Type 2 MAX car at Sunset Transit Center

Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail system in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. It is operated by TriMet.

In the central city, as well as in central Hillsboro, MAX trains run in reserved lanes on surface streets, unlike the Portland Streetcar, which runs in mixed traffic. Outside the central city MAX runs primarily its own right-of-way fully separated from traffic. Older track segments are controlled by traffic signals at intersections. Newer segments are fully grade-separated or have controlled crossings to give trains the right-of-way. One three mile (4.8 km) section operates as a subway below Washington Park. This section has only one station, which is 260 feet (79 m) below ground-level – the deepest transit station in North America.

The trains operate in one- or two-car configurations. MAX trains are limited to two cars due to the 200-foot (61 m) length of Portland's downtown blocks. The MAX cars are about 90 feet (27.5 m) long, so a stopped train consisting of more than two cars would block intersections. Red Line trains are typically one car long, except during peak airport travel times, while Blue Line trains are typically two cars long. Trains on the recently-opened Yellow Line often run in both configurations.

Lines

There are currently four MAX lines, with a fifth line proposed. In the following table, the Blue Line is broken into two rows due to its construction history.

Portland MAX Light Rail Lines

Name	Nickname	Outlying terminus	Opened	Length	Stops
Blue Line	Banfield-Burnside (Eastside)	Cleveland Ave. (Gresham)	September 5, 1986	15 mi (24 km)	29
Blue Line	Westside	Hatfield Government Center (Hillsboro)	September 12, 1998	18 mi (29 km)	20
Red Line	Airport	Airport	September 10, 2001	5.5 mi (8.9 km) ¤	4
Yellow Line	Interstate	Expo Center	May 1, 2004	5.8 mi (9.3 km) ¤	10
Current totals				44.3 mi (71.3 km)	63
Green Line	Clackamas	Clackamas Town Center	September 2009 (proposed)	6.5 mi (10.5 km) ¤	8
Green Line	Portland Mall	Portland State University	September 2009 (proposed)	1.8 mi (2.9 km) ¤	6
Yellow Line	Milwaukie	Lake Road (Milwaukie)	To be determined	5.8 mi (9.3 km) ¤	11
Projected totals				58.4 mi (93.5 km)	88

¤ Length shown does not include a shared segment with Eastside MAX, though the Red Line does share a segment with the Westside MAX as far west as Beaverton

The central station is Pioneer Courthouse Square, which also is centrally located in Fareless Square, a roughly square section of downtown Portland in which all MAX, TriMet Bus, and Portland Streetcar transit rides are free.

Blue Line trains run every 10 minutes (15 minutes late nights and Sundays). Red Line and Yellow Line trains run every 15 minutes. Actual schedules vary by location and time of day. At most stations a live readerboard shows the destination and time-to-arrival of the next several trains.

Types of train cars

There are currently two models of MAX cars.

The original Type 1 cars were manufactured by Bombardier Corporation and featured a raised floor with steps at the doors. The interior design was similar to that of a bus.

With the opening of Westside MAX in 1998, new Type 2 cars made by Siemens were introduced. These cars have a low-floor design, digital readerboards, and open floor plan. The floor is level with streetside platforms, greatly simplyfing access and eliminating the need for wheelchair lifts .

Portland MAX Light Rail Cars

Designation	Manufacturer	First used	Capacity	# in fleet
Type 1	Bombardier	1986	256	26
Type 2	Siemens	1998	261	52
Type 3	Siemens	2004	261	27

See also

• MAX Blue Line
• MAX Red Line
• MAX Yellow Line

External links

• TriMet
• System map and schedules
• Station to Station, a series of articles about the MAX from 2004, originally published in the Portland Tribune