MAX Yellow Line moves to Portland Mall

Written by jrood

Beginning August 30, MAX Yellow Line trains in downtown Portland, Ore., will move to the new tracks on 5th and 6th avenues along the Portland Transit Mall. Also on August 30, MAX Green Line trains will begin two weeks of test runs on the Mall and along I-205 before opening for service on Saturday, September 12.

MAX service changes
effective August 30

• Yellow Line trains will
operate on 5th and 6th avenues in downtown Portland between Union Station and
Portland State University. The Yellow Line will no longer operate on SW 1st
Avenue, Morrison or Yamhill. Outside downtown, the Yellow Line will continue to
operate north to the Expo Center.

• Schedules on all of the MAX
Blue, Red and Yellow lines will be adjusted, with less frequent service in the
early morning and late evening to offset a $31-million budget shortfall due to
the continued recession.

• Green Line trains will
begin two weeks of simulated revenue service, running every 15-30 minutes on
its planned schedule between Portland State and Clackamas Town Center, but will
not pick up riders during this testing phase.

In addition to Green Line
trains operating in simulated service on the Portland Mall and along I-205,
operators will be testing schedules, coordination with buses and other MAX
lines, signals and other systems. Construction work is wrapping up that
includes final bus and MAX station elements being installed.

The Green Line opens
Saturday, September 12, with opening ceremonies in the morning at Clackamas
Town Center TC and PSU Urban Center as well as celebrations at stops along the
alignment, including Pioneer Courthouse Square and Clackamas Town Center. Free
rides on the Green Line begin at 11:30 a.m. and continue through the end of
service.

MAX Green Line, TriMet’s
fifth MAX line, will add 8.3 miles of light rail between Gateway Transit Center
and Clackamas Town Center, and to 5th and 6th avenues in downtown Portland
between Union Station and PSU. It is the first light rail extension into
Clackamas County. It will serve the heart of downtown Portland and the busiest
transit destination in the TriMet system-PSU. It will also help revitalize the
Mall and poise the region for future rail extensions.

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