TriMet awarded nearly $100 million federal grant for Red Line extension
County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) received a $99.9-million grant through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program to extend its MAX Red Line 7.8 miles.
The $215-million “A Better Red” project will add 10 stations on an extension from the west terminus to provide additional capacity to Beaverton and Hillsoboro, where the west terminus will be located at the Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport station.
The eastern portion of the line will see a second track added to two single-track sections. The single-track sections form bottlenecks that impact reliability challenges on the Green and Blue MAX Lines in addition to the Red Line. With the second track, the project will rebuild the Portland International Airport MAX Station and construct and a new station at the Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center. To accommodate the increased service, the project includes four new light-rail vehicles.
"FTA is proud to join our partners in Oregon to expand light rail service and improve transit connections in Portland and other important destinations," said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez.
FTA Administrator Fernandez will join TriMet officials and other community stakeholders on Sept. 28 for a project groundbreaking.
TriMet expects the extended MAX Red Line to be operational in 2024.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
