TriMet unveils $215M MAX Red Line expansion at Hillsboro ceremony

Following three years of construction, Portland-area transit agency TriMet finally unveiled its MAX Red Line extension into Hillsboro on Wednesday.

The expansion adds 10 new western stops to the Red Line, which for the first time stretches from the Hillsboro Airport to Portland International Airport.

The extended route runs nearly the length of the existing MAX Blue Line, which ends at the Hatfield Government Center. TriMet General Manager Sam Desue, Jr. said the agency, while spending $215 million on the expansion, did not have the funds to completely connect the Blue and Red lines in Hillsboro.

Speaking to a large crowd at the opening ceremony, Desue championed the collaborative effort that went into planning the expansion. It’s the final installment of a yearslong plan to redesign the Red Line, which first opened to the public in 2001.

TriMet opened the brand new Gateway Transit Center and PDX Max stations in March, providing a new MAX connection for those traveling to the airport.

“[It] isn’t just about extending a line, it’s about making our whole system better,” Desue told the audience. “We’re ensuring that our trains run more efficiently across the network.”

The Federal Transit Administration provided nearly half of the funding — about $100 million — in the form of a 2021 grant. FTA’s acting administrator, Veronica Vanterpool, attended the opening ceremony, and connected the project to President Joe Biden’s Invest in America program.

“These sorts of investments make a difference in your day-to-day commute, in your day-to-day use of public transportation,” Vanterpool said.

Those in attendance filed onto a MAX train for the first official ride on the new line. During the inaugural ride, Desue said the expansion is part of TriMet’s plan to provide more public transit to the Portland Metro Area. That includes expanding bus routes along 82nd Avenue in Portland and new MAX lines across the Columbia River into Washington.

“I am feeling overjoyed,” Desue said. “We want to make people’s lives better. We want to be able to connect people where they are.”