MAX Orange Line
Encyclopedia
The MAX Orange Line is a planned light rail
line for the Metropolitan Area Express light rail system in Portland, Oregon
, USA. It is currently under construction. The line is the second part of a two-phase transportation plan known as the South Corridor Project, bringing light rail service to Clackamas County. Starting in downtown Portland
and following the Portland Transit Mall
, the 7.3 miles (11.7 km) Orange Line will run between Union Station
and Milwaukie
, terminating at Park Avenue, just south of downtown Milwaukie. The first construction work, related to a new transit-only bridge
over the Willamette River
began on June 30, 2011, and if the project continues to advance as currently scheduled, the line will open for service in September 2015.
The Orange Line will be built off the downtown terminus of the Green
and Yellow
Lines, at Portland State University
. The new bridge being built for the line uses the temporary name of "Caruthers Crossing"
, since it will meet the river's east bank near SE Caruthers Street, but will given a different name before opening. From there, the line will turn south and continue into Southeast Portland. The planned stations will serve the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
, the Brooklyn Neighborhood
, and Milwaukie, Oregon
through the McLoughlin Boulevard corridor. Part of the project includes moving the Milwaukie Transit Center off city streets and onto the former Southgate Theater property.
s from Toronto until brand new Boeing light rail vehicles
could be obtained. The light rail line was shelved when the planned Mount Hood Freeway was canceled in the mid-1970s and the region's transportation planning redirected to transit alternatives to the Mount Hood Freeway in the Portland - Gresham corridor.
In the mid-1990s, light rail was planned again along much of this corridor as part of the proposed "South-North Light Rail" line which was to have run from Clackamas Town Center
to Milwaukie, then north to Downtown Portland and along Interstate Avenue to Vancouver, Washington
, but those plans were shelved after a majority of voters in Clark County, Washington
rejected a bond issue to provide that county's share of the South-North project's funding in early 1995. (Plans for a MAX line north from downtown Portland along Interstate Avenue were later revived, as the Yellow Line
, but without the portion extending across the Columbia River to Vancouver, and this opened in 2004.)
Planning for light rail connecting Portland with Clackamas County later resumed. After public meetings it was decided that the first MAX line to Clackamas County should be along Interstate 205, from Gateway to Clackamas Town Center, but that this would be phase 1 of a two-part expansion of the MAX system, with a Portland–Milwaukie line as phase 2. The I-205 line opened in 2009, as the MAX Green Line
.
Meanwhile, planning for the Portland–Milwaukie line continued, including study of, and public input on, several different alternatives for the exact route. In 2008, the Locally Preferred Alternative was chosen. The MAX Light Rail to Milwaukie will terminate at Park Avenue station rather than Lake Road, as originally planned in 2003.
On April 5, 2011, the Federal Railway Administration approved the start of the project's final design; at that time, design work was roughly thirty percent complete and projected to be finished in about a year. The approval meant that TriMet could begin purchasing right-of-way and some construction materials.
Construction began on June 30, 2011, initially limited to work at the site of the new transit-only bridge
over the Willamette River
, but right-of-way preparation work (such as removal of trees) began in the southern part of downtown Portland in late September 2011.
. A branch may be built through the Powell Blvd./Foster Road corridor to the recently incorporated city of Damascus
.
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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...
line for the Metropolitan Area Express light rail system in Portland, Oregon
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...
, USA. It is currently under construction. The line is the second part of a two-phase transportation plan known as the South Corridor Project, bringing light rail service to Clackamas County. Starting in downtown Portland
Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located on the west bank of the Willamette River. It is in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and is where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found....
and following the Portland Transit Mall
Portland Transit Mall
The Portland Transit Mall is a set of public transit corridors through the center of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. More specifically, it is a pair of one-way streets—one for northbound traffic, the other for southbound—along which two of the three lanes are restricted to...
, the 7.3 miles (11.7 km) Orange Line will run between Union Station
Union Station (Portland)
Union Station is a train station near the west shore of the Willamette River in the Old Town Chinatown section of Portland, Oregon, United States....
and Milwaukie
Milwaukie, Oregon
Milwaukie is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A very small portion of the city extends into Multnomah County. The population was 20,291 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1848 on the banks of the Willamette River, the city, known as the Dogwood City of the West, was incorporated in...
, terminating at Park Avenue, just south of downtown Milwaukie. The first construction work, related to a new transit-only bridge
Caruthers Bridge
The Caruthers Bridge is the working name for a bridge currently under construction across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States. The bridge will carry MAX light rail, the Portland Streetcar, buses, bicycles, and pedestrians. Private cars and trucks will not be permitted on the...
over the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
began on June 30, 2011, and if the project continues to advance as currently scheduled, the line will open for service in September 2015.
The Orange Line will be built off the downtown terminus of the Green
MAX Green Line
The MAX Green Line is a light rail route in the MAX Light Rail system in Portland, Oregon, United States, extending to Clackamas, Oregon. Construction began in early 2007, and the line opened on September 12, 2009. The average daily ridership in June 2010 was 19,500 increasing to 23,200 by April...
and Yellow
MAX Yellow Line
The MAX Yellow Line is a 5.8-mile route in the Metropolitan Area Express light rail system in Portland, Oregon. The route, which opened May 1, 2004, runs between Portland State University , in downtown Portland, and the Portland Expo Center...
Lines, at Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
. The new bridge being built for the line uses the temporary name of "Caruthers Crossing"
Caruthers Bridge
The Caruthers Bridge is the working name for a bridge currently under construction across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States. The bridge will carry MAX light rail, the Portland Streetcar, buses, bicycles, and pedestrians. Private cars and trucks will not be permitted on the...
, since it will meet the river's east bank near SE Caruthers Street, but will given a different name before opening. From there, the line will turn south and continue into Southeast Portland. The planned stations will serve the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a museum located in Portland, Oregon, United States. It contains two auditoriums, including an IMAX Dome theatre, and a variety of hands-on permanent exhibits focused on natural sciences, industry, and technology...
, the Brooklyn Neighborhood
Brooklyn, Portland, Oregon
Brooklyn is a mostly residential neighborhood in southeast Portland, Oregon. It sits along the east side of the Willamette River in the vicinity of Reed College...
, and Milwaukie, Oregon
Milwaukie, Oregon
Milwaukie is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A very small portion of the city extends into Multnomah County. The population was 20,291 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1848 on the banks of the Willamette River, the city, known as the Dogwood City of the West, was incorporated in...
through the McLoughlin Boulevard corridor. Part of the project includes moving the Milwaukie Transit Center off city streets and onto the former Southgate Theater property.
History
In the early 1970s, a light rail line was proposed in this corridor. It would have run from Downtown Portland via the Hawthorne Bridge to Oregon City, primarily along the old Portland Traction Company right-of-way. This route was to be the first of five light rail lines which would have run over existing rail lines in the Portland region. The hope was to get this Portland - Oregon City line running as soon as possible by using secondhand PCC streetcarPCC streetcar
The PCC streetcar design was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II was licensed for use elsewhere in the world...
s from Toronto until brand new Boeing light rail vehicles
US Standard Light Rail Vehicle
The US Standard Light Rail Vehicle was an attempt at a standardized light rail vehicle promoted by the United States Urban Mass Transportation Administration and built by Boeing Vertol in the 1970s...
could be obtained. The light rail line was shelved when the planned Mount Hood Freeway was canceled in the mid-1970s and the region's transportation planning redirected to transit alternatives to the Mount Hood Freeway in the Portland - Gresham corridor.
In the mid-1990s, light rail was planned again along much of this corridor as part of the proposed "South-North Light Rail" line which was to have run from Clackamas Town Center
Clackamas Town Center
Clackamas Town Center is a shopping mall in Clackamas, Oregon . It opened in 1981. It is managed and co-owned by General Growth Properties and is currently anchored by J.C. Penney, Macy's , Nordstrom, and Sears...
to Milwaukie, then north to Downtown Portland and along Interstate Avenue to Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, but those plans were shelved after a majority of voters in Clark County, Washington
Clark County, Washington
Clark County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.Clark County was the first county of Washington, named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition...
rejected a bond issue to provide that county's share of the South-North project's funding in early 1995. (Plans for a MAX line north from downtown Portland along Interstate Avenue were later revived, as the Yellow Line
MAX Yellow Line
The MAX Yellow Line is a 5.8-mile route in the Metropolitan Area Express light rail system in Portland, Oregon. The route, which opened May 1, 2004, runs between Portland State University , in downtown Portland, and the Portland Expo Center...
, but without the portion extending across the Columbia River to Vancouver, and this opened in 2004.)
Planning for light rail connecting Portland with Clackamas County later resumed. After public meetings it was decided that the first MAX line to Clackamas County should be along Interstate 205, from Gateway to Clackamas Town Center, but that this would be phase 1 of a two-part expansion of the MAX system, with a Portland–Milwaukie line as phase 2. The I-205 line opened in 2009, as the MAX Green Line
MAX Green Line
The MAX Green Line is a light rail route in the MAX Light Rail system in Portland, Oregon, United States, extending to Clackamas, Oregon. Construction began in early 2007, and the line opened on September 12, 2009. The average daily ridership in June 2010 was 19,500 increasing to 23,200 by April...
.
Meanwhile, planning for the Portland–Milwaukie line continued, including study of, and public input on, several different alternatives for the exact route. In 2008, the Locally Preferred Alternative was chosen. The MAX Light Rail to Milwaukie will terminate at Park Avenue station rather than Lake Road, as originally planned in 2003.
On April 5, 2011, the Federal Railway Administration approved the start of the project's final design; at that time, design work was roughly thirty percent complete and projected to be finished in about a year. The approval meant that TriMet could begin purchasing right-of-way and some construction materials.
Construction began on June 30, 2011, initially limited to work at the site of the new transit-only bridge
Caruthers Bridge
The Caruthers Bridge is the working name for a bridge currently under construction across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States. The bridge will carry MAX light rail, the Portland Streetcar, buses, bicycles, and pedestrians. Private cars and trucks will not be permitted on the...
over the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
, but right-of-way preparation work (such as removal of trees) began in the southern part of downtown Portland in late September 2011.
Future plans
Although only a long-term proposal at this stage, it is possible the line may one day reach Oregon CityOregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
. A branch may be built through the Powell Blvd./Foster Road corridor to the recently incorporated city of Damascus
Damascus, Oregon
Damascus is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated in 2004, the city is located east of Happy Valley and Interstate 205 and west of Boring. The area that later became the city had a population of 9,022 in 2000...
.
Proposed Stations
Please note that routings, station names, and station locations are subject to change. Interchanges with proposed MAX lines and reroutings are italicized.|}