MAX Light Rail

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This article is about TriMet's MAX light rail service. For TriMet's commuter rail service also using the TMTC reporting marks, see Westside Express Service.
Metropolitan Area Express (MAX)
Locale Portland, OR
Transit type Light rail
Began operation September 5, 1986
System length 44.3 mi (71.3 km)
Number of lines 3
Number of stations 64
Daily ridership 104,200[1] (weekday)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) (standard gauge)
Reporting marks TMTC
Operator(s) TriMet

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 fourth most ridden light rail system in the United States and the country's second most ridden standalone light rail system, after San Diego's. (The busiest light rail systems—Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles—are integrated with heavy rail subway networks.) Since its inception about $3 billion has been invested in light rail in Portland.[2]

In central Portland and Hillsboro, MAX trains run in reserved lanes on surface streets, unlike the Portland Streetcar, which runs in mixed traffic. Outside the central city, MAX runs primarily within its own right-of-way fully separated from traffic.

Some track segments are controlled by traffic signals at intersections, including the original segment along East Burnside Street and the newest segment along Interstate Ave. Other segments have gated crossings to give trains the right-of-way. One three mile (4.8 km) section is tunnel 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.[3]

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 Line trains are typically two cars long. Trains on the Yellow and Red Line run in both one and two car configurations, though increasingly more Red and Yellow Line trains are two-car.

Contents

[edit] Lines and projects

Tri-Met MAX System Map
Tri-Met MAX System Map

TriMet runs three MAX lines, each designated by a color. The MAX system was built in a series of four separate projects, each line runs over several of these project segments.

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.

Blue Line trains run every 10 minutes (15 minutes late nights and Sundays). Red Line and Yellow Line trains run every 15 minutes. 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.

Portland MAX lines
Line Name Opened Stations Length Termini
  Blue Line 1986 27 33 mi (53 km) Hatfield Government Center (Hillsboro) - Cleveland Avenue (Gresham)
  Red Line 2001 30 25.5 mi (41 km) Merlo/SW 158th Ave (Beginning September 2008) - Airport
  Yellow Line 2004 27 7.2 mi (11.5 km) Galleria/SW 10th Avenue (City Center) - Expo Center
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

The interior of a MAX car
The interior of a MAX car

There are currently three models of MAX cars.

The original 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.

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 in North America, digital readerboards, and open floor plan. The floor is nearly level with the platforms, and time-consuming wheelchair lifts were replaced with small ramps called 'bridge plates'. Some of the later models had automatic passenger counters retrofitted; in these models, they are on the floor of the doorways.

Type 3 cars generally are identical to the Type 2 cars in design, but have TriMet's new paint scheme and some feature improvements. They were introduced when the Yellow Line opened in 2004, and include automatic passenger counters which are located above the doorways using photoelectric sensors.

The MAX Green Line is planned to be served by 21 new Siemens Avanto vehicles designated Type 4 cars. They will feature a more streamlined design than previous models, offer larger windows and more seating.[4]

Portland MAX Light Rail Cars
Designation Car numbers Manufacturer First used Capacity # in fleet
Type 1 1xx Bombardier 1986 166 26
Type 2 2xx Siemens 1997 166 52
Type 3 3xx Siemens 2004 166 27
Type 4 4xx Siemens 2008 232 21

[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, 2007) are:

  • All Zone: $2.05 (Valid for any ride within time-stamp)
Tri-Met MAX Ticket Machine, older style. Inset is close-up of fare selection, and a ticket validator.
Tri-Met MAX Ticket Machine, older style. Inset is close-up of fare selection, and a ticket validator.
2 hour youth ticket printed from Ticket Machine. Front (right) and back (left)
2 hour youth ticket printed from Ticket Machine. Front (right) and back (left)
  • 1 and 2 Zone: $1.75
  • Honored Citizen: $0.85 (disabled and elderly passengers)
  • Youth: $1.40 (ages 7-17 and students in high school or pursuing a GED). Must show proof of age or student status if asked.
  • LIFT Paratransit All Zone: $1.70
  • Children under 7: Free when accompanied by fare paying passenger
  • Day Pass: $4.25 (Valid all day, and for all zones)

Many MAX stations also serve bus routes, and as the tickets for MAX are valid for the buses as well. Riding is free in fareless square which includes most of downtown and the Lloyd Center area.

[edit] Proposed lines & extensions

A Red Line train on the Banfield Mainline next to Interstate 84
A Red Line train on the Banfield Mainline next to Interstate 84

[edit] Under Construction

Portland Mall: Rose Quarter TC - PSU South/SW College Street

Proposed opening: September 10, 2009, length: 1.8 mi (2.9 km), stations: 14

MAX Green Line (and re-routed Yellow line) along downtown Transit Mall (north-south through downtown)
I-205 Green Line: Gateway TC - Clackamas Town Center

Proposed opening: September 10, 2009, length: 6.5 mi (10.5 km), stations: 8

MAX Green Line to Clackamas Town Center via the existing partially built I-205 Transitway
  • MAX Red Line Extension to Merlo/SW 158th Ave in September 2008[citation needed]

[edit] On the drawing board

  • MAX Orange Line (PSU South/SW Jackson Street - Lake Road)(Uses Transit Mall to Union Station)

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

MAX Orange Line to Milwaukie via UP (former SP) rail line corridor. The Orange Line may be an extension of the Yellow Line, however some reports have indicated it will be a separate line.
  • MAX Red Line Extension to Willow Creek/SW 185th Ave in 2011[citation needed]

[edit] Rumored or briefly mentioned

  • Blue Line to Mount Hood Community College in Gresham
  • Blue Line to Forest Grove
  • Line via Barbur Blvd.
  • Line via Powell/Foster Blvd
  • Line to Damascus & Boring
  • Extension from Milwaukie and/or Clackamas Town Center to Oregon City
  • Line to Vancouver, WA, possibly integrated with the Columbia Crossing project

[edit] MAX in films

  • The Hunted (2003, dir. William Friedkin): an imitation Type-1 train (although the train is numbered "103 and 301") on the Hawthorne Bridge (where there are no tracks, visual effects were used to make tracks appear in the film) complete with a KOIN-TV advertisement prominently featuring the KOIN news anchor Jeff Gianola, who also plays the role of a TV news reporter in this film. The simulated MAX car prop was built from two discarded TriMet articulated buses. The bus was used extensively to transport commuters between Portland and Westside suburbs, on the 12 Sandy Blvd, the 57 Forest Grove route, the now defunct 58 Sunset Limited and select express routes until the 1998 extension of MAX Blue Line replaced the articulated bus service.
  • Zero Effect (1998, dir. Jake Kasdan): the wealthy blackmailed timber tycoon is directed by his blackmailer to board the train with a three-digit number delivered to his pager while on his way to deliver his next payment. A MAX train, with the painted number 119 and "Portland" displayed on its sign, pulls up to him. He is then shown on the train for about 15 seconds. As the movie is set in Portland, MAX train bells can be heard in the background throughout.
  • Kurt and Courtney. A MAX train is shown going the other way on Interstate 84 briefly.
  • Free Willy. A MAX train is seen in the background at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ TriMet Fixed Route Service and Ridership Information. TriMet. Retrieved on 2008-03-04.
  2. ^ (2004) in Ozawa, Connie P.: The Portland Edge: Challenges and Successes in Growing Communities. Island Press, 19. ISBN 1-55963-695-5. 
  3. ^ Washington Park MAX Station. TriMet. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  4. ^ New MAX Trains Due Fall 2008. TriMet. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.

[edit] External links

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