westside light rail1-6-07).pdfrail project, then under construction. by 1988, eastside max light...

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