MAX in Downtown Portland

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

Eastside MAX Blue Line MAX at Pioneer Courthouse Square
  • 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

 

Eastside MAX Blue Line: A history and overview of the first MAX Light Rail project, which connected Portland with Gresham. PDF