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Hatfield Government Center (MAX station)
Encyclopedia
The Hatfield Government Center station is a light rail
station on the MAX Blue Line
in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon
, United States. The station is the 20th stop westbound on the Westside MAX, and the western terminus of the MAX Blue Line route. Opened in 1998, it is located in the same block as the Hillsboro Post Office and adjacent to the Washington County Courthouse
and the Hillsboro Civic Center
. The block is bounded by First and Adams streets on the east and west and Washington and Main streets on the south and north. The station is named in honor of Mark O. Hatfield, a former United States Senator from Oregon
and light rail proponent.
was in attendance as the station was officially dedicated in his honor.
On September 12, 1998, Hatfield Government Station opened along with the Westside MAX line. Dedication ceremonies for the line at the station included a speech by then U.S. Vice President Al Gore
and U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater
. Oregon politicians speaking at the dedication included Governor John Kitzhaber
, former Congressman Les AuCoin
, then Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse
, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden
and Gordon Smith, and former Senator and station namesake Mark Hatfield. Scheduled train service began at 11:00 a.m., which was followed by a two-day opening party.
The station was the busiest stop on the Westside line by 1999 with an average of 3,005 daily boardings. In March 2008, TriMet added additional capacity during the morning and evening commuting period. This was accomplished by extending three Red Line
trains from the Beaverton Transit Center
stop each morning and evening during peak ridership times.
Located at the Hatfield Government Center station is a parking garage for park-and-ride passengers. The garage includes 250 parking spaces accessible 24-hours a day. The stop is in TriMet's fare zone 3 and includes ticket vending machine
s for purchasing fares. Additionally, the stop is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, contains bike racks and bike lockers, and has an electronic reader board listing up-to-date arrivals of trains.
Hatfield Government Center is part of TriMet's Blue Line
and has three sets of tracks and three platforms. One track is only used when passenger demand is high. The central island platform
includes a covered shelter, and each platform has ticket vending machines. The parking structure is located across Washington Street, to the south.
The north end of the station features a light-red brick and green-roof building that contains space for use by the train and bus operators. The building is postmodern in style and includes rose windows, false chimneys, and gables. The entire station was designed by the architectural firm OTAK Inc. and also includes an electrical substation
. Hatfield's name is etched in the façade
of the main station building in stone.
Trains lay over
at this station to reverse and go eastward to Beaverton
, Portland
, and Gresham
. Development built near the station includes many civic and Washington County
offices. Near the station is the Washington County Sheriff's office, the county jail, the courthouse
, the Hillsboro Civic Center
, and other government offices. Retail shops are located at street level in the parking structure. Portland Community College
's Hillsboro Education Center is also housed in the street level space at the garage.
work were included in the construction of the stop. Overall the artwork at the station reflects the gathering and dispersal of people and the harvest. Christine Bourdette, a sculptor, working with the architects from OTAK designed some of the artwork at Hatfield Station. Described as a “clash of sensibilities” and “organically abstract”, items include sculptures of bronze
baskets and granite balls installed at the southern end of the station. Attached to the station's building is a bronze work entitled “Gathering Rail” which resembles twine woven together and is intended to represent the various themes of the community coming together.
Other station artwork includes a three-part bronze plaque featuring Hatfield's face in relief and other images representing the entire Blue line. Designed by graphic artist Elizabeth Anderson and sculpted by Bill Bane, the other images are the Robertson Tunnel
that runs through the West Hills, Mount Hood
, the Oregon Convention Center
, and the Steel Bridge
. On the roof of the passenger shelter is a wind vane designed by artist Miles Pepper. Representing agriculture, the design includes an abstract scarecrow
, crows on the corners of the roof, and a portion that extends into the shelter that displays a seed, all moving with the wind.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
station on the MAX Blue Line
MAX Blue Line
The MAX Blue Line is a 33 mile light rail line in the MAX Light Rail system in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Operated by TriMet, the line runs between Hillsboro and Gresham, via downtown Portland...
in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, United States. The station is the 20th stop westbound on the Westside MAX, and the western terminus of the MAX Blue Line route. Opened in 1998, it is located in the same block as the Hillsboro Post Office and adjacent to the Washington County Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse (Oregon)
The Washington County Courthouse in Hillsboro, Oregon is the courthouse for Washington County, Oregon, in the United States. Washington County was established in 1843 and the first government building was finished in 1852. The current courthouse was built in 1928 with an addition and renovations to...
and the Hillsboro Civic Center
Hillsboro Civic Center
The Hillsboro Civic Center is a government-built, mixed-use development in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The development includes the city hall for the county seat of Washington County, located west of Portland, Oregon. Covering , the Civic Center has a total of over in the complex...
. The block is bounded by First and Adams streets on the east and west and Washington and Main streets on the south and north. The station is named in honor of Mark O. Hatfield, a former United States Senator from Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and light rail proponent.
History
Construction of the Westside MAX project began in 1994. In November 1996, Hillsboro and TriMet named the yet-to-be-completed station at the western end of the project as the Mark O. Hatfield Government Center Station. Hatfield was retiring from 30 years as U.S. Senator and previously used his political clout as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure funding for the project. In June 1998, after completion of the station but prior to its opening, government officials held a dedication ceremony at the station. Retired U. S. Senator Mark HatfieldMark Hatfield
Mark Odom Hatfield was an American politician and educator from the state of Oregon. A Republican, he served for 30 years as a United States Senator from Oregon, and also as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee...
was in attendance as the station was officially dedicated in his honor.
On September 12, 1998, Hatfield Government Station opened along with the Westside MAX line. Dedication ceremonies for the line at the station included a speech by then U.S. Vice President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
and U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater
Rodney E. Slater
Rodney Earl Slater was the United States Secretary of Transportation under U. S. President Bill Clinton.-Education:...
. Oregon politicians speaking at the dedication included Governor John Kitzhaber
John Kitzhaber
John Albert Kitzhaber is the 37th Governor of Oregon. He served as the 35th Governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003 and became the first person to be elected to the office three times when he was re-elected to a non-consecutive third term in 2010...
, former Congressman Les AuCoin
Les AuCoin
Walter Leslie "Les" AuCoin , is an American politician and the first Democrat elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from since it was formed in 1882. The seat has been held by a Democrat ever since....
, then Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse
Elizabeth Furse
Elizabeth Furse is a small business owner and faculty member of Portland State University. She was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1999, representing Oregon's 1st congressional district...
, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden
Ron Wyden
Ronald Lee "Ron" Wyden is the senior U.S. Senator for Oregon, serving since 1996, and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1996....
and Gordon Smith, and former Senator and station namesake Mark Hatfield. Scheduled train service began at 11:00 a.m., which was followed by a two-day opening party.
The station was the busiest stop on the Westside line by 1999 with an average of 3,005 daily boardings. In March 2008, TriMet added additional capacity during the morning and evening commuting period. This was accomplished by extending three Red Line
MAX Red Line
The MAX Red Line is a route in the Metropolitan Area Express light rail system in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. It is 25.5 miles long...
trains from the Beaverton Transit Center
Beaverton Transit Center (MAX station)
The Beaverton Transit Center is a bus station, light rail and commuter rail station in Beaverton, Oregon, USA. It serves MAX Light Rail, being the 6th stop westbound on the Westside MAX. It serves the Blue Line, and serves as the western terminus for the Red Line. It also serves as the northern...
stop each morning and evening during peak ridership times.
Amenities
Ticket machine
A ticket machine, also known as a ticket vending machine , is a vending machine that produces tickets. For instance, ticket machines dispense train tickets at railway stations and tram tickets at some tram stops and in some trams...
s for purchasing fares. Additionally, the stop is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, contains bike racks and bike lockers, and has an electronic reader board listing up-to-date arrivals of trains.
Hatfield Government Center is part of TriMet's Blue Line
MAX Blue Line
The MAX Blue Line is a 33 mile light rail line in the MAX Light Rail system in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Operated by TriMet, the line runs between Hillsboro and Gresham, via downtown Portland...
and has three sets of tracks and three platforms. One track is only used when passenger demand is high. The central island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
includes a covered shelter, and each platform has ticket vending machines. The parking structure is located across Washington Street, to the south.
The north end of the station features a light-red brick and green-roof building that contains space for use by the train and bus operators. The building is postmodern in style and includes rose windows, false chimneys, and gables. The entire station was designed by the architectural firm OTAK Inc. and also includes an electrical substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
. Hatfield's name is etched in the façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
of the main station building in stone.
Trains lay over
Layover
In transportation, a layover, also known as lays over or stopover, is some form of a break between parts of a single trip.-In mass transit:...
at this station to reverse and go eastward to Beaverton
Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, seven miles west of Portland in the Tualatin River Valley.As of the 2010 census, the population is 90,267. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon's sixth-largest city...
, Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and Gresham
Gresham, Oregon
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 90,205 people, 33,327 households, and 22,695 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,071.6 people per square mile . There were 35,309 housing units at an average density of 1,593.8 per square mile...
. Development built near the station includes many civic and Washington County
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
offices. Near the station is the Washington County Sheriff's office, the county jail, the courthouse
Washington County Courthouse (Oregon)
The Washington County Courthouse in Hillsboro, Oregon is the courthouse for Washington County, Oregon, in the United States. Washington County was established in 1843 and the first government building was finished in 1852. The current courthouse was built in 1928 with an addition and renovations to...
, the Hillsboro Civic Center
Hillsboro Civic Center
The Hillsboro Civic Center is a government-built, mixed-use development in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The development includes the city hall for the county seat of Washington County, located west of Portland, Oregon. Covering , the Civic Center has a total of over in the complex...
, and other government offices. Retail shops are located at street level in the parking structure. Portland Community College
Portland Community College
Portland Community College is Oregon's largest community college, located in Portland, United States. It serves over one million residents in the five county area of Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia...
's Hillsboro Education Center is also housed in the street level space at the garage.
Art
As with all the stops on the Westside MAX, displays of public artPublic art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
work were included in the construction of the stop. Overall the artwork at the station reflects the gathering and dispersal of people and the harvest. Christine Bourdette, a sculptor, working with the architects from OTAK designed some of the artwork at Hatfield Station. Described as a “clash of sensibilities” and “organically abstract”, items include sculptures of bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
baskets and granite balls installed at the southern end of the station. Attached to the station's building is a bronze work entitled “Gathering Rail” which resembles twine woven together and is intended to represent the various themes of the community coming together.
Other station artwork includes a three-part bronze plaque featuring Hatfield's face in relief and other images representing the entire Blue line. Designed by graphic artist Elizabeth Anderson and sculpted by Bill Bane, the other images are the Robertson Tunnel
Robertson Tunnel
The Robertson Tunnel is a tunnel through the west hills of Portland, Oregon, U.S. for the TriMet public transit MAX Light Rail system. The tunnel is 3.1 miles long and consists of twin 21 foot diameter tunnels. There is one station within the tunnel at Washington Park, the third deepest such...
that runs through the West Hills, Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
, the Oregon Convention Center
Oregon Convention Center
The Oregon Convention Center is a convention center in Portland, Oregon. Opened in 1990, it located on the east side of the Willamette River in the Lloyd District neighborhood. It is best known for the twin spire towers which provide light into the building's interior and for housing the world's...
, and the Steel Bridge
Steel Bridge
The Steel Bridge is a through truss, double lift bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States. Its lower deck carries railroad and bicycle/pedestrian traffic, while the upper deck carries road traffic and light rail , making the bridge one of the most multimodal in the world...
. On the roof of the passenger shelter is a wind vane designed by artist Miles Pepper. Representing agriculture, the design includes an abstract scarecrow
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is, essentially, a decoy, though traditionally, a human figure dressed in old clothes and placed in fields by farmers to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.-History:In Kojiki, the oldest surviving book in Japan...
, crows on the corners of the roof, and a portion that extends into the shelter that displays a seed, all moving with the wind.
External links
- MAX Light Rail Stations – TriMet page