Ridership Numbers Below Target on Portland's One-Year-Old Orange Line

Eliot Njus reports on underwhelming ridership figures for the MAX Orange Line light rail service between Portland and Milwaukie. "Forecasts used to help justify federal funding for the project called for 17,000 average weekday trips in 2016. The

1 minute read

October 15, 2016, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Tilikum Crossing

Christopher Boswell / Shutterstock

Eliot Njus reports on underwhelming ridership figures for the MAX Orange Line light rail service between Portland and Milwaukie.

"Forecasts used to help justify federal funding for the project called for 17,000 average weekday trips in 2016. The Orange Line has so far averaged less than 11,000," according to Njus.

The Orange Line opened to fanfare in September 2015, making picturesque use of the Tilikum Crossing.

Njus notes that auspicious timing of the ridership numbers: "A proposal for light-rail to Tigard faces a vote in that city that could torpedo the whole project. If it moves forward, the entire region will likely vote on a funding measure that includes the MAX expansion."

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