Gateway North MAX Station, the first new station in nine years, opens March 4 when the disruption ends
Like a train rolling down the tracks, completion of the second of three major phases of TriMet’s A Better Red MAX Extension and Reliability Improvements Project is getting closer. Once that second phase finishes on March 4, TriMet will reach another milestone on the way toward improving how riders move through a main connector for the MAX system. Not only will these changes help riders roll more efficiently through the Gateway Transit Center—where the MAX Blue, Green and Red lines meet—but they will also prevent trains from backing up on other sections of the MAX system.
Despite a harsh winter storm that shifted the disruption’s end date by one week, crews have been working around the clock for the past three weeks to finish construction just north of the Gateway Transit Center. Currently, MAX Blue and Green line service is disrupted. MAX Red Line service is temporarily suspended, and shuttle buses are serving all closed stations. We are encouraging riders to consider other transportation options during the disruption, if possible, including TriMet’s regular bus service.
Along Interstate 84, other crews are using the disruption to make further improvements to TriMet’s oldest section of trackway. They have been replacing rail and upgrading rail ties, in addition to deep cleaning stations and picking up litter.
The six-week disruption is an investment of time and resources necessary to complete multiple improvement projects at the same time, preventing the need to disrupt service in the future to do this work. We thank our riders for their understanding and patience as we enter the back stretch of the work, and we look forward to returning MAX Blue, Green and Red Line trains to regular service in March, with improved service through the Gateway Transit Center.
Gateway growth
The Gateway Transit Center is both growing and becoming more efficient thanks to this work. It’s necessary to meet the needs of the MAX system, which has quadrupled in size since it and the transit center opened in 1986. Not only that, it will help accommodate future growth. The centerpiece of the transit center’s expansion will be the new Gateway North MAX Station. While this will be its own separate station, it will also be part of the now-larger transit center, connected via a pedestrian pathway.
Crews have made considerable progress on Gateway North, with the station’s structures mostly in place. Hop readers, ticket machines, lighting and shelter glass will be installed over the next couple of weeks. That’s also when crews will put the finishing touches on the concrete pathway, which will allow riders to easily make their connections.
Focus on the future
With track work at the Gateway Transit Center nearly complete, most of the remaining work involves tying it into the existing system. These improvements, along with the extended MAX Red Line that will complete this summer, will improve reliability and allow us to add capacity.
On the west side, work continues on making Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport the new end of the MAX Red Line. Crews are finishing a new pedestrian crossing, along with a signals and communications room, both of which are on track to finish by the end of March. The Red Line extension will then open to the public this summer, along with a new break building for operators.
A Better Red
A Better Red is reaching the end of the line, with about 90% of the project done. While we still have to finish the current disruption and put the final touches on the 10-station MAX Red Line extension to Hillsboro, it won’t be long before riders will have a one-seat trip between Fair Complex, near Hillsboro Airport, and PDX.
Improvements around the Gateway Transit Center and the airport — including the addition of a second track, a rebuilt PDX station and the new Gateway North MAX Station— will improve reliability across the entire system. For more information about A Better Red, go to trimet.org/betterred.
