Background In 1979, studies began on transit options and alignments to connect downtown Portland to Beaverton as far west as S.W. 185th Avenue. By 1983 the studies were complete, and local jurisdictions selected light rail as their preferred alternative along the Sunset Highway (Hwy. 26) corridor. At this point the TriMet Board suspended further work, awaiting completion of the 15-mile Eastside MAX light rail project, then under construction. By 1988, Eastside MAX light rail had met with wide approval and work resumed on Westside light rail. The first hurdle was crossing the West Hills, which rose 700 feet above downtown Portland and required a six percent grade along Hwy. 26. While the original MAX light rail vehicles were designed to handle such a grade over short distances, concerns arose that the grade would reduce reliability, particularly during icy weather, and increase travel times and maintenance costs. After prolonged debate, the project decided to construct a three-mile tunnel under the West Hills. In 1993 construction began on the tunnel, and in 1994, track construction began in downtown Portland, where the Westside line tied into the existing line on Morrison and Yamhill Streets. Work began soon after on the Beaverton segment to S.W. 185th Avenue, including a new maintenance facility for low-floor cars at Elmonica. The 1979 studies for the Westside anticipated that the line would eventually extend from S.W. 185th Avenue to the suburban city of Hillsboro. In 1989, the local jurisdictions asked to add that extension to the Westside project because of rapid development. The environmental studies for this 6.2-mile addition, mostly located on an abandoned rail right-of-way, progressed rapidly, and in 1994, Hillsboro became the western terminus of the Westside project. Design and construction highlights Twin tunnels • The West Hills tunnel is actually twin tubes, each three miles long and 21 feet in diameter. Westside light rail the MAX Blue Line extension Hillsboro Portland Beaverton Clackamas Milwaukie Expo Center Airport Gresham N TriMet’s first extension of its light rail network headed for the fast-growing high-tech corridor on the Westside. One of the largest public works projects in Oregon’s history, it bore through the West Hills, inspired extensive transit-oriented development and infused community-focused public art into its innovative design. Westside MAX Blue Line Park & Ride Transit Center Sunset TC
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BackgroundIn1979,studiesbeganontransitoptionsandalignmentstoconnectdowntownPortlandtoBeavertonasfarwestasS.W.185thAvenue.By1983thestudies
werecomplete,andlocaljurisdictionsselectedlightrailastheirpreferredalternativealongtheSunsetHighway(Hwy.26)corridor.AtthispointtheTriMetBoardsuspendedfurtherwork,
awaitingcompletionofthe15-mileEastsideMAXlightrailproject,thenunderconstruction.
By1988,EastsideMAXlightrailhadmetwithwideapprovalandworkresumedonWestsidelightrail.ThefirsthurdlewascrossingtheWestHills,whichrose700feetabovedowntownPortlandandrequiredasixpercentgradealongHwy.26.WhiletheoriginalMAXlightrailvehiclesweredesignedtohandlesuchagradeovershortdistances,concernsarosethatthegradewouldreducereliability,particularlyduringicyweather,andincreasetraveltimesandmaintenancecosts.Afterprolongeddebate,theprojectdecidedtoconstructathree-miletunnelundertheWestHills.
In1993constructionbeganonthetunnel,andin1994,trackconstructionbeganindowntownPortland,wheretheWestsidelinetiedintotheexistinglineonMorrisonandYamhillStreets.WorkbegansoonafterontheBeavertonsegmenttoS.W.185thAvenue,includinganewmaintenancefacilityforlow-floorcarsatElmonica.
The1979studiesfortheWestsideanticipatedthatthelinewouldeventuallyextendfromS.W.185thAvenuetothesuburbancityofHillsboro.In1989,thelocaljurisdictionsaskedtoaddthatextensiontotheWestsideprojectbecauseofrapiddevelopment.Theenvironmentalstudiesforthis6.2-mileaddition,mostlylocatedonanabandonedrailright-of-way,progressedrapidly,andin1994,HillsborobecamethewesternterminusoftheWestsideproject.
Design and construction highlightsTwin tunnels• TheWestHillstunnelisactuallytwintubes,each
threemileslongand21feetindiameter.
Westside light rail the MAX Blue Line extension
Hillsboro
Portland
Beaverton
Clackamas
Milwaukie
Expo Center
Airport
Gresham
N
TriMet’s first extension of its light rail network headed for the fast-growing high-tech corridor on the Westside. One of the largest public works projects in Oregon’s history, it bore through the West Hills, inspired extensive transit-oriented development and infused community-focused public art into its innovative design.
Westside MAX Blue Line Park & Ride Transit Center
Sunset TC
• Becauseitsgeologyconsistsofhardrockfromancientlavaflowsupto16milionyearsold,layeredwithsoftgroundandrockfragments,thetunnelhasseveralhorizontalandverticalcurvesasdesignerstriedtofollowthebestrockconditions.
• Excavationbeganatthewestend,wherevariedgeologicmaterialrequiredtheuseofconventionaldrillandblastminingtechniques.
• Theeasterntwo-thirdsofthetunnels,composedprimarilyofColumbiaRiverbasalt,wereexcavatedusinga278-foot-longtunnelboringmachine.
Tunnel boring machine • Designedtoborethroughsolidrock,theboring
machineusedhydraulically-drivenarmstopressagainstthetunnelwallsandpropelitselfforward.
• The42hardmetalcuttingbladesonthefrontofthemachinegroundtherock,whichwascaughtinbucketsandsentoutonaconveyorbeltthatstretchedasmuchastwomileslong.
• Inmanyplaces,therockturnedouttobehighlyfragmented,fallingintotheboringmachineandjammingit.Aftermonthsofdelays,modificationstothemachineeventuallyovercametheproblem.
• Crewsofadozenpeopleoperatedtheboringmachinethreeshiftsperday,sixdaysaweek.
• Thefirsttunnelwasexcavatedin17months,thesecondinfiveandahalfmonths.Followingexcavation,crewslinedthetunnelswithconcrete.
• Crosspassagesbetweenthetunnelswerebuiltevery750feet.
• Trainstravelthroughthetwintunnelsatspeedsupto55mph.
Washington Park Station• WashingtonParkStation,
theonlystopinthethree-miletunnel,isthedeepesttransitstationinNorthAmericaat260feetbelowground.
• Stationelevatorsandstairwellsaremonitoredthroughclosed-circuitvideocameras.Staffhasdirect9-1-1accessandcanoperatefiredoors,airventsandelectricityincaseofanemergency.
• Theundergroundstation’suniquepublicarthashelpedmakethestopadestinationinitself.
• ThestationservestheOregonZoo,ForestryCenter,Children’sMuseum2ndGeneration,theVietnamVeteransMemorialandoffersaccesstotherestofWashingtonPark.
Sunset Transit CenterLeavingthetunnel,theraillinefollowsHwy.26totheSunsetTransitCenter,thenturnsabruptlysouthalongHwy.217anddescendsasixpercentgradeforalmostamile.TheSunsetTransitCenterwasoriginallyintendedasthejunctionforalightraillinecontinuingwestalongHighway26,whichaccountsforthetorturous,nearly90-degreeturninthetrack.
BeavertonThealignmentapproachingBeavertonTransitCentercrossesapreviouslydevelopedareaandistheonlyplaceontheMAXlightrailsystemwhereanentirelynewright-of-wayhadtobecreated.BeavertonTransitCenterwasbuilt10yearsbeforelightrailopened,withspacereservedonitssouthsideforfuturelightrail.Asitturnedout,finalalignmentranalongitsnorthside.(TheproposedWashingtonCountyCommuterRailprojectissettousethesouthside.)Thetransitcenterwasrebuilt
atthesametime,incorporatingnewamenitiesandfacilitiestosupportbus/railconnections.
Main Street BridgeAtMainStreetinHillsboro,aformerrailroadtrestlethatcrossedoverthestreetatanobliqueanglehadbeenthesiteofnumerousaccidents.TheCityofHillsborodidnotwantapierinthecenterofthestreet,soalightrailbridgewasbuiltwithadramatic
overheadarchstraddlingtheroadandthetrack.
HillsboroAt12thAvenueinHillsboro,thetracksmovefromaformerrailroadright-of-wayandenterWashingtonStreet,whichtheyfollowfor14blockstotheHillsboroendoftheline,mostlyona24-foot-widepavedmedian.Hereanalternativedesigngiveslightrailreservedlanes
onanarrowerstreetwhilestillallowingothervehiclestoturnacrossthetracksatdrivewaysandintersections.
Becausetherewasnoroomforturnpockets,trainspassthroughtheseintersectionsonan“all-red”phase,withtrafficstoppedinalldirections.Whenthetrainisnotpresent,theintersectionfunctionslikeanyother,withleftturnspermitted.
TheconfigurationindowntownHillsborocopiesthatinGresham,withatransitcenteradjacenttothepedestriandowntown,andaPark&Rideattheendofthelinetodivertitstrafficfromenteringthedowntown.
A first for art TheWestsideMAXwasthefirstlightrailprojecttoincludeasubstantialbudgetforart.Allofthe20stationsareembellishedwithartworksbyavarietyofartistsandaredesignedtoreflectthecharacter,diversityandhistoryofthesurroundingcommunity.
Technical HighlightsVehicles and accessibilityTheoriginalEastsideMAXlineusedplatform-mountedliftstoallowwheelchairaccesstolightrailvehicles.
Increasinguseledtoservicedelays,andmanyinthedisabledcommunityfelttheliftsfocusedattentiononthemasthecauseofdelays.InEurope,light
railsystemswereintroducinglow-floorcarstoenhanceaccessforallusers,includingwheelchairs.
In1991TriMetbegantostudyalternativestotheliftsystem.Aftermeetingswiththecommunity,plusfieldtripstoseveralNorthAmericanandEuropeansystems,thestudyrecommendedconvertingthewholesystemtolow-floorcars.By1992,TriMethadbegunprocurementforlow-floorcars,thefirstsuchcarstobeorderedinNorthAmerica.
Transit-oriented developmentWestsideMAXBlueLinetraveledthroughstretchesofundevelopedland,aswellasthecitiesofBeavertonandHillsboro.Thelinehasbecomeamagnet,withover$825millionworthofresidentialandcommercialdevelopmentincluding8,500housingunitslaunchedwithinwalkingdistanceoftheline.
Beaverton CentralBeavertonCentralStationwassitedonderelictlandonceoccupiedbyasewagetreatmentplanttoactasacatalystforredevelopment.AprojectknownasTheRoundwasbuiltaroundthestation,featuringamixofofficeandhigh-densityresidentialunits,surroundingacircularplazathatincludestheMAXstation.
OrencoOrencowasonceasmallcompanytownthatsupportedalargenurserybythesamename,locatedontheoldinterurbanelectricrailway.Withthenurseryandmostofthepopulationhavinglongsincemovedaway,theCityofHillsborodesignatedOrencofortransit-orienteddevelopmentaspartofthelightrailproject.Todayithasbecomeashowcasecommunity.
SnapshotsTravel times Downtown Portland (Pioneer Square) to
Beaverton Transit Center23minutesBeaverton Transit Center to Hillsboro end of line 28minutesDowntown to Hillsboro end of line51minutes
Westside MAX Funding
Annual Ridership
Overalltransitridershipinthecorridorisup188percentsinceWestsideMAXopened.
Timeline 1979Alignmentandenvironmentalstudies
begin,tobepostponedin19831988Preliminaryengineeringandenvironmentalstudiesbeginagain1990VotersoverwhelminglyapproveabondmeasurefortheWestsideextension1993–1997Tunnelconstruction1994–1998AlignmentconstructionJuly 1996Firstlow-floorcararrivesApril–August 1998Testing,training,servicesimulationSeptember 1998Opened
Facilities Length18miles(MAXBlueLine:33milestotal)
Stations20Park & Rides9with2,733totalspacesParking garages2with880totalspacesNew maintenance facilityElmonica
Bus connections Connectswith65TriMetbuslinesandC-TRAN
busservicetoVancouver,Washington.
$113.6 millionState
Total: $963 million
$145.8 millionLocal
0
2
4
6
8
10
8.08 mil.
FY 00 FY 04
8.66 mil.
$704.1 millionFederal
$113.6 millionState
Total: $963 million
$145.8 millionLocal
0
2
4
6
8
10
8.08 mil.
FY 00 FY 04
8.66 mil.
$704.1 millionFederal
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