Reopening allows riders to use the platform even as construction continues at one of TriMet’s busiest MAX stations
A major TriMet construction project enters its final phase this week, and as it does, the permanent platform of one of Portland’s oldest MAX stations will reopen following a six-month closure. It’s the latest example of TriMet’s investment in system upgrades and safety improvements.
Riders will resume using the NE 82nd Ave MAX Station’s permanent platform on Friday, Dec. 19. Riders will continue to use the temporary stairs at the station until construction is fully completed in early 2026.
The permanent platform has been closed to riders since June, when TriMet began extensive renovations at the nearly 40 year old station. Since then, riders have been using a temporary platform located to the west of the permanent one.
Riders should note that construction will last through the start of 2026. They will continue to see crews and hear construction activity, and part of the station will remain inaccessible. Notably, the concrete stairs leading to and from the platform will be closed until construction is finished. Riders will be able to move between the platform and street level by either using the temporary stairs, located on the west side of Northeast 82nd Avenue, or the station’s elevator, near the concrete stairs.
To use the elevator, riders must tap their fare-payment device against the black elevator access reader to open the doors. Riders will not be charged for the tap. They will need to tap again against a green Hop reader to purchase fare.
A cleaner, brighter and safer NE 82nd Ave MAX Station
For nearly four decades, the NE 82nd Ave MAX Station has helped anchor TriMet’s transit service through one of Portland’s busiest areas. Opened in 1986, it has become a key transit hub, providing an essential connection point for thousands of daily riders via transfers between MAX and bus lines, including our highest ridership bus line, Line 72-Killingsworth/NE 82nd Ave. Each week, more than 14,000 trips either begin or end at the station.
Upgraded features to make riders more comfortable include improved lighting, seating, signage and security cameras. A new shelter maintains the original design from the 1980s. We also added a second shelter and additional windscreen, providing greater weather protection.
As part of the project, crews demolished an old mobility device lift building that was part of the original design. The building once housed a machine that transferred people from the platform onto high-floored MAX trains. TriMet stopped using the lifts in 1997 when we introduced our first low-floor MAX trains.
Overall, the project helps revitalize the station while laying the groundwork for future development and further investments in the surrounding community. It comes as TriMet continues planning the 82nd Avenue Transit Project, which will connect Clackamas Town Center with the Cully Neighborhood via a new TriMet FX™ – Frequent Express – bus line.
Modernizing TriMet’s transit system
The NE 82nd Ave Station renovation is part of TriMet’s broader state-of-good-repair efforts to modernize the MAX system and improve the riding experience. Over the past year alone, TriMet has upgraded MAX trains, tracks, switches, crossings and overhead wire.
Our recent Eastside MAX Improvements project replaced hundreds of feet of curved rail at the Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center, along with other improvements on the MAX Red Line. The Robertson Tunnel MAX Improvements project replaced more than 1,000 feet of aging track. Crews also installed a new wire-tensioning system to reduce weather-related delays and keep trains moving reliably year-round. The same type of wire-tensioning system was installed earlier this year during the East Burnside MAX Improvements project.
These infrastructure improvements coincide with the most extensive MAX train upgrade in more than two decades. TriMet’s new Type 6 MAX trains bring brighter interiors, dynamic digital information displays, improved accessibility features and modern onboard diagnostics that help crews respond more quickly when maintenance is needed. More Type 6 trains are entering regular service each month, replacing aging vehicles that have been in service since the 1980s. These investments reinforce our long-term commitment to a brighter, cleaner and safer future. For more information about our investments, visit trimet.org/bettertransit.