MAX Light Rail

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Metropolitan Area Express (MAX)
Info
Locale	Portland, Oregon, United States
Transit type	Light rail
Number of lines	3
Number of stations	64
Daily ridership	107,400[1] (avg. weekday boardings)
Operation
Began operation	September 5, 1986
Operator(s)	TriMet
Technical
System length	44.3 miles (71.3 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC, overhead wires

Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail system in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is operated by TriMet and currently has three lines: Blue, Red and Yellow, with Green under construction and Orange planned.

As of late 2007, MAX is the fifth most ridden light rail system in the United States and the country's most ridden standalone light rail system. (The busiest light rail systems— those in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Philadelphia—are integrated with heavy rail subway networks.) The number of boardings averages between about 105,000 and 112,000 per day, depending on the time of year, but was 107,400 per day (weekdays) for the twelve months ending June 2008 ^[1] and has been as high as 118,200 per day in a given month.^[2] Since its inception about $3 billion has been invested in light rail in Portland.^[3]

Contents 1 Early system history 2 General description 3 Lines and projects 4 Rolling stock 5 Fares 6 Proposed lines and extensions 6.1 Under Construction 6.2 On the drawing board 6.3 Other extensions 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Early system history

In the mid-1970s, TriMet (or Tri-Met, as it was known until 2002) began a study for light rail using funds intended for the cancelled Mount Hood Freeway. The light rail project was known as the Banfield Light Rail Project, named for the freeway (I-84) that part of the alignment followed. Voters approved funding for the project, but Gresham officials and businesses rejected the project until a slight routing change was agreed to. Construction of the 15-mile (24 km) route started in 1982,^[4] and the system opened on September 5, 1986.^[5] Less than two months before the opening, TriMet adopted the name Metropolitan Area Express, or MAX, for the new system.^[6] As planning of a second light rail line, to the west side, gained momentum in the late 1980s, the MAX line came to be referred to as the Eastside MAX line, so as to distinguish it from the Westside MAX project. The 18-mile (29 km) Westside line, to Beaverton and Hillsboro, began construction in 1993 and opened in 1998. Except for a few rush-hour trips, all trips on the now-two light rail lines were connected in downtown. The resulting 33-mile east-west line has always been operated as a single, through route, and it became known as the Blue Line in 2001, after TriMet adopted color designations for its separate light rail routes.^[7]

[edit] General description

In central Portland and Hillsboro, MAX trains run in reserved lanes on surface streets, unlike the Portland Streetcar, which runs in mixed traffic. Otherwise, MAX runs within its own right-of-way, generally either in street medians, along freeways or on former freight railroad lines.

Where the tracks run along a street, intersections are generally controlled by traffic signals which give trains preemption. Where the tracks occupy a completely separate right-of-way, level crossings are protected by automatic crossing gates giving trains the right-of-way. A three-mile (4.8 km) section consists of two tunnels below Washington Park. While this section has only one station, it is 260 feet (79 m) below ground level, making it the deepest train station in North America and the second-deepest train station in the world.^[8]

Because of Portland's relatively small 200-foot (61 m) downtown blocks, trains operate with only one or two cars. The MAX cars are about 90 feet (27.5 m) long, so a stopped train consisting of more than two cars would block intersections. Blue and Red Line trains are typically two cars long. Trains on the Yellow Line run in both one- and two-car configurations, though increasingly more Yellow Line trains consist of two cars.

[edit] Lines and projects

TriMet runs three MAX lines, each designated by a color. The MAX system was built in a series of four separate projects, and each line runs over one or more of the previously opened segments. The use of colors to distinguish the separately operated routes was first adopted in 2000^[7] and brought into use in 2001.

The central station is at Pioneer Courthouse Square, on the Portland Transit Mall. The stop is near the center of Fareless Square, a section in and around downtown Portland in which all MAX, TriMet bus, and Portland Streetcar transit rides are zero-fare (free).

Trains run every 15 minutes from early in the morning to late at night, even on weekends. The Blue Line runs every 10 minutes during rush hour. Headways between trains are less in the central section of the system where the Red and Blue Lines overlap. Actual schedules vary by location and time of day. At many stations a live readerboard shows the destination and time-to-arrival of the next several trains.

In addition to regular MAX service, the Portland Vintage Trolley runs along the MAX line between the Galleria/Library stations and Lloyd Center.

	Line Name	Opened	Stations	Length	Termini
	Blue Line	1986	46	33 mi (53 km)	Hatfield Government Center (Hillsboro) - Cleveland Avenue (Gresham)
	Red Line	2001	25	25.5 mi (41 km)	Beaverton Transit Center - Airport
	Yellow Line	2004	17	7.2 mi (11.5 km)	Galleria/SW 10th Avenue (City Center) - Expo Center
	Green Line	2009	30	14.1 (22.7 km)	Clackamas Town Center Transit Center - PSU
	Loop Shuttle	2009	14	1.8 mi (2.9 km)	PSU - Union Station

Timeline

Project Name	Opened	Line(s)	Section	Stations	Length
Banfield-Burnside (Eastside)	September 5, 1986	Portions of: Blue, Red and Yellow	Galleria/SW 10th Avenue - Cleveland Avenue	30	15 mi (24 km)
Westside	September 12, 1998 (portion opened on August 29, 1997)	Portions of: Blue and Red	Hatfield Government Center - Library/SW 9th Avenue	20	18 mi (29 km)
Airport	September 10, 2001	A portion of: Red	Gateway TC - Airport	4	5.5 mi (8.9 km)
Interstate	May 1, 2004	A portion of: Yellow	Old Town/Chinatown - Expo Center	10	5.8 mi (9.3 km)
Totals				64	44.3 mi (71.3 km)

[edit] Rolling stock

There are currently four models of MAX cars, designated by TriMet as "Type 1", "Type 2" and so on. The latest type are not yet in service.

The Type 1 cars were manufactured by Bombardier Corporation and featured a raised floor with steps at the doors. The interior design was similar to that of a bus.^{[clarification needed]}

With the partial opening of Westside MAX in 1997, new Type 2 cars made by Siemens were introduced. These cars have a low-floor design, a first for light rail cars in North America,^[9][10] digital readerboards and a slightly more open floor plan. The floor is nearly level with the platforms, and small ramps called 'bridge plates' extend (on request) from two of the four doors, enabling passengers in wheelchairs to roll on and off of the car easily. These permitted the elimination of wheelchair lifts that had been located at every station and were time-consuming to use.^[11]

The first low-floor light rail car was delivered in 1996^[12] and the type was first used in service on August 31, 1997.^[11] The new cars also came equipped with air-conditioning, a feature originally lacking from the Type 1 cars,^[9] but TriMet later retrofitted air-conditioning to all of the older MAX cars, in 1997-98. The initial order of 39 Type 2 cars was expanded, in stages, eventually to a total of 52 cars.^[13]

Some of the later models of light rail cars had automatic passenger counters retrofitted; in these models, they are on the floor of the doorways.

The Type 3 cars are essentially identical to the Type 2 cars in design, but have TriMet's new paint scheme. They began to enter service in fall 2003, but were not in use in large numbers until the opening of the Interstate Avenue MAX line in 2004, which was the reason for their acquisition. They include automatic passenger counters which are located above the doorways, using photoelectric sensors.

In 2001-02, TriMet modified the interior of the Type 2 cars to add space for bicycles. Eight seats per car were removed and replaced—in four places per car—with hooks from which a bicycle can be hung.^[14] The Type 3 cars carried this newer layout as built.

Twenty-two new Siemens S70 vehicles, designated Type 4 cars, have been purchased in conjunction with the I-205 and Portland Mall MAX projects. They feature a more streamlined design than previous models, have more seating and are lighter in weight and therefore more energy-efficient. At about 95 feet long, they are a couple feet longer than Type 2 and Type 3 cars, which were 92 feet.^[15]

Portland MAX Light Rail Cars

Designation	Car numbers	Manufacturer	Model No.	First used	No. of Seats/ Overall Capacity	Quantity
Type 1	101-126	Bombardier	none	1986	76/166	26
Type 2	201-252	Siemens	SD660	1997	64/166	52
Type 3	301-327	Siemens	SD660	2003	64/166	27
Type 4	401-422	Siemens	S70	(2009)	68/172 [15]	22

Notes on capacities:

• The capacities given are for a single car; a two-car train has double the capacity.
• The Type 2 cars originally had 72 seats, but eight seats were later removed, to make space for bicycles.^[14]
• All of these capacity figures are based on "normal" loading conditions (defined as 4 standing passengers per square meter by industry standards^[16]); under so-called "crush" loading conditions (6-8 standees per m²), all of these cars are capable of carrying many more passengers than stated here.

[edit] Fares

MAX uses a proof-of-payment system; riders must carry a receipt at all times. Fares are purchased before boarding, and receipt is retained as proof of paid fare. Passengers must board the train before the receipt's expiration, and are allowed to ride past the time on the receipt, provided the train was boarded before the expiration time. Receipts are good for 2 hours after purchase, and can be used an unlimited number of times, for travel in any direction, as well as for buses, Portland Streetcar, and C-TRAN. MAX fares (as of September 1, 2008) are:

• All-Zone (three-zone): $2.30 (Valid for any ride within time-stamp)

• Two-Zone: $2
• Honored Citizen: $0.95 (disabled and elderly passengers)
• Youth: $1.50 (ages 7-17 and students in high school or pursuing a GED; valid for all zones). Must show proof of age or student status if asked.
• LIFT Paratransit All-Zone: $1.80
• Children under 7: Free when accompanied by fare paying passenger
• Day Pass: $4.75 (Valid all day, and for all zones)

Transfer receipts from buses and tickets purchased on the Portland Streetcar are also valid fare on MAX, provided they cover the zones through which the MAX trip is being made and have not expired before boarding. As noted above, MAX tickets are also valid on bus routes, under the same conditions.

Riding is free in Fareless Square which includes all of downtown and part of the Lloyd Center area.

[edit] Proposed lines and extensions

This article or section contains information about proposed, planned or expected public transportation infrastructure in the United States. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the infrastructure approaches, and more information becomes available.

[edit] Under Construction

Portland Mall: Rose Quarter TC – Portland State University (initial terminus of service to be at PSU Urban Center)^[17]

Scheduled to open August 30, 2009; length: 1.8 mi (2.9 km); stations: 12 (six in each direction) initially, with 2 others (PSU South) to open 2011.^[17]

Line: Rerouted MAX Yellow Line along downtown Transit Mall (north-south through downtown)

I-205: Gateway TC – Clackamas Town Center

Scheduled to open September 12, 2009;^[18] length: 6.5 mi (10.5 km); stations: 8

Line: MAX Green Line to Clackamas Town Center via the existing partially built I-205 Transitway and the downtown Transit Mall.

[edit] On the drawing board

Milwaukie/South Corridor (PSU South/SW Jackson Street - SE Park Avenue)

Proposed opening: September 10, 2014; length: 6.3 mi (10.1 km); stations: 11

Lines: A new MAX Orange Line (via Transit Mall to Union Station) or extension of MAX Yellow Line to Milwaukie via Union Pacific Railroad (formerly Southern Pacific Transportation Company) rail line corridor.

Red Line Extension to Willow Creek/SW 185th Ave (via existing Westside MAX rails) ^[19]

Proposed opening: 2011

[edit] Other extensions

TriMet has indicated that additional extensions have been studied or discussed with Metro and cities in the region.^[20] These extensions include:

• Line via Barbur Blvd.
• Line via Powell/Foster Blvd
• Line to Damascus & Boring
• Extension from Milwaukie and/or Clackamas Town Center to Oregon City
• Extension to Vancouver, WA, possibly integrated with the Columbia Crossing project

[edit] See also

• List of rapid transit systems
• Transportation in Portland
• Westside Express Service (formerly Washington County Commuter Rail)
• Mount Hood Freeway

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Metropolitan Area Express

• TriMet's MAX pages
• Station to Station, a series of articles about the MAX from 2004, originally published in the Portland Tribune
• MAX Light Rail at nycsubway.org
• Puget Sound Transportation Projects - Portland MAX
• Railway Technology - Portland MAX Light Rail

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