WESTSIDE MAX BLUE LINE EXTENSION

Background In 1993, construction began on the tunnel, and in 1994, track construction began in downtown Portland, where In 1979, studies began on transit options and the Westside line tied into the existing line on Morrison alignments to connect Downtown Portland to and Yamhill streets. Work began soon after on the Beaverton as far west as SW 185th Avenue. By 1983, Beaverton segment to SW 185th Avenue, including a the studies were complete, and local jurisdictions new maintenance facility for low-floor at Elmonica. selected as their preferred alternative along the Sunset Highway (Hwy 26) corridor. At this point Hillsboro signs on the TriMet Board suspended further work, awaiting The 1979 studies for the Westside anticipated that completion of the 15-mile Eastside the line would eventually extend from SW 185th

project, which opened in 1986. Avenue to the suburban city of Hillsboro. In 1989, the

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r a b m local jurisdictions askedo to add that extension to the The tunnel option Westside project becaused of rapid development. The

SMITH AND BYBEE M By 1988, Eastside MAX light rail was met with wide environmental studies for thisWETLANDS NA T6.2-mileURAL AREA addition,arine approval and planning resumed on Westside light mostly located on an abandoned rail right-of-way,

Newberry PIER C COLUMBIA RIVER ol tland Expo Center PARK um rail. The first hurdle was crossing the West Hills, which progressed rapidly, and in 1994, Hillsborob becameor the ia P

rose 700 feet above Downtown Portland and required western terminus of the Westside project. PORTLAND N PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL Marine RACEWAY Delta Park/ F a six percent grade along Hwy 26. While the original essenden Vanport Portland hns Jo International Airport MAX light rail vehicles were designed to handle such St dge Design and constructioni Kenton/ MLK town Br German N Denver Lombar a grade over short distances, concerns arose that the d N Lombard Transit Center highlights Ai Co rp grade would reduce reliability, particularly during icy lum or bia Mt Hood Ave t Twin tunnels Basin Rosa Parks Cascades weather, and increase travel times and maintenance Kaiser FOREST PARK West Union N Killingsworth costs. After prolonged debate, a decision was reached The West Hills tunnel is actually twin tubes, COLUMBIA RIVER Laidlaw • Killingsworth Cornelius Pass Parkrose/Sumner

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a L P d t el n in an o P l d a COFFEE LAKE WILSONVILLE tr South E n CREEK e WETLANDS C Bea v e WILLAMETTE rcr NARROWS ee FOREST k Wilsonville 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 Because its geology consists of hard rock from • vents and electricity in case of an emergency. ancient lava flows up to 16 million years old, layered with soft ground and rock fragments, • The underground station’s unique public art has the tunnel has several horizontal and vertical curves helped make the stop a destination in itself. as designers tried to follow the best rock conditions. • The station serves the , World Forestry • Excavation began at the west end, where varied Center, Portland Children’s Museum and the geologic material required the use of conventional Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and offers access to drill and blast mining techniques. the rest of Washington Park. • The eastern two-thirds of the tunnels, composed primarily of Columbia River basalt, were excavated Leaving the tunnel, the rail line follows Hwy 26 to the using a 278-foot-long tunnel-boring machine. Sunset Transit Center, then turns abruptly south along Tunnel-boring machine Hwy 217 and descends a six percent grade for almost a mile. The Sunset Transit Center includes a 630-space • Designed to bore through solid rock, the boring Park & Ride and TriMet’s first Bike & Ride, a 74-space machine used hydraulically driven arms to press secure bike parking facility. The transit center also against the tunnel walls and propel itself forward. provides connections to five TriMet bus lines, as well • The 42 hard metal cutting blades on the front of as bus service to the Oregon Coast. 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. The finished tunnels measure 19 feet in diameter. Beaverton The alignment approaching Beaverton Transit Center Cross passages between the tunnels were built • crosses a previously developed area and is the only every 750 feet. place on the MAX light rail system where an entirely • Trains travel through the twin tunnels at speeds up new right-of-way had to be created. Beaverton Transit to 55 mph. Center was built 10 years before light rail opened, with space reserved on its south side for future In 1991, light rail. As it turned out, final alignment ran TriMet began along its north side. The transit center was rebuilt to study at the same time, incorporating new amenities alternatives and facilities to support bus/rail connections. to the lift TriMet’s WES (Westside Express Service) Commuter system. After Rail now has a platform on the south side. meetings with the community, plus research Hillsboro trips to several North American and European systems, the study recommended converting the At 12th Avenue in Hillsboro, the tracks move from a whole system to low-floor cars. By 1992, TriMet former railroad right-of-way and enter Washington had begun procurement for low-floor cars, the Street, which they follow for 14 blocks to Hillsboro at first such cars to be ordered in North America. the end of the line, mostly on a 24-foot-wide paved median. Here, an alternative design gives light rail Main Street Bridge reserved lanes on a narrower street while still allowing At Main Street in Hillsboro, a former railroad trestle other vehicles to turn across the tracks at driveways that crossed over the street at an oblique angle and intersections. As there is no room for turn pockets, had been the site of numerous accidents. The City trains pass through these intersections on an “all-red” of Hillsboro did not want a pier in the center of the phase, with traffic stopped in all directions. When the street, so a light rail bridge was built with a dramatic train is not present, the intersection functions like any overhead arch straddling the road and the track. other, with left turns permitted. The configuration in Downtown Hillsboro copies that Transit-oriented development in Gresham, with a transit center adjacent to the Westside MAX Blue Line travels through stretches of pedestrian-friendly downtown, and a Park & Ride undeveloped land, as well as the cities of Beaverton at the end of the line for commuters coming from and Hillsboro. Since opening in 1998, the line has further west. become a magnet for residential and commercial development. A first for art The Westside MAX was the first light rail project to Beaverton Central Station include a substantial budget for art. All of the 20 Beaverton Central Station was sited on vacant land stations are embellished with artworks by a variety once occupied by a sewage treatment plant to act as of artists and are designed to reflect the character, a catalyst for redevelopment. A project known as The diversity and history of the surrounding community. Round was built around the station, featuring a mix of office and high-density residential units, surrounding Technical highlights a circular plaza that includes the MAX station. Vehicles and accessibility Orenco Station The original Eastside MAX line used platform-mounted Once a small company town that supported a large lifts to allow customers using mobility devices to nursery by the same name, Orenco is located on the access light rail vehicles. Increasing use led to service old electric railway. With the nursery and delays, and many in the disabled community felt the most of the population having long since moved away, lifts focused attention on them as the cause of delays. the City of Hillsboro designated Orenco for transit- Meanwhile, European light rail systems had begun oriented development as part of the light rail project. introducing low-floor cars to enhance access for all Today it is a showcase community with more than users, including users with mobility devices. 1,800 for-sale units, condominiums and . Expo Center Airport

WILLAMETTE RIVER

Pioneer Square Hillsboro

Gresham PSU Beaverton Clackamas Town Center Milwaukie Wilsonville Snapshots • Surface Park & Rides 7 with 2,733 total spaces Timeline • Parking garages 2 with 880 total spaces • 1979 Alignment and environmental studies begin, • New maintenance facility Elmonica to be postponed in 1983 Frequency • 1988 Preliminary engineering and environmental Approximately every 15 minutes during peak hours; studies begin again approximately every 35 minutes during early morning • 1990 Voters overwhelmingly approve a bond and nighttime service. measure for the Westside extension Travel times • 1993–1997 Tunnel construction • Downtown Portland (Pioneer Square) to Beaverton • 1994–1998 Alignment construction Transit Center 23 minutes • July 1996 First low-floor arrives • Beaverton Transit Center to Hillsboro end of line 28 minutes • September 1998 Westside MAX Blue Line service began • Downtown to Hillsboro end of line 51 minutes

Annual Ridership (entire MAX Blue Line) Bus connections Includes 37 connections with TriMet bus lines 23 along the Westside alignment and numerous bus lines downtown. 21 Funding Total: $963.5 million 19 $145.8 million 18.9 million Regional and Local rides in FY15 in millions of rides, per year in millions of rides, 17 $704.1 million FY05 FY10 FY15 Federal

$113.6 million Facilities State • Length 18 miles (MAX Blue Line: 33 miles total) • Stations 20

Available in other formats

Westside MAX Tour Fact Sheet / July 2016