TriMet Opens New MAX Station, Reopens Transit Center

TriMet, Portland, OR, has opened its Gateway North MAX station and reopened its Gateway Transit Center. This marks another step toward completing the A Better Red MAX Extension and Reliability Improvements Project.

Joining TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. at recent celebrations were Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio, Metro Council President Lynn Peterson, and Port of Portland Executive Director Curtis Robinhold.

Thanks to A Better Red, MAX Red Line trains are now traveling on a double set of tracks between the Gateway area and Portland International Airport. This improves reliability across the entire MAX system. Red Line trains heading to Downtown Portland and farther west now have a faster, more efficient route and serve a new station, Gateway North.

“The new station allows for more efficient travel from PDX to Downtown Portland. That is important as we look to the future and revitalizing our region’s economy,” said Desue. “During this pivotal time in our city’s history, investments in infrastructure projects—such as A Better Red—and attracting events and visitors will improve our economy; combat climate change; promote equity; and connect people to jobs, services, venues, and opportunity.”

The Gateway Transit Center is where the A Better Red project kicked off, with a groundbreaking near where a pedestrian path is now located. The project that followed has been made possible through a $99.9 million FTA grant and financial support from local partners. TriMet allocated nearly $9 million in formula-federal funds to the project, and the Port of Portland provided another $2.3 million. Altogether, federal and local partners contributed about half of the overall cost of the project.

“The A Better Red project is an important step forward in making our transportation system safer, easier to use, and more reliable,” said Peterson. “Extending the Red Line further into Washington County (later this summer) means more travel options for commuters on the west side, cutting travel times throughout the Tualatin Valley. And it improves access to important destinations like downtown Portland, the Oregon Convention Center, the Oregon Zoo, and Portland’s Centers for the Arts.”

A Better Red has been TriMet’s largest MAX construction project since the MAX Orange Line and Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People, opened in 2015. Due to its scope, the MAX Red Line project required years of planning, coordination, and construction to execute on existing rail lines and across busy freeways.

With ODOT’s support, TriMet was able to build new bridges over I-84. Three partial closures of I-84 were necessary to put the bridge spans in place. This was critical to the success of the project.