Votes Seem to Favor Expansion of Portland-Metro Light Rail System

Votes are still being counted, but an expansion of the MAX light rail system to the suburban community of Tigard appears to be squeaking out a victory.

1 minute read

November 10, 2016, 2:00 PM PST

By jwilliams @jwillia22


MAX Orange Line - Portland, Oregon

Sam Churchill / Flickr

Another ballot measure to expand transportation infrastructure appears to have won, this time in Portland, Oregon. An extension of the metro area's MAX light rail system is narrowly winning the support of voters in the community of Tigard, to the southwest of Downtown Portland. Reporting for Oregon Public Broadcasting, Ryan Haas writes that a vote to expand the rail system to Tigard was required because of a requirement in the city's charter which opposes light rail unless a ballot measure to approve it passes.

The proposed Southwest Corridor light rail line could reach 12 miles, making it the longest light rail line built in the region in 20 years. The northeast end would be close to where Interstate 405 goes under Portland State University. It would extend west and south to Bridgeport Village — the mall on the edge of Tualatin.

The Portland Tribune reports that the vote count as of Wednesday (Nov 9) morning showed the measure passing by a margin of 0.53 percentage points, with a 119 vote difference.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016 in OPB

Aerial view of homes on green hillsides in Daly City, California.

Depopulation Patterns Get Weird

A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 10, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

Aerial view of Oakland, California with bay in background

California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million

Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.

April 11, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

A view straight down LaSalle Street, lined by high-rise buildings with an El line running horizontally over the street.

Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing

Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.

April 10, 2024 - Chicago Construction News

Woman with long hair wearing Covid mask sitting on underground train station bench looking at her watch as subway train approaches in background at Hollywood/Western station in Los Angeles, California.

How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment

Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.

7 hours ago - The American Prospect

Nighttime view of wildfire in Los Angeles hills.

Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards

A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.

April 17 - Los Angeles Times

Bird's eye view of oil field in New Mexico desert.

Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands

An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.

April 17 - High Country News

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.