Upload
others
View
2
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
BackgroundIn1979,studiesbeganontransitoptionsandalignmentstoconnectdowntownPortlandtoBeavertonasfarwestasS.W.185thAvenue.By1983thestudies
werecomplete,andlocaljurisdictionsselectedlightrailastheirpreferredalternativealongtheSunsetHighway(Hwy.26)corridor.AtthispointtheTriMetBoardsuspendedfurtherwork,
awaitingcompletionofthe15-mileEastsideMAXlightrailproject,thenunderconstruction.
By1988,EastsideMAXlightrailhadmetwithwideapprovalandworkresumedonWestsidelightrail.ThefirsthurdlewascrossingtheWestHills,whichrose700feetabovedowntownPortlandandrequiredasixpercentgradealongHwy.26.WhiletheoriginalMAXlightrailvehiclesweredesignedtohandlesuchagradeovershortdistances,concernsarosethatthegradewouldreducereliability,particularlyduringicyweather,andincreasetraveltimesandmaintenancecosts.Afterprolongeddebate,theprojectdecidedtoconstructathree-miletunnelundertheWestHills.
In1993constructionbeganonthetunnel,andin1994,trackconstructionbeganindowntownPortland,wheretheWestsidelinetiedintotheexistinglineonMorrisonandYamhillStreets.WorkbegansoonafterontheBeavertonsegmenttoS.W.185thAvenue,includinganewmaintenancefacilityforlow-floorcarsatElmonica.
The1979studiesfortheWestsideanticipatedthatthelinewouldeventuallyextendfromS.W.185thAvenuetothesuburbancityofHillsboro.In1989,thelocaljurisdictionsaskedtoaddthatextensiontotheWestsideprojectbecauseofrapiddevelopment.Theenvironmentalstudiesforthis6.2-mileaddition,mostlylocatedonanabandonedrailright-of-way,progressedrapidly,andin1994,HillsborobecamethewesternterminusoftheWestsideproject.
Design and construction highlightsTwin tunnels• TheWestHillstunnelisactuallytwintubes,each
threemileslongand21feetindiameter.
Westside light rail the MAX Blue Line extension
Hillsboro
Portland
Beaverton
Clackamas
Milwaukie
Expo Center
Airport
Gresham
N
TriMet’s first extension of its light rail network headed for the fast-growing high-tech corridor on the Westside. One of the largest public works projects in Oregon’s history, it bore through the West Hills, inspired extensive transit-oriented development and infused community-focused public art into its innovative design.
Westside MAX Blue Line Park & Ride Transit Center
Sunset TC
• Becauseitsgeologyconsistsofhardrockfromancientlavaflowsupto16milionyearsold,layeredwithsoftgroundandrockfragments,thetunnelhasseveralhorizontalandverticalcurvesasdesignerstriedtofollowthebestrockconditions.
• Excavationbeganatthewestend,wherevariedgeologicmaterialrequiredtheuseofconventionaldrillandblastminingtechniques.
• Theeasterntwo-thirdsofthetunnels,composedprimarilyofColumbiaRiverbasalt,wereexcavatedusinga278-foot-longtunnelboringmachine.
Tunnel boring machine • Designedtoborethroughsolidrock,theboring
machineusedhydraulically-drivenarmstopressagainstthetunnelwallsandpropelitselfforward.
• The42hardmetalcuttingbladesonthefrontofthemachinegroundtherock,whichwascaughtinbucketsandsentoutonaconveyorbeltthatstretchedasmuchastwomileslong.
• Inmanyplaces,therockturnedouttobehighlyfragmented,fallingintotheboringmachineandjammingit.Aftermonthsofdelays,modificationstothemachineeventuallyovercametheproblem.
• Crewsofadozenpeopleoperatedtheboringmachinethreeshiftsperday,sixdaysaweek.
• Thefirsttunnelwasexcavatedin17months,thesecondinfiveandahalfmonths.Followingexcavation,crewslinedthetunnelswithconcrete.
• Crosspassagesbetweenthetunnelswerebuiltevery750feet.
• Trainstravelthroughthetwintunnelsatspeedsupto55mph.
Washington Park Station• WashingtonParkStation,
theonlystopinthethree-miletunnel,isthedeepesttransitstationinNorthAmericaat260feetbelowground.
• Stationelevatorsandstairwellsaremonitoredthroughclosed-circuitvideocameras.Staffhasdirect9-1-1accessandcanoperatefiredoors,airventsandelectricityincaseofanemergency.
• Theundergroundstation’suniquepublicarthashelpedmakethestopadestinationinitself.
• ThestationservestheOregonZoo,ForestryCenter,Children’sMuseum2ndGeneration,theVietnamVeteransMemorialandoffersaccesstotherestofWashingtonPark.
Sunset Transit CenterLeavingthetunnel,theraillinefollowsHwy.26totheSunsetTransitCenter,thenturnsabruptlysouthalongHwy.217anddescendsasixpercentgradeforalmostamile.TheSunsetTransitCenterwasoriginallyintendedasthejunctionforalightraillinecontinuingwestalongHighway26,whichaccountsforthetorturous,nearly90-degreeturninthetrack.
BeavertonThealignmentapproachingBeavertonTransitCentercrossesapreviouslydevelopedareaandistheonlyplaceontheMAXlightrailsystemwhereanentirelynewright-of-wayhadtobecreated.BeavertonTransitCenterwasbuilt10yearsbeforelightrailopened,withspacereservedonitssouthsideforfuturelightrail.Asitturnedout,finalalignmentranalongitsnorthside.(TheproposedWashingtonCountyCommuterRailprojectissettousethesouthside.)Thetransitcenterwasrebuilt
atthesametime,incorporatingnewamenitiesandfacilitiestosupportbus/railconnections.
Main Street BridgeAtMainStreetinHillsboro,aformerrailroadtrestlethatcrossedoverthestreetatanobliqueanglehadbeenthesiteofnumerousaccidents.TheCityofHillsborodidnotwantapierinthecenterofthestreet,soalightrailbridgewasbuiltwithadramatic
overheadarchstraddlingtheroadandthetrack.
HillsboroAt12thAvenueinHillsboro,thetracksmovefromaformerrailroadright-of-wayandenterWashingtonStreet,whichtheyfollowfor14blockstotheHillsboroendoftheline,mostlyona24-foot-widepavedmedian.Hereanalternativedesigngiveslightrailreservedlanes
onanarrowerstreetwhilestillallowingothervehiclestoturnacrossthetracksatdrivewaysandintersections.
Becausetherewasnoroomforturnpockets,trainspassthroughtheseintersectionsonan“all-red”phase,withtrafficstoppedinalldirections.Whenthetrainisnotpresent,theintersectionfunctionslikeanyother,withleftturnspermitted.
TheconfigurationindowntownHillsborocopiesthatinGresham,withatransitcenteradjacenttothepedestriandowntown,andaPark&Rideattheendofthelinetodivertitstrafficfromenteringthedowntown.
A first for art TheWestsideMAXwasthefirstlightrailprojecttoincludeasubstantialbudgetforart.Allofthe20stationsareembellishedwithartworksbyavarietyofartistsandaredesignedtoreflectthecharacter,diversityandhistoryofthesurroundingcommunity.
Technical HighlightsVehicles and accessibilityTheoriginalEastsideMAXlineusedplatform-mountedliftstoallowwheelchairaccesstolightrailvehicles.
Increasinguseledtoservicedelays,andmanyinthedisabledcommunityfelttheliftsfocusedattentiononthemasthecauseofdelays.InEurope,light
railsystemswereintroducinglow-floorcarstoenhanceaccessforallusers,includingwheelchairs.
In1991TriMetbegantostudyalternativestotheliftsystem.Aftermeetingswiththecommunity,plusfieldtripstoseveralNorthAmericanandEuropeansystems,thestudyrecommendedconvertingthewholesystemtolow-floorcars.By1992,TriMethadbegunprocurementforlow-floorcars,thefirstsuchcarstobeorderedinNorthAmerica.
Transit-oriented developmentWestsideMAXBlueLinetraveledthroughstretchesofundevelopedland,aswellasthecitiesofBeavertonandHillsboro.Thelinehasbecomeamagnet,withover$825millionworthofresidentialandcommercialdevelopmentincluding8,500housingunitslaunchedwithinwalkingdistanceoftheline.
Beaverton CentralBeavertonCentralStationwassitedonderelictlandonceoccupiedbyasewagetreatmentplanttoactasacatalystforredevelopment.AprojectknownasTheRoundwasbuiltaroundthestation,featuringamixofofficeandhigh-densityresidentialunits,surroundingacircularplazathatincludestheMAXstation.
OrencoOrencowasonceasmallcompanytownthatsupportedalargenurserybythesamename,locatedontheoldinterurbanelectricrailway.Withthenurseryandmostofthepopulationhavinglongsincemovedaway,theCityofHillsborodesignatedOrencofortransit-orienteddevelopmentaspartofthelightrailproject.Todayithasbecomeashowcasecommunity.
SnapshotsTravel times Downtown Portland (Pioneer Square) to
Beaverton Transit Center23minutesBeaverton Transit Center to Hillsboro end of line 28minutesDowntown to Hillsboro end of line51minutes
Westside MAX Funding
Annual Ridership
Overalltransitridershipinthecorridorisup188percentsinceWestsideMAXopened.
Timeline 1979Alignmentandenvironmentalstudies
begin,tobepostponedin19831988Preliminaryengineeringandenvironmentalstudiesbeginagain1990VotersoverwhelminglyapproveabondmeasurefortheWestsideextension1993–1997Tunnelconstruction1994–1998AlignmentconstructionJuly 1996Firstlow-floorcararrivesApril–August 1998Testing,training,servicesimulationSeptember 1998Opened
Facilities Length18miles(MAXBlueLine:33milestotal)
Stations20Park & Rides9with2,733totalspacesParking garages2with880totalspacesNew maintenance facilityElmonica
Bus connections Connectswith65TriMetbuslinesandC-TRAN
busservicetoVancouver,Washington.
$113.6 millionState
Total: $963 million
$145.8 millionLocal
0
2
4
6
8
10
8.08 mil.
FY 00 FY 04
8.66 mil.
$704.1 millionFederal
$113.6 millionState
Total: $963 million
$145.8 millionLocal
0
2
4
6
8
10
8.08 mil.
FY 00 FY 04
8.66 mil.
$704.1 millionFederal