Max light rail
At the heart of Portland’s world-class public transportation system is MAX light rail, with 84 stations and 52 miles of track connecting the city, airport and region.
MAX LINES
MAX has four lines, all of which run through downtown:
Blue Line (Hillsboro/City Center/Gresham)
Green Line (Clackamas/City Center/PSU)
Red Line (Airport/City Center/Beaverton)
Yellow Line (Expo Center/City Center/PSU)
MAX trains run about every 15 minutes most of the day, every day. Service is less frequent in the early morning, midday and evening.
HOW TO RIDE MAX
You must have a validated ticket, bus transfer receipt or pass before boarding MAX. Ticket machines and validators are located at the station. There are no fare boxes onboard MAX. Before boarding, buy your ticket from a ticket machine or with the mobile ticketing app — or validate your previously purchased ticket in the validator located near the ticket machine. A validated ticket is your proof of payment, good for two hours on MAX, buses and the Portland Streetcar. (Full-day tickets are also available.) Keep your ticket until you have completed your trip. Note: MAX ticket machines return change in coins, so small bills are recommended. If you have a TriMet pass or bus transfer receipt, just board MAX and have a seat. (Check the expiration time at the top of your transfer; you may board until that time.)
Signs at the station indicate where to wait and when the next train is due. Signs on the front of each train identify the line (Blue, Green, Red or Yellow) and destination.
MAX stops at every station, so you don’t need to signal the operator to get on or off. The station name is announced before each stop and appears on a reader board overhead.
Portland Street Car
In 2001, Portland built the nation’s first modern-day streetcar: the sleek and modern Portland Streetcar. The original line, now known as the NS line, travels through downtown from Portland State University to the Nob Hill neighborhood via the popular shopping and dining area of the Pearl District.
A second line, known as the Central Loop or CL line, opened in 2012, adding 3.3 miles and 28 stops to the original line. The extension line crosses the Willamette River at the Broadway Bridge and heads south through the Lloyd District, Rose Quarter (home to the Blazers), Oregon Convention Centerand the dynamic Central Eastside neighborhood before making a stop at OMSI.
HOURS & FREQUENCY
The streetcar operates from 5:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Saturday, and 7:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Sunday. The streetcar runs approximately every 15 minutes. Arrival times are posted on real-time electronic signs at most streetcar stops. View a more detailed schedule.
FARES & HOW TO PAY
A two-hour adult streetcar ticket costs $1 and can be purchased onboard any streetcar.
An all-day adult streetcar pass costs $5 and can be purchased onboard any streetcar.
You can also buy TriMet tickets onboard the streetcar. These tickets are valid on MAX light rail trains and TriMet buses, as well as the streetcar, and cost $2.50 for two hours or $5 for all-day.
Fare boxes on the streetcars accept coins and $1 and $5 dollar bills.
Tickets purchased on TriMet buses and MAX light rail are accepted on the streetcar.
Yellow validator boxes on the cars can be used to validate pre-purchased TriMet tickets.
Bus System
On the TriMet bus system, which covers the city and its suburbs thoroughly, you’ll find low fares, friendly drivers and full wheelchair accessibility. Most buses are now equipped with bike racks, making mass transit is more user-friendly for the cycling set.
In summer 2013, TriMet buses became more accessible than ever with the new mobile ticketing appfor Android and iPhone, allowing riders to buy tickets and passes in advance and without having to carry cash.
POPULAR ROUTES
Lloyd District, Alberta Arts District, which includes the Oregon Convention Center
Central Eastside, “Restaurant Row”
International Rose Test Garden, Japanese Garden, Oregon Zoo, Portland Children’s Museum, World Forestry Center Discovery Museum, Hoyt Arboretum
The Washington Park Loop stops at all the park’s major attractions, as well as the Washington Park MAX Station (served by the Blue and Red MAX lines and Bus 63). From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the bus comes every 25 minutes from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Between Labor Day and Oct. 31, and between May 1 and Memorial Day, it runs on weekends only.
— Information and descriptions provided by TravelPortland.com
