Eastside Transit Project
Opened on September 5, 1986, the original MAX line connects Gresham to Downtown Portland.
MAX Blue Line
Gresham/City Center
- Opened: September 5, 1986
- Length: 15 miles
- Stations: 30
- Construction: March 1982–September 1986
- Cost: $214 million
Highlights
- Connects Gresham and Portland City Center
- Among the first light rail systems in the nation
- Represents our region’s shift toward innovative land-use and transportation planning
- Funded by the Federal Transit Administration (83%), state transportation funds (12%) and local funds (5%)
- One of the first federally funded light rail projects, using money initially earmarked to build freeways
- Completed on schedule and within budget
- Catalyst for more than $4.7 billion in development and revitalization (particularly in Portland City Center and the Lloyd District)
- Ridership has exceeded expectations