TriMet Opens MAX Red Line Extension

TriMet held a special ceremony recently for the official opening of its MAX Red Line extension of 10 stations west into Hillsboro, marking the conclusion of the agency’s largest light rail project in nearly a decade.

FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool joined TriMet leaders and local partners to celebrate the conclusion of A Better Red, a three-year, two-phased project to increase the light rail system’s reliability and extend the Red Line to serve MAX stations in a growing job center of Washington County as well as give more people a one-seat ride to and from Portland International Airport. Following the ceremony, attendees took a ceremonial ‘first ride’ through the new area being served by Red Line trains.

“I take great pride and am honored to host the celebration today, marking this exciting milestone for TriMet and the entire region,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “This project would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of so many individuals and organizations. A Better Red isn’t just about extending the line, it’s about making our entire MAX system better. It’s a testament to what we can achieve when we all come together, and together, we are building a brighter, more connected future for the people of this region.”

FTA covered a substantial portion of the project’s $215 million budget with a $99.9 million Small Starts grant. The project was completed on time and on budget.

“Congratulations to the people of Portland and the TriMet team for completing the ambitious ‘A Better Red’ project, which will improve service and result in smoother, faster travel, allowing people throughout the Portland region to leave their cars behind,” said Acting Administrator Vanterpool. “We appreciate that this project—like all transit projects—has supported so many jobs in the area and will continue to do so. In fact, 44 percent of the subcontracting firms are certified disadvantaged business enterprises in Oregon, demonstrating our shared commitment to equity and ensuring everyone has a chance to benefit from federal transit investment.”

The Port of Portland has played a vital role in the MAX Red Line from the very beginning, part of the public-private partnership that led to the creation of the line—the first train-to-plane connection on the west coast when it opened in September 2001.

Port of Portland Executive Director Curtis Robinhold was not at the ceremony but noted: “Extending the MAX Red Line into Hillsboro gives people who live here, visitors, and employees a faster, car-free way to get to and from PDX. I love that we’re celebrating the completion of A Better Red the same month we opened PDX’s new main terminal, because both projects were part of an overall plan to better serve our community for decades to come.”

TriMet’s A Better Red project doubled MAX light rail service between Beaverton Transit Center, the previous western end of the MAX Red Line, and the new Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds Station, renamed from the Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport Station.

Reliability improvements led to TriMet’s first new MAX station in nine years, Gateway North, to serve trains coming from PDX toward Downtown Portland and Washington County. Crews constructed two new bridges and pathways to carry the new sections of track and improve connections for pedestrians, cyclists, and people in mobility devices. This includes two new multi-use paths: one connecting 82^nd Avenue to Portland International Airport and another providing new access to Gateway Green Park.