22 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

KGW-TV, Channel 8 in Portland, OR, 4/26/19:

 

 

 

TriMet eyes $200M plan to bring light rail to Hillsboro

 

 

 

 

TriMet is moving forward with an estimated $200 million light-rail project to extend Red Line trains into Hillsboro and bring more reliable service to and from Portland International Airport.

 

 

Story here.  Their headline is a bit misleading, in that light rail already goes to Hillsboro.... in the name of the MAX Blue Line. The Red Line is interlined with it on the West Side as far as Beaverton. This would extend the Red Line to the Blue Line's terminus.  In addition, the unique portion of the Red Line east of downtown to the Airport would be double tracked at points where there is currently only a single track.

[KevinKorell]

Portland, OR Business Journal, 5/29/20:

 

 

   TriMet gets $100M from feds for MAX Red Line project  

 

 

 

 

The federal government is coming through with $100 million to help TriMet extend the MAX Red Line into Hillsboro and make station and track improvements expected to improve service to Portland International Airport.

 

Update

 

So the Red Line would go to Hillsboro, but not as far as the endpoint of the Blue Line. It would terminate at Hillsboro Airport rather than Hillsboro Government Center.

[KevinKorell]

Bike Portland, 7/10/20:

 

   ‘Better Red’ light rail project includes new bike paths near airport, Gateway   

 

 

 

A $206 million project that will improve service on TriMet’s Red light rail line will also come with significant benefits to bicycle riders.

 

Article

[KevinKorell]

Hillsboro, OR News-Times, 9/13/21:

 

 

    TriMet's MAX Red Line to be extended to Hillsboro 

 

 

Work to extend TriMet's MAX Red Line train to Hillsboro is set to begin this fall.

 

Update

[CNJRoss]

RT&S, 9/14/21

 

TriMet’s ‘A Better Red’ mission expected to kick off in the fall

 

 

Called “A Better Red,” Portland’s TriMet is getting ready to make better use out of plans to extend the Red Line that have been in the works for years.

 

Instead of lying on a table, those plans will be put to construction use as officials look to start the project, which will extend the route to Hillsboro, this fall. Red Line service will be added to 10 stations from Beaverton to Hillsboro that are currently only served by the Blue Line. The Red Line runs from Portland International Airport to the Beaverton Transit Center.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

USDOT/FTA news release

 

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $99.9 Million Grant Award for the MAX Red Line Extension and Reliability Improvements Project in Portland, Oregon

 

Friday, September 24, 2021

 

 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced a construction grant award of $99.9 million to the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) for "A Better Red," the MAX Red Line Extension and Reliability Improvements Project in the Portland metro area. The 7.8-mile red line extension will help connect Beaverton, Portland International Airport, and the Gateway Transit Center, providing a frequent, reliable and low-carbon transportation option to more users, including a one-seat ride from Hillsboro to Portland International Airport.

 

"This project will better connect people in the Portland metro to jobs, education, services and health care – and of course, to the airport" said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

 

"FTA is proud to join our partners in Oregon to expand light rail service and improve transit connections in Portland and other important destinations," said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez. 

 

FTA Administrator Fernandez will join TriMet and other state and local officials at a groundbreaking event for the project on Tuesday, Sept. 28, in Portland, Oregon.

 

The total project cost is $215 million with $99.9 million in funding provided through FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program.

The project includes track, switch and signalization work that will allow the MAX Red Line to serve 10 additional stations that currently are served only by the Blue Line, and adds an operator break facility at the Red Line's new terminus in Hillsboro. The project adds a second track to two single-track sections of the Red Line, where existing bottlenecks impact schedule reliability for the entire interconnected light rail system. With the second track, the project will rebuild the Portland International Airport MAX Station and construct and a new station at the Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center. To accommodate the increased service, the project includes four new light rail vehicles.

 

FTA's CIG Program provides funding for major transit infrastructure capital investments nationwide. Projects accepted into the program must go through a multi-year, multi-step process according to requirements in law to be eligible for consideration to receive program funds.

###

 

[KevinKorell]

Portland, OR Tribune, 9/26/21:

 

 

    TriMet starts $215M extension of MAX Red Line to Hillsboro  

 

Work to extend TriMet's MAX Red Line train to Hillsboro is set to begin this fall.

 

Facing increased westbound ridership, the Portland-area transit agency has been developing plans to extend its Red Line to the existing Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport stop for years.

 

More

[KevinKorell]

E-mail from TriMet  3/2/22:
 
 

 

   TriMet News: (VIDEO) Eight-day disruption planned for April as TriMet continues work on A Better Red    

 

An eight-day disruption to MAX Red Line--from Saturday, April 2, through Saturday, April 9--will set the stage for an important series of improvements around the Gateway Transit Center. The work is part of the larger A Better Red project, set to complete in 2024, that will bring important track improvements between the Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport, improving reliability on the Red Line and throughout the entire MAX light rail system. Shuttle buses will replace trains between Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport.  Riders will want to use MAX Blue or Green Line trains to connect with Red Line shuttle buses at Gateway Transit Center. Beginning this week, you can go to TriMet.org to plan your trip in advance and see how the disruption will impact you. 

More.

[KevinKorell]

TriMet e-mail 3/8/22:
 

Heads up, riders: MAX Red Line trains will not run April 2–9 while we work on the Better Red project. Regular Red Line service will resume at the start of service on Sunday, April 10.

Shuttle buses replace part of MAX Red Line
 
Between April 2 and 9, shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport.
 
Riders can board shuttle buses on the east side of Gateway Transit Center, operating on the same schedule as Red Line trains, departing about every 15 minutes.
 
For west side service, use MAX Blue Line trains, which also serve Red Line stations.
 
Please plan some extra time for your trips, and check trimet.org/alerts to see if there are unplanned delays or disruptions.
 
Why is this happening?

This work is a part of the Better Red project that will bring important track improvements between Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport, improving reliability on the Red Line and throughout the entire MAX light rail system. A Better Red will also extend the Red Line west into Hillsboro to serve 10 more stations.

[KevinKorell]

TriMet e-mail 3/14/22:
 

A Better Red is beginning to take shape! Here’s a summary of upcoming construction at Gateway.


Exit 7 closed night of March 15 to morning of March 17

Construction of piers for the bridge over I-84 requires intermittent closure of the I-84 eastbound Exit 7 (Halsey St/99th Ave). A closure is planned from 9 p.m. March 15 through 5 a.m. on March 17.

 

I-205 MUP closed at night

Construction adjacent to Gateway Green Park and the I-205 multi-use path requires closure of the path between NE Maywood Place and NE Multnomah Street from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., with intermittent 15-minute closures during all other hours. These temporary closures take place intermittently from mid-March through April.

 

Nighttime construction

Because construction is taking place near highways and MAX tracks, some work takes place at night, when there is less traffic and fewer trains. Some around-the-clock work adjacent to Gateway Green Park and Gateway Transit Center will begin in mid-March, continuing through April.

 

MAX service disruption April 2-9
During around-the-clock work April 2-9, MAX Red Line trains will not be running. Shuttle buses will replace trains between Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport. Learn more online and also in this video. 
  1800 SW 1st Ave., Suite 300, Portland, OR 97201