Details on the Portland Region's Proposed $2.7 Billion Light Rail Line

The Southwest Corridor light rail project has a preferred alternative route, but there's still a lot of work to do before the ambitious project can begin construction, much less begin shuttling riders between Portland and Bridgeport Village.

June 24, 2019, 2pm PDT | James Brasuell | @CasualBrasuell

TriMet

Southwest Corridor Preferred Alternative

TriMet's proposed light rail extension through Southwest Portland to Bridgeport Village in Washington County presents a new kind of design and engineering challenge, according to a recent article by Andrew Theen.

"The estimated $2.7 billion light rail line would transform a swath of Southwest Portland and the Tigard/Tualatin area. The trip between Bridgeport Village and Portland State University's southernmost station is projected to take 30 minutes," according to Theen.

Leah Robbins, TriMet project director, is quoted in the article with these words to describe the challenge compared to earlier light rail projects in the region: "Everything is bigger."

The size of that project also means complexity, as 13 stations are positioned around undulating and occasionally meandering terrain and between neighborhoods ranging from suburban industrial, residential, and railroad oriented.

Theen took a tour of the potential route and surrounding areas to report in detail on how the project could look if and when it receives funding.

Full Story:

7 things to know about TriMet’s proposed Southwest Portland MAX line

Published on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 in The Oregonian