TriMet recommends SW Corridor MAX route

The upcoming decision by Metro will help determine the final cost of the project, which is now estimated at $2.64 billion to $2.86 billion.

The TriMet Board of Directors recommended that Metro adopt the final proposed route for the Southwest Corrdior MAX line at its Wednesday meeting.

The route has previously been released by Metro, which is in charge of planning the project that TriMet will own and operate if it is built. Among other things, it would build much of the proposed line between Portland and Tualatin down the center of Southwest Barbur Boulevard, while preserving two lanes of motor vehcile traffic in both directions.

"This project extends frequent, high-capacity transit into a corridor that needs it today and will need it even more in the future," said TriMet General Manager Doug Kelsey. "Project partners and community members have worked long and hard to reach this moment. This is a demonstration that together we can work to substantially improve mobility throughout the Southwest Corridor."

If approved by Metro, the proposed route, officially known as the Locally Proposed Alternative, would run 12 miles between the southern end of Portland State University through Tigard to Bridgeport Village. It would include 13 potential stations and as many as seven Park & Rides with up to 3,500 parking spaces. It also allows for two miles of shared transitway for future express bus service.

The decision will help determine the final cost of the project, which was most recently estimated at $2.64 billion to $2.86 billion in 2024 dollars, the estimated midpoint of its construction.

Project partners, including ODOT, Metro, Washington County, the cities of Portland, Tigard and Tualatin and others, determined the proposed route based on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and community feedback.

According to TriMet, the corridor is home to more than 10 percent of the region's population, with more than 70,000 new residents and 65,000 new jobs expected by 2035. It is already struggling with major traffic congestion along I-5 and Barbur Boulevard — and that congestion is expected to double in the next 20 years. TriMet says light rail will speed up commutes, connect people with new jobs, get students to schools and training opportunities and improve safety for people walking, biking and driving.

To read a previous Portland Tribune story on the project, go to tinyurl.com/yasga5lh.