Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail design moves forward

By David F. Ashton

The Bee, Apr 6, 2010

After looking over the exhibits, Emily and Nina Gilbert told THE BEE that they have no real concerns about the MAX project; they’re “just curious.”

David F. Ashton / THE BEE

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If all goes well, the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project will see construction begin in 2011, according to Dave Unsworth, Deputy Director of the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project for TriMet.

“We're nearing the end of preliminary engineering,” Unsworth explained at a February 22 open house at St. Phillip Neri Parish just north of the Brooklyn neighborhood on Division Street. “We're sharing our results, and asking people for direction and input.”

Unsworth said that about 30% of the design has been completed to date. “We have a very good cost estimate for the project. We’re preparing to ask for permission to go into final design with our federal partners.”

Asked if they’ve currently snagged on any major impediments, Unsworth replied, “No major impediments; but a lot of details. This includes what this station will look like, what that park-and-ride will be like – making sure that the stations connect well to the neighborhoods.”

What Unsworth called “major neighborhood issues” include the size and shape of the Tacoma Street station. “It's been a big issue, along with the [proposed, but not currently planned] Harold Street Station.”

Regarding the bus pullouts on the Bybee Bridge, Unsworth commented “We looked at pullouts from abutment to abutment; and we’re considering them from pier to pier. We may actually add a bridge beside the bridge so that we'll have our buses and lift vehicles able to pull out of traffic on both sides. We're only doing the structure or modification on one side, to pick up the width.”

The next steps will be to go into final design so engineers can get into the construction details he said. “We expect that to be approved by October, 2010. If all goes well will be in construction for the Willamette River Bridge in July 2011.”

A couple from Ardenwald, looking over the posted designs, told THE BEE, “We have mixed feelings because I'm very pro Light Rail; we're in favor of a alternative and public transportation. When we moved into our house, the thought that it would be close to the Tacoma MAX Station was cool. Then they said they were going to build a 1,000 or 1,200 space garage there. That wasn't so cool.

“But now, we’ve learned the station will be 800 spaces. We’re told, officially, the height has been decreased by one floor. It's really a mixed thing for us. Yes, we're really happy to have a station allowing us to walk to MAX. But, this park-and-ride will still be dominating the view of the back of our house.”

The park-and-ride at the end of the line, just south of the City of Milwaukie – also planned for 1,000 vehicles – has also been downgraded in size...to 600 vehicles, according to TriMet.

To keep neighbors informed about this project, TriMet has established this Internet website: www.trimet.org/pm.