Portland, Oregon - Tri-Met/MAX highlights (with photos!)

[Dan]

Portland, Oregon - MAX highlights

From 24 September to 27 September, I was taking in the sights in Portland, Oregon. On the morning of the 25th, I parked the rental car at the Milliken Way park and ride lot in Beaverton, bought an all day transit pass for US$4.00 from one of the ticket vending machines, and spent the day hopping on and off the train.

The following are some highlights of the MAX system. Larger images can be seen in the Cyburbia Gallery at http://www.cyburbia.org/gallery . I'll be posting more images of Portland through the day.

The light rail trains and streetcars are very quiet, and they accelerate quickly. Station and general information announcements are clear, and presented automatically with a female voice in English, and the standard "muy macho" Univision-style male voice in Spanish. There are no door chimes.

Interior of MAX low level boarding light rail car.


Bicycle in MAX light rail car.


Next station name display on MAX train.


Red (Airport) line MAX train, as seen from Blue Line train.


Gesham City Hall MAX station, with urban village style Gresham Square shopping center in background.


Gesham City Hall MAX station signage and park and ride lot.


Portland Streetcar stop in the Rose District.


Portland Streetcar stop in the Rose District.


Portland Streetcar.


MAX ticket vending machine in downtown Portland.


A woman eats lunch on a semicolon at the PGE Park MAX station.


Exclamation point seating at PGE Park MAX station.


Waiting train at the Washington Park MAX station. This is the only subway station on MAX.


Entrance to Washington Park MAX station, accessible only by elevator. The park and ride lot can be seen in the distance.


Goose Hollow MAX station.


Goose Hollow MAX station, with transit oriented development in background.


Hehehehehehe ...


Orenco Station in Hillsboro.


Waiting for a night train at Orenco Station.


Sunset view of cantenary and power wires at Orenco Station.

 

[Dan]

A few images I forgot.

MAX train arrives at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland.


Folks waiting for a train downtown.


MAX train departing from Yamhill District station.


Trains arriving and departing from Orenco Station.


Tri-Met bus in downtown Portland.


PGE Park MAX station.


Bicycle lids at the PGE Park MAX station.


Timeline with accompanying core sample, on the wall of the Washington Park MAX station.


Pi.

 

[LouisvilleSlugger]

GREAT pics!!!!!

 

[bocian]

Maaan, this is a U.S. city? If it was not for the fact that I was told it was Portland, I'd very much assume it was somehere in Germany or France!
Awesome pictures - I'm joining the (must be huge by now) line of those moving to Portland..
Ps. The bike standing up-right on the train - that's the first time I've seen it - it seems to work well + takes up little space. I remember trying to put my bike on the subway in Chicago - aside from passengers being unhappy about it, conductor telling me I was 5 minutes late to be able to place my bike on the train, I felt very uneasy taking up so much space - oh, well..
ps 2: pictures also depicit the fact that Portland is also very white, but young at the same time - would you call it an "outdoorsy" kind of city?...

 

[moose]

ps 2: pictures also depicit the fact that Portland is also very white, but young at the same time - would you call it an "outdoorsy" kind of city?...

Yeah, Portland IS very white. It happens. So is very northern CA and the rest of OR. I haven't spent enough time in WA to say for sure, but I would bet that the case is similar there, too.

But at the same time, what ethnic diversity I do see here in Portland is well-integrated, in an almost cheesy, PC kind of way. this is not a bad thing, mind you, just different for me, coming from CA, where there's a rainbow of colors, but each color tends to associate with others of that color. Here, all the colors mix and mingle.

I would definately say that Portland is an "outdoorsy" city. Columbia brand clothing and outdoor gear is headquartered here, and seems to be a point of pride for the city. Outdoor recreation is very popular -- a given, really, with all the fantastic recreational opportunities here.

It's a great place. I love it.

 

[moose]

Now Dan, are you planning on coming back and take some more photos of Portland when it's raining? Because it's been known to do that from time to time....

 

[nerudite]

Great photos Dan! I still can't believe Vancouver (WA that is) voted down the proposition to extend MAX up to its downtown. It would have changed Clark County for the better. It's such a great system, I only wish it had light rail to PDX when I lived there!

 

[Dan]

Now Dan, are you planning on coming back and take some more photos of Portland when it's raining? /B]

About a month after I get a phone call from the planning department where I interviewed saying "yeah, we'll hire you." (Clue ... they should "just do it." )

 

[moose]

About a month after I get a phone call from the planning department where I interviewed saying "yeah, we'll hire you." (Clue ... they should "just do it." )

Hey, me first. I already live here.

 

[jzt83]

I live in Portland for 6.5 months and it was aestetically pleasing, but just boring. Perhaps I didn't give the place much of a chance. I'll visit again in the future though. BTW. It's the Paerl District, not the Rose District. Did you visited the world's largest independent book store? Also did you konw Matt Groening is from Portland? He named many of the characters after names of the streets. Mayor Quimby, Herb Powell, Flanders, etc.

 

[biscuit]

Once again Dan, great pics.
Sounds like you might be getting a lot of company if you get that job in Beaverton. Good luck!