This is Portland, Oregon. Serving a population of 1.8 million people,
a network of light rail and commuter rail lines connect this US city,
servicing 99 stations across three counties. Consisting of 6 rail lines and 74 miles of track
the system travels across the Rose City, with trains radiating from downtown streets to suburban
destinations. But how did the system grow from its original stations to the network it is today?
My name’s Zach, and this is the Evolution of the Network.
Portland’s modern transit network began to be developed in December 1977,
with the opening of the Portland Mall. Running south along 5th Ave and north along 6th Ave, the
roadways were open to buses and pedestrians only, extending from Burnside St in the north to Madison
St in the south. Nine years later in September 1986, Portland’s first light rail line was opened,
running from downtown east to Cleveland Avenue. The line serviced 27 new stations, including six
stations in a one-way loop through the downtown core. In order to provide more convenient access
to the Portland Transit Mall, two infill stations were opened on the light rail network in March
1990, with stops at 4th and 5th Avenues providing nearby access to the Portland Mall. Five months
later in September, an additional infill station was opened east of the Willamette River,
with trains servicing the new Oregon Convention Center which had recently opened nearby. Seeing
the success of the Portland Mall, the dedicated roadway was extended further north in June 1994,
connecting directly to Portland’s Union Station at Irving St. At the same time, Coliseum station
on the light rail network was renamed to Rose Quarter, reflecting the name of the surrounding
neighborhood. Light rail service was extended further west in downtown Portland in August 1997,
with three additional stations opening west to Kings Hill/Salmon. The extension included two
one-way stops at Civic Stadium, providing light rail service to this popular sporting venue. One
year later in September 1998, light rail service was extended further west once again, adding 18
additional stations to Hatfield Government Center. The extension includes the first underground
section through Washington Park station, with the stop itself being the deepest in North America.
In 2000, the light rail line was branded as the Blue line, in preparation for a second
line being added to the network. One year later in September 2001, the Red Line was launched,
providing service from downtown Portland to the Portland International Airport. The Red line
serviced three new stops from Portland Airport to Gateway/99th, before following the Blue line
downtown to Galleria/10th. At the same time, Civic Stadium station on the Blue line was renamed,
now being known as PGE Park. High ridership on the western segment of the Blue Line resulted
in the Red line being extended west along this part of the network, with trains being extended
to Beaverton Transit Center in September 2003. The following year in May, Portland’s third light
rail line began service north to the Portland Expo Center. Starting downtown at Library/9th,
the Yellow line followed the Blue and Red lines north to Old Town/Chinatown,
before branching off north to service 10 new stations. The Portland Aerial Tramway was
opened two years later in December 2006, running between the South Waterfront and Marquam Hill.
One month later in January 2007, an infill station was opened on the Red line, with trains
now stopping at Cascades. Commuter rail service in Portland began two years later in February 2009,
with trains starting on the Westside Express Service. Meeting with the Blue and Red lines
at Beaverton Transit Center, the line ran south to Wilsonville servicing 3 intermediate stops.
At the same time North Portland station on the Yellow Line was renamed, now being known as
Rosa Parks. Light rail tracks were added to the Portland Transit Mall in August 2009, rerouting
Yellow Line trains from Interstate Rose Quarter. Twelve new stations were service along the mall,
with buses continuing to run on the mall alongside the trains. A fourth light rail line was also
inaugurated the following month in September, with the Green line beginning service. Starting from
the Portland Transit Mall, the Green Line follows the Yellow, Blue, and Red lines to Gateway/99th,
before servicing eight new stops south to Clackamas Town Center. An infill station opened
on the eastern leg of the Blue line in December 2010, with trains now stopping at Civic Drive.
In downtown, PGE Park Station was renamed once again in 2011, now being known as Jeld-Wen Field.
Two infill stations were opened at the south end of the Portland Transit Mall in September 2012,
with Green and Yellow line trains servicing stops at College and Jackson.
Two years later in 2014, Jeld-Wen Field station was renamed once again,
taking its present station name of Providence Park. A fifth light rail line was inaugurated
in September 2015, bringing light rail service to areas south of downtown.
Continuing south from the Portland Transit Mall, the Orange line serviced 10 new stations to
southeast Park, crossing the Willamette River on a transit and pedestrian only bridge. The orange
line interlines with the Yellow line through downtown, with Orange line trains running south
along the transit mall, and Yellow line trains running north. Two years later in September 2017,
two stations on the western branch of the Blue Line were renamed, with the names for Orenco/231st
and Quatama/205th being simplified. As part of an initiative to speed up trains through downtown,
three light rail stations were closed in March 2020. On the Red and Blue lines, the two stations
at the Portland Transit Mall were closed, along with Kings Hill/Salmon station further west.
This brings us to the Portland Light Rail and Commuter Rail map that we know today.
In the years to come, minor expansions are planned for the Portland light rail network,
which will improve service frequencies on the network. In 2024, the Red line will be extended
west along the Blue line, making 10 additional stops to Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport.
That was the evolution of Portland’s light rail and commuter rail network, giving us the six lines
that we know today. If you haven’t already, be sure to watch our Evolution of the Network videos
on other American cities, which you can access by clicking the button in the top right corner.
Don’t forget to leave a like if you enjoyed this video, and comment down below to join
in the discussion. My name’s Zach, and I’ll be Vanishing Underground, until the next one.