch the Eastside MAX said, adding that each new Security project brings with it new line in 1986, we Fiber optics also made it pos- technology and design im- only had radios to sible to add security/surveil- provements — some of which lance cameras in the form of have then been applied to the communicate with closed circuit TV cameras to Blue Line. train operators.” the Eastside platforms. When the Blue Line was Since the Blue Line’s expan- extended west 18 miles to in- sion west to Hillsboro, three — Mary Fetsch, clude stops in Beaverton and TriMet spokeswoman more segments have been add- Hillsboro in 1998, TriMet ed to the MAX system. The changed the platforms on the 5.5-mile “Airport” Red Line be- original Blue Line so they would work with tween Gateway and Portland International the new light rail cars for the Westside seg- Airport opened in 2001. The 5.8-mile “Inter- ment. The new trains had lower fl oors, elim- state” Yellow Line between the Rose Quar- inating the need for wheelchair lifts. ter and the Expo Center in North Portland Crews lifted the original platforms on the opened in 2004. And the 8.3-mile “Clacka- Eastside segment two inches to accommo- mas” Green Line between Gateway and date the new curb-level access trains. This Clackamas Town Center opened in 2009 — a allowed passengers to board without step- line that includes almost two miles of new ping up more than four inches. rail alignment in downtown Portland. The Blue Line's eventual expansion to Hillsboro include a tunnel through Portland's West Hills. Crews also removed the old wheelchair Today, there are 85 stations systemwide. ARTIST: CHANDRA BOCCI lifts in favor of short ramps — technically And about 85 percent of those stations are known as bridgeplates — that extend from equipped with closed-circuit TV. The major- Based in Gresham, the 10-member pre- Other improvements the door to the station platform, making it ity of the system’s fi ve parking garages also cinct spends up to 70 percent of its time pa- Every station east of 82nd Avenue has easier for those with wheelchairs, scooters, are equipped with closed-circuit TV, as are trolling 13 Eastside stations between the benefi ted from better lighting to improve strollers and bikes to board. all stations that have elevators, as well as the Gateway Transit Center and the Cleveland security and nighttime visibility — that’s And to the relief of passengers who suf- actual elevators. Avenue Station. 1,325 new lamps and globes — Fetsch said. fered through sweltering trips during hot Plus the trains themselves are equipped TriMet also added new security features Pedestrian, bicycle and rail crossings at summer months, air conditioning also was with cameras that continually record on- to the Gresham Central Transit Center as all 13 Eastside stations between Gateway added. board activities, Fetsch said. part of a pilot program that aims to reduce and Cleveland Avenue now have new signs, Other improvements included changing In 2008, after the beating of a man at a the freeloaders. Complete with guard railings fencing and “channeling treatments, which the single track between the Ruby Junction/ Gresham Central Transit Center, TriMet and improved lighting, “the station platform compel pedestrians and cyclists to be alert of East 197th Avenue and Cleveland Avenue created an eastside precinct for its Transit areas are now more clearly designated as stations into a double-track alignment; ex- Police Division, thereby providing more of- fare zones, where all waiting passengers See EVOLUTION / Page 17 panding the Ruby Junction maintenance fi cers to patrol Eastside trains. must have a valid fare,” Fetsch said.

Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | TriMet.org > MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY 15 PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP PHOTO: L.E. BASKOW

Without MAX: parking lots and waiting

If the MAX disappeared, at least some of they’d do something else. groceries. The trip can wait for a time A longer rush hour? Maybe. those riders would get into cars to make “People are always making those when there’s less traffi c. More traffi c? Possibly. their rounds. The real question, Lehto said, tradeoffs when they travel,” Dill said. “If But increase the capacity of the corri- is whether there would be an additional the road is too congested, they’ll either dor, through more lanes, a new, wider More parking lots? Yep. two lanes of traffi c to carry those who ride switch modes to something that’s going to bridge or a light rail line, and suddenly, all the MAX. be quicker, they’ll change the time or those people that were waiting out the By CHRISTIAN GASTON “It’s kind of counterfactual,” said Port- they’ll change routes.” traffi c will dive into the traffi c instead. Pamplin Media Group land economist Joe Cortright. “Would as That “triple convergence” of factors “You could create a whole lot more ca- many people live there and work there if plays into the decisions made by employ- pacity, but essentially all you’re going to Anyone who’s seen a MAX train whirl there was no MAX there?” ees about how to get to work, employers do is encourage a lot more people to travel by while stuck in a car on U.S. Highway 26 Instead, Cortright said, about where to put their of- over the bridge at peak hour,” Cortright has probably asked themselves just how the question is how elimi- “The number of people fi ces and developers, think- said. much congestion relief the region’s light nating MAX from the story ing about where to build. Building capacity won’t speed up traffi c rail network provides. of Portland’s last quarter we’re carrying on But without MAX carry- fl ow, Cortright said, because it doesn’t re- Twenty-fi ve years since the fi rst MAX century would change the those MAX trains ing thousands of passen- duce the demand to travel through a cor- rumbled out of a station, it turns out to be landscape and the traffi c. gers along the I-84 and Sun- ridor. a hard question to answer. “If there were no MAX, it through the (Sunset set corridors each day, “If your objective is to make the free- Since then, the eastside MAX became would be very likely that those riders would have to ways move faster, it may not do that, but the Blue Line, and the Red, Yellow and people would live different Highway) tunnel is go somewhere. what it clearly does is it enables more peo- Green lines opened. Each of those massive places and work different equivalent to two “There might be some ple to get to more places,” Cortright said. public investments have brought about a places,” Cortright said. adjustments; the rush hour There is one thing that Dill said she’d share of private investment in the way of Jennifer Dill, an associ- lanes of traffi c” may be longer,” Dill said, or expect to see more of if the MAX didn’t ex- new condos, apartments, shops and even a ate professor at Portland “it could have shifted more ist: parking garages. major league soccer stadium located a State University and the — Alan Lehto, traffic onto surface “Part of what makes downtown Port- couple steps from a rail line. director of the Oregon TriMet’s director streets.” land and the Pearl work so well is there of project planning. So fi guring out how much worse the Transportation Research & There’s another problem aren’t huge parking garages all over the rush hour wait would be for the 61 percent Education Consortium, or with imagining that the rid- place,” Dill said. of Portlanders who drive to work alone if OTREC, said some of the trips that are ers responsible for 120,000 daily trips on In a MAX-free world, there’s a good MAX was never built is sort of like asking now made on MAX could happen by car, MAX would suddenly show up on free- chance Jeld-Wen stadium would be sur- how many people would visit Mount Rush- or bus, or at another time of day. But with- ways. rounded by blocks and blocks of parking more if no one had blasted the faces of four out MAX, it would stand to reason down- First, they’d have to elbow out the driv- garages, the Pearl District would be short presidents into it. town wouldn’t be as attractive a place to be ers that took their place. a few bistros and boutiques and Powell’s But with 26 percent of travelers on the a major employer. Lehto said each time a light rail line is City of Books would need to add a couple U.S. 26 and Interstate 84 corridors using “You’re not going to have New York City constructed next to a freeway, a funny of wings for SUVs. MAX, it’s pretty easy to come up with the without a subway system,” Dill said. “Any thing happens. New drivers show up. And while parking garages are great for short answer to the question: traffi c would sort of large city needs a high capacity “Literally within days you start to see people driving to an attraction, proposing be much worse. transit system to make it work.” responses where a few more people will to build one usually raises outrage from “The number of people we’re carrying And even in a city like Portland, where drive,” Lehto said. neighbors. on those MAX trains through the (Sunset congestion rarely reaches Manhattan lev- That’s called latent demand. Basically, “They’re not popular with the people Highway) tunnel is equivalent to two lanes els and a majority of households have ac- no one is foolish enough to jump in their who already live there,” Dill said. of traffi c,” said Alan Lehto, TriMet’s direc- cess to a car, MAX is clearly an attractive car and roll onto a freeway during rush tor of project planning. alternative for many residents. Without it, hour for a frivolous trip like grabbing some

16 MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY > TriMet.org | AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers PIONEER PLACE Where downtown Portland comes to life.

Downtown Portland is buzzing with activity. And it’s not just the coffee. There is an energy here that charges every moment with fun and excitement. In the heart of downtown, you’ll fi nd Pioneer Place – four city blocks fi lled with shopping, dining and entertainment. Add tax-free shopping, and you’re certain to have the time of your life. When the Green Line opened to Clackamas, the newer-model trains began running on all routes, including the original Blue Line. PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP PHOTO: L.E. BASKOW We will rock you! Evolution: Stations have Artisan Gallery At The Fossil Cartel you’ll fi nd world class crystals, minerals, jewelry, fossils been added and renovated Local and Regional and meteorites from around the world. Hand Crafted ■ The station’s eye-catching art installation, We feature local gems From page 15 called “Rockwood Sunrise,” serves as a gate- Art and Gifts such as Oregon Sunstone, Oregon Opal, Petrifi ed an approaching train before crossing way to the Rockwood neighborhood, Fetsch Wood and Thunder Eggs. tracks,” she added. So far, 45 stations have said. Spikes in bright teal, tangerine and ma- 340 SW Morrison St Suite 1435 received these sorts of pedestrian-crossing genta with illuminated tips point skyward. A local favorite since 1989. Portland, OR 97204 improvements. The piece is “inspired by the site’s history of (503) 224-5725 www.fossilcartel.com Ticket vending machines along the origi- hosting the Multnomah County Fair and its large amusement rides, as well as the bold www.mystiqueartisangallery.com Pioneer Place | 340 SW Morrison nal Blue Line have been replaced with new 503-228-6998 ones. “Additionally, TriMet has doubled its colors of cultures represented in Rockwood TVM (ticket vending machine) maintenance and the universal symbolism of the sunrise,” effort and is focusing on preventative main- she added. tenance to improve machine reliability,” As for the future of the Blue Line, Metro’s Portland’s Greatest Fetsch said. High Capacity Transit Plan, which lists po- GO FRESH! Escape to The effort seems to be working. Customer tential projects that extend out to 2035 and Chef Fresh Self Serve Frozen Yogurt features Relaxation and feedback shows a “dramatic reduction in beyond, includes a proposal to link the origi- 12 fl avors of Frozen Yogurts, Custards and Stress Relief complaints” between late 2008 and Decem- nal Blue Line to Gresham’s Mt. Hood Com- Sorbets with over 100 toppings and fresh ber 2010, when ticket vending machine reli- munity College. cut fruit on the spot. We also feature self Located right in the heart of downtown Portland, serve smoothies where customers have the Oregon, Rose Petal Massage & Spa is a great ability went from 70 percent to 93 percent. “There is some interest,” Fetsch said. ability to choose their own ingredient and place to rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit The original Blue Line even grew by one The 7.3-mile Portland-Milwaukie Light make their perfect smoothie. Chef Fresh is with a relaxing and healing massage. Our mas- Rail is on track to open in 2015. sages not only benefi t the body, they benefi t the station during the past 25 years. Gresham’s a fun, modern place to experience the best Civic Drive Station — between Ruby Junc- And the design for the Columbia River of the self serve yogurt world. Come by mind as well. Experience mental and spiritual next week and try our new fl avor, Maple healing as your mind releases stress and worry, tion and the Gresham City Hall stations — Crossing — the new Interstate 5 bridge and allows a renewed sense of energy and Bacon Donut! across the Columbia River — calls for the emotional well-being to enter your spirit. opened in December of 2010, becoming the light rail network’s 85th stop. Interstate Yellow Line to continue north to 340 SW Morrison Street, Suite 1400 Even more recently, Gresham’s Rock- Vancouver. Portland, OR 97204 wood/East188th Avenue Station reopened in “Longer term, there is interest in a south- Phone: (503) 227-0985 340 SW Morrison St. Space 3355 May after a complete overhaul. The new sta- west extension from downtown Portland to www.rosepetalmassage.com Portland, Oregon 97201 • 503-224-4337 tion includes shelters especially designed to Tigard and eventually Sherwood,” Fetsch www.cheffresh.net protect riders from the east wind. The proj- said, adding that it too is listed in Metro’s ect also aligned the westbound and east- High Capacity Transit Plan. Take the MAX downtown for exciting shopping, dining and entertainment at Pioneer place. bound platforms to be directly across from Reporter Mara Stine can be reached at Monday-Saturday: 10:00am-8:00pm; Sunday: 11:00am-6:00pm one another, plus it added improved light- [email protected] or by calling ing, new security cameras, ticket vending 503-492-5117. 700 SW Fifth Avenue | Portland, Oregon 97204-2018 | (503) 228-5800 machines and an arrival-time display. 389942.083111 MBL 389942.083111

Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | TriMet.org > MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY 17 383527.090111 MBL Proudly building American-made streetcars in Oregon! www.unitedstreetcar.com  


 

 
    Blue Line bound Young to old, riding for work or for play, regular light rail users thankful for freedom given to them by the Blue Line

By STOVER E. HARGER III the way from Gresham to Hillsboro with Pamplin Media Group ease. Ridership has greatly grown over the These are the riders of the Blue Line. years as the Blue Line expanded and other There’s Gregg Bahr of Beaverton, who lines were added. After its fi rst year, MAX loved the freedom he found as a pre-driving had 5.9 million riders. In 2001, when the Red age teen when he began riding TriMet’s Line opened, 22.2 million people rode the oldest MAX line as soon as it opened 25 MAX each year. This year, MAX ridership years ago. is up to 41.2 million. There’s devoted rider John Ghormley. David Bragdon, the former Metro council He remembers speaking with a friend from president, was on the ceremonial fi rst Blue  ! Holland on the MAX, who told him Portland Line ride from Gresham to Portland in Sep- appeared to becoming more and more like tember 1986. One memory stands out. a European city with its growing emphasis “I remember the sense of excitement & on expansive public transit. which infected the entire crowd, Bragdon \HDUV And there’s Portland wedding offi ciant said through e-mail. Richard Matthews, who shares his enthusi- “As the enthusiasm continued to build asm for public transit by volunteering with throughout the weekend of introductory the nonprofi t Ride Connection, helping se- rides, you could almost feel public opinion niors and people with disabilities take ad- shifting — from the widespread negative *(1(5$/(1*,1((5,1*&2175$&7256 vantage of the same MAX service he en- cynicism which had prevailed right up until joys. the opening moment to the broad support When traveling back and forth from for light rail which thousands of people ex- work, school or just to do some weekend pressed within days of that opening.”  
 


shopping, a community rides aboard the Bahr is just one of those many support-  
 
  Blue Line, whether it’s verbalized or not. ers. The 36-year-old relies on the Blue Line 

 



  There are the occasional grumbles, of to not only make it to work on the week- course. For some who ride the Blue Line ends, but to get to Portland Community regularly, spending hours a week commut- College’s Rock Creek campus for school ing has given them a personal perspective during the week. The region is open to him, on the service. One woman who takes the he said, thanks to the light rail system. In Blue Line a few times a week from the Lloyd an opinion expressed by other riders, Bahr 
 
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  Center stop to downtown Portland said she said his mobility would be severely ham- 


   wishes it ran a bit quicker, like the trains pered if the Blue Line had never been 
  


  she used to ride on the East Coast. built. But the gripes are far outweighed by the If MAX did not exist, Bahr said, “It would     appreciation that regular riders feel for set me back tremendously. I don’t even having such a convenient way to move all drive.” 383532.090111 MBL 383532.090111

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Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | TriMet.org > MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY 19 The project • Beaverton Central station was sited on vacant land once occupied by a sewage treatment plant. • The MAX Blue Line between Cleveland Avenue sta- • Willow Creek/Southwest 185th Avenue was going to tion in Gresham to Hatfi eld Government Center station in be the end of the Westside line in original plans, until rap- Hillsboro is 33 miles long. The Westside line between Hills- id development in Hillsboro led to it being added to the boro and Portland City Center is 18 miles, and the Eastside project. line between City Center and Gresham is 15 miles. • The MAX Blue Line has 51 stations: 20 stations on the Public art at the stations Eastside, 15 stations in the City Center and 16 stations on the Westside. For comparison, the entire MAX system has When the MAX line was extended from downtown Port- 85 stations and more than 52 miles of track. land to Hillsboro, project staff formed a public art program • The Eastside Blue Line opened Sept. 5, 1986. The proj- MAX to oversee design and installation of art at the stations. ect created more than 13,000 jobs during its construction More than 100 art elements can be found at each of the 20 period between March 1982 and September 1986. It was a stations, honoring area history, culture and landscape. catalyst for more than $4.7 billion in development and re- • At Kings Hill/Southwest 18th Avenue station, the art- vitalization, particularly in Portland City Center and the work tells about Tanner Creek, which is buried 40 feet Lloyd District. below. A bronze goose, created by Troutdale artist Rip • The Eastside Blue Line project cost $214 million for Caswell, pays tribute to the Goose Hollow neighborhood. track construction, street paving, electrical work, stations, “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening, a graduate of the light-rail vehicles, landscaping and a maintenance opera- FACTS nearby Lincoln High School, etched a drawing of Bart tions facility. An estimated 80 cents for every dollar spent Simpson into the sidewalk along 18th Avenue. on the project remained in the local economy. Eighty per- • Artists at Washington Park station were inspired by cent of the project’s funding, or $176.3 million, came from Little known facts about geology and mining. the federal government, with state and local sources con- • The portraits on the glass at Beaverton Transit Center tributing the rest. The project is considered one of the low- express styles of waiting. est cost-per-mile rail projects in the United States. the MAX Blue Line • The phases of the moon artwork at Beaverton Central • The Westside Blue Line opened Sept. 12, 1998. Con- station symbolize change. struction took place between July 1993 and September • The artwork at Elmonica station, named for a stop on 1998 and cost $963 million. The federal government pro- the Oregon Electric Railroad, refl ects transplantation: vided 73 percent of the funds, and the rest came from state ment activities. In fi scal year 2011, TriMet issued 7,423 moving objects, plants and people from their original en- transportation funds and a local bond measure. The line warnings, 1,442 citations and 1,389 exclusions. In fi scal vironment to a new place. was a catalyst for at least $825 million in residential and year 2010, TriMet issued 10,589 warnings, 2,808 citations • Orenco Station, named for a former company town of commercial development. and 1,895 exclusions. the Oregon Nursery Co., celebrates trees and Orenco’s • Three construction-related fatalities occurred during history. Pages from a 1908 nursery catalog appear on the the building of the Westside Blue Line. TriMet reported The MAX stations glass. fi ve construction-related fatalities during construction of • Tuality Hospital station’s artwork uses the theme of the entire MAX light-rail system, the other two fatalities • The oldest MAX Blue Line station is Ruby Junction/ light, hope and healing. being on the Yellow Line and the Green Line. East 197th Avenue in Gresham, which was dedicated in • Hillsboro Central station’s artwork — a replicated • Both the Eastside and Westside projects were built on April 1984. Ruby Junction is often where MAX operators plank road, an 1870s letter on the glass, historic photos in time and within budget. switch shifts or where the trains return to the yards. the bus shelters and a weather vane recalling train signals • The newest MAX Blue Line station, Civic Drive in — refl ects the history and the future of Hillsboro. Riding the MAX Gresham, opened Dec. 1, 2010. • The twin-tube Robertson Tunnel that runs under the Naming the MAX • In the Eastside Blue Line’s fi rst year of operations, the West Hills is 3.1 miles long and has a diameter of 21 feet. MAX averaged 19,900 weekday trips. Now, MAX averages MAX trains travel through the tunnel at up to 55 mph. Originally known as the Banfi eld Transitway Project, 126,800 weekday trips. • Because its geology consisted of hard rock from lava TriMet renamed it Metropolitan Area Express, or MAX. • The MAX’s speed matches the speed limits of adjacent fl ows up to 16 million years old, layered with soft ground But how did it get its name? roads: 55 mph along Interstate 84, 35 mph along Burnside and rock fragments, the tunnel has several curves as Within a few months of the opening of its light-rail sys- Street, 25 mph in the Lloyd District and 15 mph in down- workers tried to follow the best rock conditions for drill- tem in 1986, TriMet held a contest among its employees to town Portland. ing. Work on the tunnel began in 1993, with workers bor- give it a name. The name had to be simple and it had to be • When the Blue Line opened in 1986, TriMet had a fl eet ing the tubes from both ends of the hill and meeting in the friendly. A list of 10 suggested names was compiled and of 26 MAX trains and operated 176 train trips on week- middle. However, workers ran into unexpected layers of presented to the public, who voted on the fi nal name. days. Now, the MAX fl eet of 127 trains makes 670 trips loose rock, delaying the project and escalating costs from According to a 2006 Portland Tribune article, TriMet each day on TriMet’s entire light rail system. The MAX $103 million to $184 million. Workers also had to relocate employee Jeff Frane came up with the winning entry after Blue Line makes 247 daily trips between Gresham and 14 bodies from the nearby Sunset Hills Mortuary. Wash- being inspired by a character in one of his then 1-year-old downtown Portland. ington Park station is so far the most expensive MAX sta- son’s picture books — a 3-year-old white rabbit named • TriMet has automatic passenger counters with elec- tion. Max from children’s author Rosemary Wells’ “Max & Ru- tronic eyes on 39 percent of its trains, which count every • At 260 feet, the Washington Park MAX station is the by” series. time someone boards or exits the train. deepest transit station in North America. It’s fi tting that it For his winning suggestion, Frane got the cash equiva- • The peak times for ridership are from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 resembles a subway station, as the deepest transit station lent of an annual pass on MAX (about $400). Frane and his to 6 p.m. There are 55 trains on the MAX system from 7:30 in the world is the Arsenalna metro station in Kiev, son also got to join the Portland mayor and other dignitar- to 8:15 a.m. and 56 MAX trains at 5:30 p.m. The MAX aver- Ukraine, which is about 335 feet. The next deepest transit ies on the fi rst run of the MAX from Gresham to down- aged 39,300 riders during rush hour in July. station is Park Pobedy metro station in Moscow, Russia, town Portland. • Each MAX is washed and vacuumed every night. De- located about 282 feet below ground. However, the Admi- As for the literary inspiration behind MAX, the “Max & tail cleaning is done every 60 days. ralteyskaya metro station that’s now under construction Ruby” book series was adapted for a television series on • On the MAX and buses, warnings for fare and code in St. Petersburg, Russia, may take the title of the deepest the Nick Jr. television network. violations account for 60 percent to 72 percent of enforce- station in the world when it opens.

20 MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY > TriMet.org | AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers Summer Produce Giveaway! to our valued customers Come to any of our 5 locations and pick up FREE* bag full of local produce – fresh from our local farm to you! (*While Fresh Produce Available.) Celebrating 25 years of service Siemens congratulates TriMet on moving Portland We Buy Gold & Silver for TOP DOLLAR! in the right direction for a quarter of a century. Trusted in our communities for over 20 years. Complete mobility. All That Glitters MBL 391148.090111 JEWELRY & LOANS 382907.083111 MBL PORTLAND PORTLAND MILWAUKIE TIGARD SALEM 2932 N LOMBARD 12200 SE DIVISION 15114 SE McLOUGHLIN 12760 SW PACIFIC HWY 1191 LANCASTER DR NE usa.siemens.com/mobility 503.247.1019 503.761.6966 503.785.1168 503.968.9510 503.362.9939

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY MAX BLUE LINE!

Congratulations TriMet on the 25-year anniversary of your MAX Blue Line. Each year you serve 16 million riders at the Beaverton Transit Center and our community treasures your world-class transportation service with the Blue Line, Red Line, WES and bus services.

Through our community outreach efforts, we’ve heard from more than 5,000 that public transportation options are a top priority. Thanks to your role in our community, Beaverton’s future looks bright. Our city will continue to partner with TriMet to increase ridership, walking and biking opportunities as well as improve the street amenities in our city.

With TriMet’s rail system converging in Central Beaverton, the City will use this as an anchor for the urban renewal district and revitalization efforts, which are guided by the Beaverton Community Vision and Civic Plan.

Together, as partners in progress, we are making Beaverton the Best of Oregon.

Sincerely, Mayor Denny Doyle City of Beaverton 386820.090111 MBL

Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | TriMet.org > MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY 21 An artist’s rendering (looking north) shows the conceptual design of a transit bridge that would carry MAX cars across the Willamette River as part of a new light rail line that will open in 2016 connecting downtown Portland, the southeast waterfront near OMSI and downtown Milwaukie along Highway 99E. COURTESY OF TRIMET

The future of Portland transit

By JIM REDDEN When work began on the fi rst MAX line extensive public outreach to determine That plan also includes the Portland to Pamplin Media Group more than 25 years ago, transit offi cials what kind of system would best serve the Lake Oswego extension that is currently had a simple plan for expanding light rail residents and businesses along Southwest being debated by the two cities. Regional residents will have a lot more service in the region after it was fi nished Barbur Boulevard and Highway 99W. A “The next evolution of the streetcar sys- transit options in the future if all the plans — continue going west to Hillsboro, then two-hour open house will be held at 6:30 tem is offering faster trip times,” Adams under discussion and on the drawing south to Clackamas County. Today, there p.m. on Sept. 28 at the Tigard Library, says. boards are approved. is a growing awareness that the exact 13500 S.W. Hall Blvd. Other corridors in Metro’s transit plan Future projects could include a new alignment is very important. Strategically “The Barbur corridor rose to the top be- envision new connections to Oregon City, light rail line between downtown Portland placed stations can help guide develop- cause it has the potential to serve the most Forest Grove, Wilsonville and other cities through Tigard to Sherwood, a high-speed ment in the communities served by the people,” Collette says. in the region. A System Expansion Policy bus line between Portland and Gresham, lines. The current mantra is that transpor- The second priority is the Powell Boule- offers cities a way to increase their rank- and additional Portland Streetcar lines tation and land use plan- vard corridor between ings by committing to needed features at that offer both express service and every- ning go together. Portland and Gresham. their ends. The elected Metro Council can few-block stops. These days, long- “The Barbur (Boulevard) Despite its name, the plan- revisit the list when the regional transpor- “Everything that works is being looked range transit planning corridor rose to the top ning corridor stretches tation plan is updated every fi ve years, at. In the future, there will be a lot of inter- is coordinated by a gov- from Powell to Division and even sooner if needed. esting variations,” says TriMet General ernment that had only because it has the Street between the two cit- “For the fi rst time, communities can im- Manager Neil McFarlane. just begun 25 years ago potential to serve the ies. prove their chances to be served by transit And, unlike the original MAX line be- — Metro, the regional A number of system op- by helping to make sure the project is de- tween Portland and Gresham, all of the elected government that most people.” tions are already in the liverable,” Collette says. future lines will be designed from the start represents the urban- early discussion stages. Former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts, to encourage mixed-use developments and ized areas of Clacka- — Metro Councilor TriMet is thinking about now a Metro councilor, is impressed with other economic development projects mas, Multnomah and Carlotta Collette Bus Rapid Transit, a dedi- how the planning process has evolved. She along the routes. Washington counties. It cated high-speed lane for has a unique perspective on the growth of But according to McFarlane, TriMet’s has a High Capacity Transit Plan to iden- specially designed buses. Such a system is the regional transit system. top priority is restoring traditional bus tify and prioritize those corridors in the in operation in Lane County, and propo- Roberts was serving on the Multnomah service that has been cut during the Great region that would best support new transit nents say it offers many benefi ts of light County board of commissioners in 1978 Recession that began in 2007. Among other lines. The transit plan is part of the 2035 rail at a fraction of the cost. when the commissioners, the Portland things, the regional transit agency is com- Regional Transportation Plan that gov- “Bus Rapid Transit has the characteris- City Council, the Gresham City Council mitted to buying dozens of new buses ev- erns all transportation spending in the re- tics and capacity of light rail, but it is more and the TriMet board of directors autho- ery year that can be used on lines that gion for the next 24 years. fl exible and costs a lot less,” says Andy rized the fi rst MAX line. Four years after it were cut because of declining revenue in “When the fi rst (MAX) line was planned, Vobora, director of service planning, ac- opened, Robert was elected governor and recent years. the route chosen was just the easiest way cessibility, and marketing for the Lane then worked to secure funds for the west- “That’s at the top of our list. We are to get from A to B. Now we’re looking at Transit District, which operates the side MAX line. Now she is co-chairing the starting an internal initiative to see how to the entire corridor fi rst to identify those 9.5-mile line between Eugene and Spring- steering committee overseeing the South- do that sooner rather than later,” McFar- places that are or could be activity centers, fi eld. west Corridor Plan. lane says. including places where people would want Mayor Sam Adams is interested in a “I’ve supported transit throughout my Transit offi cials admit these projects to live,” says Metro Councilor Carlotta Col- Portland Streetcar extension that would career and am very proud of the system are largely dependent on the economy re- lette, who oversaw the high-capacity tran- include both frequent stops and express we’re creating. The impacts and benefi ts covering and generating enough new capi- sit planning process. service between Portland and Gresham. It for our communities are much greater tal to ensure they can be competed. But Work has just begun on the top priority, is one of several potential extensions in- than any of us expected more than 30 years planning has to start now, they say, to take the Southwest Corridor between Portland cluded in the Streetcar System Concept ago,” Roberts says. advantage of the recovery. and Sherwood. The fi rst phase involves Plan already approved by the City Council.

22 MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY > TriMet.org | AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers ;\c`m\i`e^k_\Y\jkcfZXce\nj ]fi]fidfi\k_XeXk_fljXe[p\Xij%dfi\k_XeXk_fljXe[p\Xij%

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Portland Tribune/Community Newspapers AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | TriMet.org > MAX BLUE LINE 25TH ANNIVERSARY 23