Template:Short description Template:For-multi Template:Good article Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox public transit
The Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail system serving the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Owned and operated by TriMet, it consists of five lines connecting the six sections of Portland; the communities of Beaverton, Clackamas, Gresham, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, and Oak Grove; and Portland International Airport to Portland City Center. Trains run seven days a week with headways between 30 minutes off-peak and three minutes during rush hours. In 2023, MAX recorded an annual ridership of Template:American transit ridership.
MAX was among the first second-generation American light rail systems to be built, conceived from freeway revolts that took place in the 1970s. Planning for the network's inaugural eastside segment, then referred to as the Banfield Light Rail Project, started in 1973 ahead of the cancelation of the Mount Hood Freeway. Construction began in 1982, and service commenced between downtown Portland and Gresham on September 5, 1986. The original 27-station, Template:Convert line has since been expanded to 94 stations and Template:Convert of track. The latest extension, from Portland to Milwaukie, opened in 2015.
MAX is one of three urban rail transit services operating in the Portland metropolitan area, the other two being the Portland Streetcar and WES Commuter Rail. MAX directly connects with them as well as with other transit services such as Amtrak, Frequent Express, and local and intercity buses. Trains operate with two-car consists due to downtown Portland's short city blocks. Vehicles and platforms are fully accessible, and fares are collected through the Hop Fastpass payment system.
HistoryEdit
PredecessorsEdit
In the early 20th century, privately funded interurbans and streetcars gave Portland one of the largest urban rail systems in the American West, with lines that once extended as far north as Vancouver, Washington, south as Eugene, east as Troutdale, and west as Forest Grove.<ref name="Selinger">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Rp<ref name="thompson2010">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp Portland's first trolleys were brought over from San Francisco by Ben Holladay in 1872; they were drawn by horses and mules and operated by the Portland Street Railway Company. In 1890, the first electric streetcar opened in Albina while the first cable car began serving 5th Avenue; these marked the start of an era of major rail expansion.<ref name="History of Public Transit">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1892, the East Side Railway Company opened the first long-distance interurban line—a Template:Convert route from Portland to Oregon City.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Portland Railway, Light and Power Company had taken over all local streetcars by 1906,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and interurbans by 1908.<ref name="thompson-interurban">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp In 1912, as Portland's population exceeded 250,000, transit ridership stood at 70 million passengers annually.<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp Passenger rail services had started to decline by the 1920s with the rise of the automobile and suburban and freeway development.<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Portland's original streetcar lines had ceased operating by 1950,<ref name="thompson2010"/>Template:Rp replaced by buses until 2001,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> when the modern Portland Streetcar opened in downtown Portland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The region's last two interurban lines, which traveled to Oregon City and Bellrose (Southeast 136th Avenue), permanently closed in 1958.<ref name="thompson-interurban"/>Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Early beginningsEdit
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At the height of local freeway revolts in the 1970s, studies for public transit began using funds made available by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973.<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp These funds had been intended for the Mount Hood Freeway and Interstate 505 (I-505) projects,<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp which were abandoned amid strong opposition from the Portland city government and neighborhood associations.<ref name="Hell">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Effort to Stop">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1973, Governor Tom McCall assembled a task force that helped determine several alternative options, including a busway and light rail.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> Local jurisdictions originally favored the busway alternative but support for light rail prevailed following the mode's inclusion in a 1977 environmental impact statement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The proposal became known as the Banfield light rail project, named for the Banfield Freeway, a segment of I-84 that part of the alignment followed. TriMet approved the project in September 1978.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Construction of the Template:Convert, 27-station line between 11th Avenue in downtown Portland and Cleveland Avenue in Gresham began in March 1982.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Inaugural service commenced on September 5, 1986.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Less than two months before opening, TriMet adopted the name "Metropolitan Area Express", or "MAX", following an employee contest.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="selinger-2019"/>Template:Rp
As the planning of a light rail line to the west side gained momentum in the mid-1980s, the original MAX line came to be referred to as the Eastside MAX to distinguish it from what would become the Westside MAX extension.<ref name="max-blue-line-eastside-factsheet-2016">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Early proposals called for the extension to terminate just west of the Beaverton–Hillsboro boundary on 185th Avenue in Washington County.<ref name="Washington County EIS">Template:Cite report</ref> A dispute between TriMet and the Urban Mass Transportation Administration over a financing plan suspended the project for several years but planning resumed in 1988 and studies were completed in 1991.<ref name="Washington County EIS"/><ref name="Tri-Met heats up">Template:Cite news</ref> Staunch lobbying by local and state officials led by Hillsboro Mayor Shirley Huffman forced an extension of the line further west to downtown Hillsboro in 1993.<ref name="Fiery">Template:Cite news</ref> Construction of the 20-station, Template:Convert line began that August with the excavation of the Robertson Tunnel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Westside MAX opened in two stages following delays in tunneling: the section from 11th Avenue to Kings Hill/Southwest Salmon Street was opened in 1997 and the section to Hatfield Government Center—the segment's current western terminus—was opened in 1998.<ref name="New MAX cars">Template:Cite news</ref> The resulting Template:Convert MAX line began operating as a single, through service on September 12, 1998.<ref name="end">Template:Cite news</ref> This service was renamed the Blue Line in 2001 after TriMet adopted color designations for its light rail routes.<ref name="taut-dec2000">Template:Cite news</ref>
South/North planEdit
At the same time TriMet was planning the Westside MAX in the mid-1980s, Metro regional government announced new light rail proposals for Clackamas County. Its planning committee—the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT)—proposed two separate routes that would have run between downtown Portland and Oregon City via Milwaukie and between Portland International Airport and Clackamas Town Center via I-205.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Further planning led JPACT to favor the I-205 corridor due to an existing right-of-way along the I-205 Transitway, an unfinished mass transit component of the freeway that had been built to accommodate a busway.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="after-35-years">Template:Cite news</ref> TriMet, however, prioritized the Westside MAX during its bid for federal matching funds and the I-205 plans were put on hold.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1989, studies for both I-205 and Milwaukie proposals received funding from the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations under the condition that they included potential route extensions to Clark County, Washington.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Metro completed the studies in 1993, ultimately abandoning I-205 in favor of a route along the I-5 and Willamette River corridors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It finalized a single Template:Convert line from Hazel Dell, Washington south to Clackamas Town Center via Milwaukie,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which Metro and TriMet formally named the South–North Line.<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp Metro said it adopted the name "South/North" instead of the more conventional "North/South" word order, at the request of representatives in the southern part of the corridor after the southern leg, which had long been planned to be the next-priority MAX corridor after the Westside line, was merged with the northern leg as a single proposed project.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In November 1994, 63% of Portland area voters passed a $475Template:Nbspmillion ballot measure to fund Oregon's portion of the project.<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp The following February, however, Clark County residents defeated a tax measure that would have funded Washington's share.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> To move the project forward, TriMet downsized the plan and abandoned the line's Clark County and North Portland segments up to the Rose Quarter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That July, the Oregon House of Representatives approved a $750Template:Nbspmillion transportation package, which included $375 million for the scaled-back line.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The funding was annulled by the Oregon Supreme Court due to the inclusion of unrelated measures that violated the state's constitution.<ref name="light-rail-history">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The legislature met again in February 1996 and passed a revised $375Template:Nbspmillion package,<ref name="light-rail-history"/> but light rail opponents forced a statewide vote and defeated it the following November.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A third proposal between Lombard Street in North Portland and Clackamas Town Center followed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This time, Metro and TriMet pursued the project without seeking contributions from either Clark County or the state, instead sourcing funds from Clackamas County and Portland. In 1998, TriMet placed a new ballot measure to reaffirm voter support for the $475Template:Nbspmillion originally approved in 1994.<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp The measure failed by 52% in November of that year, effectively canceling the proposed line.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Airport and Interstate linesEdit
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Compelled by the rapid expansion of Portland International Airport in the 1990s, the Port of Portland began exploring ways to alleviate worsening traffic congestion,<ref name="Airport struggles">Template:Cite news</ref> including the possibility of introducing MAX service,<ref name="Port wants MAX">Template:Cite news</ref> which regional planners had not anticipated for at least another 20 years.<ref name="max-red-line-factsheet-2016">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1997, engineering firm Bechtel accelerated plans by submitting an unsolicited proposal to design and build an airport rail link in exchange for Template:Convert of Port property.<ref name="Port wants MAX"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A public–private partnership between the company and local governments was negotiated and construction of the Airport MAX began in June 1999.<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp<ref name="Take Shape">Template:Cite news</ref> With no federal assistance requested and right-of-way already secured,<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp it was completed in just under two years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The four-station, Template:Convert line between Gateway/Northeast 99th Avenue Transit Center and Portland International Airport station opened on September 10, 2001.<ref name="oreg-2001-city-that-moves">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Celebrations scheduled for that weekend were canceled in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Red Line service originally ran between the airport and downtown, turning around at the loop tracks on 11th Avenue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On September 1, 2003, it was extended west along existing tracks to Beaverton Transit Center to relieve overcrowding on the Blue Line and to create a one-seat airport connection for the west side.<ref name="direct service Beaverton">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1999, Portland business leaders and residents who were opposed to the cancellation of the South–North Line urged TriMet to revive the project.<ref name="oreg-1999mar16">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="oreg-1999mar25">Template:Cite news</ref> TriMet responded with a new proposal that would expand MAX solely to North Portland via North Interstate Avenue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The agency moved forward with this plan and the Interstate MAX broke ground in February 2001.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> To minimize costs to taxpayers, the city created an urban renewal district and federal matching funds were allocated from the Airport MAX and Portland Streetcar projects, since these projects were locally funded.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="clinton-money">Template:Cite news</ref> The 10-station, Template:Convert extension from the Rose Quarter to the Expo Center opened on May 1, 2004, with its new service designated the Yellow Line.<ref name="open-for-business">Template:Cite news</ref> From 2004 to 2009, the Yellow Line ran from Expo Center station in North Portland to 11th Avenue in downtown Portland, following the Blue and Red lines' downtown alignment from the Steel Bridge. On August 30, 2009, it was rerouted to terminate at the PSU Urban Center stations with the addition of light rail to the Portland Transit Mall.<ref name="tribune2009-0828">Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2012, this was extended further south to the PSU South stations, which had not been built due to the construction of nearby transit-oriented development.<ref name="lastpiece">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="oreg-2012aug31">Template:Cite news</ref> The Yellow Line became interlined with the Orange Line in 2015; it now only operates the northbound segment of the transit mall.<ref name="you-asked-orange-downtown">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
South Corridor extensionsEdit
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In 2001, Metro revisited its former light rail plans for Clackamas County and reconsidered proposals similar to those of the canceled South/North project, with two routes extending to Clackamas and Milwaukie.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This resulted in a new study, which Metro referred to as the South Corridor transportation project,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> that evaluated light rail among other alternatives.<ref name="new-max-plans-arrive">Template:Cite news</ref> The study's task force recommend both light rail options in 2003 and suggested splitting the project into two phases.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first phase planned for the addition of light rail to I-205, between Gateway Transit Center and Clackamas Town Center. In October of that year, the first phase plans were amended to include adding light rail to the Portland Transit Mall following a petition from Portland business leaders.<ref name="likely-addition">Template:Cite news</ref> The combined project was approved for federal funding in 2006 and work began in January 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="bushs-2008-budget">Template:Cite news</ref> Light rail commenced service along the 14-station, Template:Convert Portland Transit Mall on August 30, 2009, first served by the Yellow Line.<ref name="tribune2009-0828"/> The opening of the eight-station, Template:Convert I-205 MAX and Green Line service followed on September 12.<ref name="green-festivities">Template:Cite news</ref>
The South Corridor project's second phase initially proposed the extension of MAX between downtown Portland and Milwaukie via the Hawthorne Bridge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Studies showed that this alignment would cause severe traffic bottlenecks in downtown.<ref name="likely-addition"/> As a result, Portland businesses pushed for the construction of a new bridge further upstream that led to the southern end of the Portland Transit Mall.<ref name="new-max-plans-arrive"/> The locally preferred alignment was finalized in mid-2008; a new bridge would carry light rail across the Willamette River from the South Waterfront to just south of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).<ref name=oreg-2008may2>Template:Cite news</ref> TriMet designed this bridge, which was eventually inaugurated as Tilikum Crossing, to be "car-free" and to accommodate only transit vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians.<ref name=Libby2015>Template:Cite journal</ref> Construction of the line began in June 2011.<ref name="piece by piece">Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2012, opponents passed a ballot initiative—with 60% of the vote—requiring all Clackamas County spending on light rail to be approved by voters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following the county's attempt to end its involvement and a suit filed by TriMet, a circuit court upheld the project's continuation.<ref name="selinger-2019">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Rp The 17-station, Template:Convert Portland–Milwaukie segment and Orange Line service opened on September 12, 2015.<ref name="wait's over">Template:Cite news</ref> The Orange Line, operating along the Portland Transit Mall's southbound segment, became the third service to serve this corridor.<ref name="you-asked-orange-downtown"/>
Red Line track improvements and extension to HillsboroEdit
In October 2017,<ref name="trimet-considering-expansion">Template:Cite news</ref> TriMet, citing system-wide delays caused by two single-track segments along the Airport MAX, announced the MAX Red Line Improvements Project,<ref name="red-line-imp-fs-mar20">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> later renamed "A Better Red".<ref name="better-red-factsheet-sep2021">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A Better Red sought double-tracking a Template:Convert section of track north of Gateway Transit Center and another Template:Convert section alongside Northeast Airport Way just before the airport terminal.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> To qualify the project for federal funding, TriMet included extending Red Line service farther west to Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport station in Hillsboro;<ref name="trimet-considering-expansion"/> this extension would use existing Westside MAX tracks and create a one-seat option from 10 additional stations to Portland International Airport. Additionally, TriMet had announced it would procure up to eight new light rail vehicles to accommodate the improvements,<ref name="red-line-imp-fs-mar20"/> but later purchased 30 new trains overall; four were part of A Better Red, while the remaining 26 were replacements for the original MAX fleet, which are gradually being retired.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Preliminary design work began in February 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> TriMet adopted a locally preferred alternative in April 2019,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the FTA announced $99.99 million for the project through the Capital Investment Grants program in May 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Final design was completed by engineering firm Parametrix in early 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The design includes two new bridges north of Gateway Transit Center to accommodate the second track and a new MAX platform called "Gateway North".<ref name="better-red-factsheet-sep2021"/> TriMet broke ground on September 28, 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
From April 2–9, 2022,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> Red Line service was suspended to make way for construction, and shuttle buses operated between Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The project was completed in March 2024.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
From June 18 to October 21, 2023, TriMet suspended MAX service between Gateway Transit Center and the airport to allow for construction of the second track between the airport and Mount Hood Avenue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
From January 14 to March 3, 2024, TriMet suspended MAX Red, Blue and Green Line service between NE 7th and Gateway Transit Center.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Inbound Red Line trains from PDX began serving Gateway North on March 4, 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These projects eliminated the last bidirectional single-track sections on the MAX system.<ref name="ptj2024-2">Template:Cite news</ref>
The Red Line extension to Hillsboro began service on August 25, 2024 with a soft launch, with the full launch beginning on August 28. Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport station was also renamed to Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds station.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Future plansEdit
TriMet works with local jurisdictions and agencies to identify and recommend priority transit projects to include in Metro's Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The 2018 RTP is Metro's latest iteration, and it lists three funding scenarios that divide the region's proposals into three priority levels. The highest priority projects, which are referred to as "2027 Constrained", are proposals the region expects to have funding for by 2027. The "2040 Constrained" lists projects that fit within the region's planned budget through 2040, while the "2040 Strategic" are projects that may be built if additional funding becomes available.<ref name="2018-rtp-ch-6">Template:Cite report</ref>Template:Rp
Current projectsEdit
The 2018 RTP lists the "Southwest Corridor" project which TriMet expects will be funded by 2027.<ref name="2018-rtp-ch-6"/>Template:Rp
| Project | Status | Description | New stations |
Length | Planned completion |
Projected Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (mi) | (km) | |||||||
| Southwest Corridor<ref name="sw-corridor-factsheet">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Suspended<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Extends MAX southwest from PSU in downtown Portland to Bridgeport Village in Tualatin via Southwest Portland and Tigard.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It would be served by the Green Line.<ref name="sw-corridor-conceptual-design-2020">Template:Cite report</ref>Template:Rp Voters rejected Measure 26-218, a tax ballot measure that would have funded the local-area share of the project, on November 3, 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | 13 | Template:Convert | — | $2.6–2.8Template:Nbspbillion<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| Downtown Tunnel<ref name="max-tunnel-study-2019">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Proposed | Constructs a tunnel beneath downtown Portland from Goose Hollow to the Lloyd Center.<ref name="max-tunnel-study-2019"/>Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | — | — | — | — | $3–4.5Template:Nbspbillion<ref name="max-tunnel-study-2019"/>Template:Rp |
Other proposalsEdit
TriMet has indicated that other extensions and improvements have been studied or discussed with Metro and cities in the region.<ref name="2018-rtp-ch-6"/>Template:Rp<ref name="oreg-2009sep5">Template:Cite news</ref> These proposals include the following, with light rail and alternatives being considered:
- Extension to Forest Grove
- Extension to Oregon City via McLoughlin Boulevard (OR 99E)
- Extension to Hillsboro via Sunset Highway (US 26)
- Extension to Vancouver, Washington
OperationEdit
SegmentsEdit
The MAX rail network is approximately Template:Convert long. It was built in a series of six projects starting with the Template:Convert Banfield—now called Eastside—segment between downtown Portland and Gresham. Each successive project has either been an extension or a branch of an existing segment. TriMet has typically paired each project with the opening of a new line, often making the line and segment synonymous (e.g. "Airport MAX Red Line").<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
| No. | Project name | Opened | End points | Length (new) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (mi) | (km) | ||||
| 1 | Banfield (Eastside)<ref name="max-blue-line-eastside-factsheet-2016"/> | Template:Dts | Downtown Portland–Gresham | Template:Convert<ref name="MR-1987Nov">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="TRB-221">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| 2 | Westside<ref name="max-blue-line-westside-factsheet-2016">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Template:Dts | Hillsboro–Downtown Portland | Template:Convert<ref name="LRA-1994">Template:Cite book</ref> |
| 3 | Airport<ref name="max-red-line-factsheet-2016"/> | Template:Dts | Portland International Airport–Gateway | Template:Convert<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp | |
| 4 | Interstate<ref name="max-yellow-line-factsheet-2016">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Template:Dts | North Portland–Steel Bridge | Template:Convert<ref name="max-yellow-line-factsheet-2016"/><ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp |
| 5 | Portland Mall<ref name="max-green-line-factsheet-2016">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Template:Dts | Steel Bridge–PSU | Template:Convert<ref name="RGI-2007Aug">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ptj2010-1"/> |
| I-205<ref name="max-green-line-factsheet-2016"/> | Template:Dts | Gateway–Clackamas | Template:Convert<ref name="oreg-2009sep5"/><ref name="RGI-2007Aug"/> | ||
| 6 | Portland–Milwaukie<ref name="max-orange-line-factsheet-2016">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Template:Dts | Downtown Portland–Oak Grove | Template:Convert<ref name="max-orange-line-factsheet-2016"/><ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp |
| 7 | A Better Red<ref name="better-red-factsheet-sep2021" /> | Template:Dts | Hillsboro–Portland International Airport | Template:Convert<ref name="better-red-factsheet-sep2021" /> | |
| Total | 59.7 | 96.1 | |||
LinesEdit
For MAX, a "line" refers to the physical railroad tracks and stations a train serves within its designated termini, i.e. a train "route" or "service". MAX operates five lines, each assigned a color.<ref name="Rail system map">Template:Cite map</ref> TriMet adopted the use of colors to distinguish separately operated routes in 2000 and brought them into use on September 10, 2001, when it opened the Airport MAX extension. On that day, the service running between Hillsboro and Gresham became designated the Blue Line, while that running between downtown Portland and Portland International Airport was designated the Red Line.<ref name="taut-dec2000"/><ref name="airport-max-in-sight">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="selinger-2019"/>Template:Rp
Every MAX line interlines with at least one other service, particularly as it approaches the system's central area.<ref name="Rail system map"/> The Steel Bridge accommodates the most interline routes with four lines (Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow) utilizing the same tracks.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> TriMet has modified train routes over time, often as part of system expansions. For example, the Yellow Line, which began service in 2004, originally followed the same route into downtown Portland as the Blue and Red lines. It was realigned to the transit mall in 2009 when light rail service was introduced to that corridor.<ref name="ptj2010-1">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="tribune2009-0828"/>
| Service | Stations | Termini | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Ric<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
48 | Template:Stn (Hillsboro) | Template:Stn (Gresham) |
| Template:Ric<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
37 | Template:Stn | Template:Stn |
| Template:Ric<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
30 | PSU South | Clackamas Town Center Transit Center |
| Template:Ric<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
17 | Template:Stn | PSU South |
| Template:Ric<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
17 | Union Station | Template:Stn (Milwaukie) |
Right-of-wayEdit
MAX operates on a mixture of shared and exclusive transit right-of-way.<ref name="light-rail-technology">Template:Cite report</ref>Template:Rp Within downtown Portland, trains run on surface streets. They operate in dedicated lanes restricted to personal vehicles, and operators abide by the city's traffic control system.<ref name="how-max-moves">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="are-cars-allowed">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On the Morrison and Yamhill couplet, MAX travels in the left lanes.<ref name="Conceptual Design banfield">Template:Cite report</ref>Template:Rp On the Portland Transit Mall (5th and 6th couplet), MAX shares dedicated lanes with buses; both vehicle types travel in the center or right lanes and stop at their respective curbside platforms on the right lane.<ref name="power-signals"/> Lanes may be separated by turtleback delineators or double-solid white lines,<ref name="light-rail-technology"/>Template:Rp and marked with white diamonds or white "T"s.<ref name="are-cars-allowed"/>
Outside of downtown Portland, MAX runs on street medians and viaducts, alongside freeways and freight lines, and underground. Where the tracks run within a street median, intersections are controlled by traffic signals that give trains preemption. Where tracks run on a separate right-of-way, trains are protected by automated grade crossing gates when traversing level crossings.<ref name="power-signals"/> Some segments of MAX are elevated to carry trains over busy thoroughfares and difficult terrain.<ref name="Don't look up">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="longest-spans">Template:Cite news</ref> A Template:Convert section of tracks runs beneath Washington Park in Portland's West Hills through the Robertson Tunnel, the system's longest underground segment.<ref name="Board picks tunnel">Template:Cite news</ref>
MAX crosses the Willamette River using the Steel Bridge and Tilikum Crossing. In studies conducted for the Eastside MAX, planners recommended using the Steel Bridge due to its former role as a river crossing for the city's historic streetcars. When MAX commenced service in 1986, trains shared the bridge's center lanes with vehicular traffic.<ref name="Conceptual Design banfield"/>Template:Rp In 2008, workers closed the bridge's upper deck to construct a junction between the Eastside MAX tracks and the newer Portland Transit Mall tracks. Upon reopening, the two inner lanes became exclusive to MAX trains, while cars, buses, and other motorized traffic were restricted to the two outer lanes.<ref name=trib-2008aug>Template:Cite news</ref> TriMet designed and built the newer Tilikum Crossing to accommodate transit vehicles (MAX, streetcar, and buses), cyclists, and pedestrians only; with the exception of emergency responders, private vehicles are prohibited.<ref name="tilikum-factsheet-june-2014">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tilikum Crossing is thus recognized as the first major "car-free" bridge in the United States.<ref name=Libby2015/>
Power and signalingEdit
MAX is powered by a conventional 750-volt direct current (DC) overhead wire system. Most of the system uses a dual-wire catenary, with a contact wire supported by a messenger wire. In central city areas such as downtown Portland, however, it uses a single contact wire to minimize the amount of overhead wiring. To further minimize visual impact, ornamental street light poles, buildings, and bridge structures are used to support the wiring. Substations, spaced approximately every Template:Convert apart, convert the high-voltage public supply to the voltage power used by trains. The power system can bridge any one substation so that trains can continue to operate should a substation or its supply go down.<ref name="power-signals"/>
Approximately 70 percent of the MAX system uses automatic block signaling (ABS),<ref name="power-signals"/> which allows for relatively fast operating speeds—up to Template:Convert—and short headways.<ref name="max-blue-line-westside-factsheet-2016"/><ref name="going-to-the-max">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> For example, between Lloyd Center/Northeast 11th Avenue station and Gateway Transit Center along the Banfield Freeway, ABS can accommodate an operating headway of two minutes. Within these sections, automatic train stops (ATS) enforce speed limits and automatically apply the brakes should a train operator fail to do so. The remaining 30 percent of the system relies on traffic signals and line-of-sight operation. Speeds do not exceed Template:Convert in these sections.<ref name="power-signals"/>
Maintenance facilitiesEdit
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TriMet's vehicle-maintenance complexes for the MAX system are the Ruby Junction facility in Gresham and the smaller Elmonica facility in Beaverton.<ref name="oreg-2010aug23">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="pamplin-ruby-2016">Template:Cite news</ref> The Ruby Junction facility is located near Ruby Junction/East 197th Avenue station while the Elmonica facility is adjacent to Elmonica/Southwest 170th Avenue station; both are on the Blue Line.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Ruby Junction began with one building that TriMet built as part of the original MAX project in the early 1980s; it had expanded to three multi-story buildings totaling Template:Convert occupying Template:Convert by 2010,<ref name="oreg-2010aug23"/> and to four buildings totalling Template:Convert occupying Template:Convert by 2016. It contains 13 maintenance bays and its yard tracks have the capacity to store 87 light rail cars. In 2016, around 200 employees worked at Ruby Junction and almost 200 MAX operators operated trains that were based there. In addition to vehicle maintenance, crews who maintain the MAX system's tracks and signals are also based at Ruby Junction.<ref name="pamplin-ruby-2016"/> In 2015, some maintenance-of-way personnel moved into the Portland Vintage Trolley carbarn next to Rose Quarter Transit Center after Vintage Trolley service was discontinued.<ref name=oreg-2013dec6>Template:Cite news</ref>
Ruby Junction originally housed light-rail operations, communications, and administrative workers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Elmonica facility was built as part of the Westside MAX Project in the mid-1990s and was completed in 1996. Its building has Template:Convert of space.<ref name="oreg-1996jan22">Template:Cite news</ref>
StationsEdit
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MAX consists of 94 stations, of which 48 are served by the Blue Line, 30 by the Green Line, 37 by the Red Line, 17 by the Orange Line, and 17 by the Yellow Line. Furthermore, 47 stations are served by at least two lines and eight stations are served by three lines.<ref name="stations">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The system's central stations, where all MAX services interconnect, border the two city blocks in downtown Portland occupied by the Pioneer Courthouse and Pioneer Courthouse Square; they are the Pioneer Courthouse and Pioneer Place stations—served by the Green, Orange, and Yellow lines—and the Pioneer Square stations—served by the Blue and Red lines.<ref name="Rail system map"/>
MAX stations vary in size but are generally simple and austere. Platforms are about Template:Convert long as a result of Portland's short city blocks in downtown,<ref name="stations"/> which restrict trains to two-car consists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Like other North American light rail systems,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> MAX stations do not have faregates; paid fare zones are delineated but remain accessible to anyone. In 2015, TriMet proposed installing turnstiles at some stations along the Portland–Milwaukie segment but never did so.<ref name="fare-turnstiles">Template:Cite news</ref> Stations are typically equipped with trash cans, shelters, and ticket vending machines.<ref name="stations"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Most stations have arrival information displays that show when trains arrive and other service information. These displays were first installed at I-205 and Portland Transit Mall stations, and a federal grant in 2013 enabled TriMet to add more at other locations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Concessionaires sometimes open coffee shops at certain stations.<ref name=beaverton-tc>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
A majority of MAX stations are at street level, correlating to the system's predominant alignment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sunset Transit Center, Template:Stn, and stations along the Banfield Freeway are below street level.<ref name="stations"/><ref name="elevator-improvement">Template:Cite news</ref> One station, Template:Stn, is elevated.<ref>Template:Google maps</ref> Washington Park is the system's only underground station and holds the distinction as North America's deepest transit station at Template:Convert below ground.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Many MAX stations facilitate transfers to other modes of public transit. 11 stations are transit centers with connections to multiple local and intercity bus routes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Beaverton Transit Center is the only MAX-served transit center with a transfer to the region's commuter rail line, WES Commuter Rail, which operates between Beaverton and Wilsonville in Washington County.<ref>Template:Cite map</ref> Within the Portland Transit Mall, trains connect with buses serving downtown Portland; bus stops take up transit mall blocks unoccupied by light rail platforms.<ref name="Transit Mall map">Template:Cite map</ref> MAX riders can transfer to the Portland Streetcar at points where MAX and streetcar lines intersect and to Amtrak via two stations near Portland Union Station.<ref name="portland-streetcar-map">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Transit Mall map"/> The Red Line operates as an airport rail link with a stop at a MAX station attached to the main passenger terminal of Portland International Airport.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
TriMet has built a total of six infill stations. Four were built on the original Eastside MAX alignment—Mall/Southwest 4th Avenue (1990), Mall/Southwest 5th Avenue (1990),<ref name="oreg-1990mar27">Template:Cite news</ref> Convention Center (1990),<ref name=oregonian-dedication>Template:Cite news</ref> and Template:Stn (2010)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>—while two were built on the Portland Transit Mall—PSU South/Southwest 6th and College (2012) and PSU South/Southwest 5th and Jackson (2012).<ref name="lastpiece"/> On March 1, 2020, TriMet permanently closed the Mall infill stations in an effort to speed up travel times in downtown Portland. The agency also closed Kings Hill/Southwest Salmon Street station (originally for a trial period, but is now permanent).<ref name="stations-close">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="station-closures-2020">Template:Cite news</ref>
AccessibilityEdit
Stations built as part of the Banfield Light Rail Project were originally fitted with electric wayside lifts to accommodate riders with mobility devices on the system's high-floor, first-generation vehicles. Each station had two lifts, one for each direction of travel.<ref name="two-wheelchair-lifts">Template:Cite news</ref> The lifts were installed on platforms rather than on trains to prevent malfunctions from delaying service.<ref name="max-blue-line-eastside-factsheet-2016"/> Increased use of the lifts eventually became the cause of delays, and many users felt stigmatized by the lifts' "box" design and time-consuming operation.<ref name="Westside factsheet 2009">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp After the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, TriMet developed a paratransit plan in January 1992.<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp Just before the start of the Westside MAX Project, MAX became the first light rail system in North America to procure low-floor vehicles after a TriMet study of European systems.<ref name="Westside factsheet 2009"/> The low-floor cars, which TriMet and Siemens jointly developed,<ref name="type-6-order">Template:Cite news</ref> entered service in August 1997.<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp
MAX achieved full accessibility in April 1999.<ref name="Selinger"/>Template:Rp Ticket vending machines provide information and instructions in audio, braille, and raised lettering. Station platforms also have signs with braille and raised lettering to indicate which lines provide service and where they go. The edge of platforms have tactile paving to warn riders from standing too close to the edge.<ref name="accessibility-features">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Non-street-level platforms may be accessed with elevators.<ref name="elevator-improvement"/> Most light rail cars, with the exception of Type 1, are low-floor and have ramps that extend onto platforms to allow mobility devices to board.<ref name="accessibility-features"/> High-floor Type 1 cars are paired with low-floor Type 2 or 3 cars to maintain accessibility.<ref name="Rail Fleet">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In each train, an audio system and LED signs announce the name of each upcoming station. All trains have spaces and priority seating areas reserved for seniors and people with disabilities, and service animals are permitted on board.<ref name="accessibility-features"/>
In 2011, TriMet began upgrading the oldest sections of MAX to improve pedestrian safety and compliance with updated ADA standards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> TriMet installed pipe barriers at Gateway Transit Center platform crossings to force pedestrians to slow down and face oncoming trains before crossing the tracks and realigned sidewalks and crosswalks at four at-grade crossings in Gresham. Other improvements made throughout the line include the installation of pedestrian warning signals and tactile paving upgrades.<ref name="Renew the Blue">Template:Cite news</ref>
ParkingEdit
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Based on a report published in 2019, TriMet provides a total of 12,614 park-and-ride spaces, of which 10,219 directly serve 25 MAX stations. The agency's parking facilities are either surface lots or multi-level garages,<ref name="pnr-primer-2019">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Rp and they are free to use. TriMet allows vehicles to park at most stalls overnight as long as they do not exceed 24 hours.<ref name="park-ride-locations">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At some locations, TriMet negotiates with nearby establishments for additional parking spaces.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Westside MAX stations contain 3,643 parking spaces, the most number of spaces in a corridor.<ref name="pnr-primer-2019"/>Template:Rp Clackamas Town Center Transit Center on the I-205 MAX segment includes a 750-space parking garage, the largest capacity of any single MAX station. Southeast Holgate Boulevard station, also on the I-205 MAX, provides the fewest parking spaces with 125 stalls.<ref name="park-ride-locations"/>
In the 2019 report, passengers originating from TriMet park and rides accounted for five percent of TriMet's total weekday ridership. In 2017, the Portland–Milwaukie segment had a 100-percent usage rate of its available spaces while the Westside MAX segment had 85 percent. The corridor with the lowest use of available parking spaces was the I-205 MAX at 30 percent; TriMet attributes this to factors such as inconvenient lot access and the Green Line's indirect route to downtown Portland compared with the availability of more direct bus routes. The cost-per-space for building park and rides is estimated at $18,000 per surface-lot space and $52,000 per structured space.<ref name="pnr-primer-2019"/>Template:Rp
TriMet additionally offers four different bicycle parking options at its MAX stations, although not all options are available at every station.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bike and rides are secure, enclosed spaces that are accessible by keycard and are monitored 24 hours per day by security cameras; Template:As of they are available at eight stations.<ref name="bike-and-ride">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Electronic bicycle lockers, or eLockers, are secure lockers that may also be accessed by keycard and are made available on a first-come, first-served basis. TriMet contracts some keycard access to BikeLink and uses its Hop Fastpass on others.<ref name="bike-and-ride"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Other lockers may be rented by users.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bicycle racks are the most common form of bicycle parking.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Rolling stockEdit
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Template:As of, TriMet operates six models of light rail vehicles designated as "Type 1" through "Type 6",<ref name="Type6-2025">Template:Cite news</ref> of which two are successive upgrades of the same model. The MAX system's 145 cars vary in length, from Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Roomy, good looking">Template:Cite news</ref> to Template:Convert, and are used interchangeably on every line.<ref name="Rail Fleet"/> Downtown Portland's Template:Convert downtown blocks allow the operation of only one- or two-car consists to prevent stopped trains from blocking intersections.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=TNERJ-1995spr>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Type 2 and 3 low-floor vehicles may run singularly or coupled to another Type 1, 2, or 3 vehicle. Type 1 high-floor vehicles are also capable of running singularly, but doing so would constrain accessibility due to a lack of wheelchair access. Thus, a high-floor car must be coupled with a low-floor car. Type 4 and 5 cars can only be coupled to one another.<ref name="Rail Fleet"/> Type 6 cars can be run as single cars or coupled with other Type 6 cars as a consist.
Twenty-six Type 1 high-floor vehicles were produced for the Banfield light rail project by a joint venture between Bombardier and La Brugeoise et Nivelles beginning in 1983.<ref name="Roomy, good looking"/> TriMet announced it would purchase seven additional vehicles that August,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but a budget shortfall forced the agency to withdraw this proposal the following November.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The cars are similar in design to Bombardier vehicles that had been used in Rio de Janeiro.<ref name="Roomy, good looking"/> Bombardier built the frames in Quebec but its factory in Barre, Vermont, manufactured the majority of each car,<ref name="foreign-expertise">Template:Cite news</ref> the first of which arrived in Portland in 1984.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Each Template:Convert car is single-articulated and contains six axles.<ref name="Rail Fleet"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The high floors connect with the low platforms through interior steps, which necessitated platform wheelchair lifts until the arrival of low-floor cars.<ref name="Rail Fleet"/> A car sits 76 people and has an overall capacity of 166.<ref name="Roomy, good looking"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1992, TriMet officials conducted an accessibility study and determined that low-floor cars were the most cost-effective alternative to providing universal access.<ref name="Rail Fleet"/> MAX then became the first light rail system in North America to acquire low-floor train sets when TriMet procured 39 model SD660 cars from Siemens in 1993.<ref name="37low-floor">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> These Type 2 cars were equipped with doorway wheelchair ramps.<ref name="railway-age-2016">Template:Cite news</ref> They entered service during the partial opening of the Westside MAX in 1997.<ref name="smooth">Template:Cite news</ref> By 2000, TriMet had ordered 17 more Type 2 cars including six for the Airport MAX project.<ref name="Take Shape"/><ref name="Rail Fleet"/> The system's 27 Type 3 vehicles, which the agency purchased as part of the Interstate MAX project and first brought into use in 2003, are the same model as the Type 2 vehicles but with technical upgrades and a new livery.<ref name="Rail Fleet"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Twenty-two Siemens S70 low-floor cars, which were designated Type 4, were purchased in conjunction with the I-205 MAX and Portland Transit Mall projects, and were first used in 2009. Type 4 cars have a more streamlined design and more seating, and are lighter and more energy-efficient than the previous models. The Type 4 cars were the first in the MAX network to use LED-type destination signs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The second series of S70 cars, TriMet's Type 5 vehicles, were procured for the Portland–Milwaukie light rail project. TriMet placed an order for the Type 5 cars with Siemens in 2012 and delivery commenced in 2014.<ref name=taut-2015jul>Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, July 2015, p. 289. UK: LRTA Publishing. ISSN 1460-8324.</ref> These vehicles include some improvements over the Type 4 cars, including less-cramped interior seating, and improvements to the air-conditioning system and wheelchair ramps.<ref name=cramped>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="type5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These introduced a new seating layout in the center section, among other changes, and Siemens later retroactively redesignated TriMet's Type 5 cars as model S700.<ref name="taut-2020sep">Template:Cite news</ref>
In July 2019, TriMet placed an order for 26 Siemens S700 light rail vehicles that are intended to replace the system's Type 1 vehicles.<ref name="type-6-order"/> The order was expanded to 30 cars in June 2021.<ref name="TAUT-2021aug">Template:Cite news</ref> The first car was delivered in December 2022, and the type is designated Type 6.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Type 6 arrives">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In January 2025, Type 6 vehicles began entering service, with vehicles 603 and 605 being the first two cars to enter revenue service.<ref name="Type6-2025"/>
ServicesEdit
From Monday to Thursday, MAX trains run for 22Template:Frac hours per day. Additional late-night trips are provided on Fridays. Except for additional late-night trips on Saturdays, weekend service runs on a slightly reduced schedule.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> TriMet designates all MAX lines as "Frequent Service" routes, which ensures service runs on a 15-minute headway for most of each day.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During the early morning and late evening hours, trains operate with headways of up to 30Template:Nbspminutes. During rush hours, headways can be as short as three minutes, particularly in the central section of the system where lines overlap.<ref name="power-signals"/> At many stations, a live display shows the destination and time-to-arrival of the next several trains using data gathered by a vehicle tracking system installed on the light rail tracks.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
RidershipEdit
| Fiscal year | Ridership | Template:Abbr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987<ref>Template:Cite conference</ref> | 7,200,000 | Template:Nbsp— | |
| 2000 | 21,165,600 | Template:Change | |
| 2005 | 31,920,000 | Template:Change | |
| 2010 | 38,390,400 | Template:Change | |
| 2015 | 37,746,000 | Template:Change | |
| 2016 | 40,019,560 | Template:Change | |
| 2017 | 39,699,760 | Template:Change | |
| 2018 | 38,906,694 | Template:Change | |
| 2019 | 38,817,600 | Template:Change | |
| 2020 | 30,780,230 | Template:Change | |
| 2021 | 14,798,155 | Template:Change | |
| 2022 | 18,647,585 | Template:Change | |
| 2023 | 21,899,720 | Template:Change | |
| 2024 | 24,069,880 | Template:Change | |
| Source: TriMet<ref name="trimet-ridership">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||
MAX carried over 38.8Template:Nbspmillion total passengers in 2019, an average of 120,900 riders per day on weekdays. This is slightly lower than the number of riders recorded in 2018 and represents the system's third consecutive year of fallen ridership. MAX ridership peaked in 2012, when the system recorded around 42.2Template:Nbspmillion annual passengers. 2016 marks the last year ridership increased; this was due to the opening of the Orange Line.<ref name="trimet-ridership"/> TriMet attributes falling ridership to perceived crime within trains and stations and lower-income riders being forced out of the inner city by rising housing prices.<ref name="Safe">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2019 (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic), MAX was the fourth-busiest light rail system in the United States after the light rail services of Metro Rail in Los Angeles, the MBTA in Boston, and Muni Metro in San Francisco.<ref name="APTA-2018-Q4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
FaresEdit
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As is standard practice on North American light rail systems,<ref name="TRB-off-board-fare-2013">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> MAX uses proof-of-payment for fare collection, and stations do not have ticket barriers.<ref name="fare-turnstiles"/> TriMet employs an automated fare collection system through a stored-value, contactless smart card called Hop Fastpass,<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> which can be purchased from the TriMet ticket office or participating retail outlets.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Rollout Continues">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Smartphone users may download a virtual version of Hop Fastpass,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while single-use Hop Fastpass tickets are dispensed by ticket vending machines at every MAX station.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ticket-machines">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Smartphones with a debit or credit card loaded into Google Pay, Samsung Pay, or Apple Pay, and Portland Streetcar 2Template:Frac-hour tickets and one-day passes can also be used to board MAX.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="streetcar fares">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Riders must tap their fare medium onto a card reader with each boarding.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Fares are flat rate and are capped according to use.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Using Hop Fastpass, riders may transfer to the Portland Streetcar and other TriMet and C-Tran services.<ref name="hop-fares">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2025, TriMet replaced all of its ticket vending machines with new machines that dispense only Hop cards at all of its stations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Late-night bus serviceEdit
On August 25, 2024, TriMet introduced four new bus routes to replace late-night MAX services, to expand the length of time available each night for routine overnight maintenance. The new routes replace the last one or two MAX trips of the night on the Blue (two bus routes), Red, and Yellow Lines, but not the Green Line.<ref name="oreg-2024aug26">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This practice had already been in effect on the Orange Line since its opening in 2015.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Discontinued servicesEdit
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From the MAX system's opening until 2012, riding trains within Fareless Square, which was known as the Free Rail Zone from 2010 to 2012, was free of charge. Fareless Square included all of downtown and, starting in 2001, part of the Lloyd District. The 37-year-old fare-free zone was discontinued on September 1, 2012, as part of system-wide cost-cutting measures. As part of the same budget cuts, TriMet discontinued its zonal fares and moved to a flat-fare system. Zones had been in place since 1986; higher fares were charged for longer journeys across four paid zones.<ref name=oreg-2012aug31/><ref name="going-to-the-max"/>
The MAX Mall Shuttle operated on weekday afternoons from when it was introduced on September 14, 2009, until 2011.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It acted as a supplement to the light rail service provided on the Portland Transit Mall by the Green and Yellow lines.<ref name="mall stops">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Mall Shuttle operated between Union Station and Portland State University every 30 minutes from noon until 5:30Template:Nbspp.m.<ref name="mall stops"/> TriMet discontinued this supplementary shuttle service on June 5, 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=maxmallshuttle2011>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Along with bus services, the mall continues to be served by two MAX lines in each direction—Green and Yellow lines northbound and Green and Orange lines southbound—which provide a combined average headway of 7.5 minutes in each direction at most times.
The Portland Vintage Trolley operated on the MAX system on most weekends from 1991 until 2014, serving the same stops. This service used 1991-built replicas of 1904 Portland streetcars. Originally, the Vintage Trolley service followed a section of the original MAX line between the Library and Galleria stations and Lloyd Center. In September 2009, the service moved to the newly opened MAX alignment along the transit mall, running between Union Station to Portland State University,<ref name="ptj2010-1"/><ref name="VTsched2012">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and remained on this route in subsequent seasons. In 2011, the service was reduced to seven or eight Sundays per year,<ref name="taut-apr2011">Tramways & Urban Transit, April 2011, p. 152. LRTA Publishing Ltd.</ref> and in July 2014 it was discontinued entirely and the two remaining faux-vintage cars were sold to a group planning a streetcar line in St. Louis.<ref name="vt-ceased">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="taut-nov2014">Template:Cite news</ref>
SafetyEdit
TriMet employs a transit police division to patrol MAX and other TriMet property. Most of its officers serve with local law enforcement agencies and are assigned terms with the transit police; this partnership with local police enables the closest available unit to respond to incidents. TriMet also partners with the Transportation Security Administration, which provides a canine unit. Riders are encouraged to alert TriMet employees using on-board intercoms or to dial 9-1-1 upon witnessing a crime or suspicious activity.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> TriMet operates over 4,000 security cameras; all MAX trains and stations became fully equipped with cameras in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2017 train stabbing incidentEdit
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On May 26, 2017, at approximately 4:30Template:Nbsppm, a man fatally stabbed two people and injured a third after he was confronted for shouting anti-Muslim slurs at two teenage girls inside a MAX train.<ref name="Bernstein">Template:Cite news</ref> Two men—a technician and U.S. Army veteran, and a recent university graduate—died from wounds to their necks while a third male victim survived.<ref name="UnfoldedQuickly">Template:Cite news</ref> The attacker, who described himself as a white nationalist,<ref name="Frankel">Template:Cite news</ref> was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, and other crimes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On February 21, 2020, the perpetrator was found guilty on all charges, including two counts of first-degree murder.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This resulted in a mural being painted on the station entrance of the Hollywood Transit Center, where the stabbing occurred.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2023 Portland Streetcar collisionEdit
On November 15, 2023, shortly after 10:00am, a MAX train collided with a Portland Streetcar in the Lloyd District and injured two people on board.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
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