TriMet Commuters Could Save 100 Hours a Year With a Subway Under Downtown Portland

It solves several problems. It costs $3 billion. Life is full of trade-offs.

By Rachel Monahan

A commuter who crosses downtown twice a day on MAX could save 100 hours each year if Portland were to build a subway.

Last week, as reported on wweek.com, the regional government Metro released its preliminary estimate of the cost of a MAX line beneath downtown Portland: at least $3 billion just to build.

The tunnel, running underground from the Lloyd District to Goose Hollow, would alleviate the pinch point Portland now has at the Steel Bridge, allow for longer trains across the light-rail system (short downtown blocks limit their length), and create more reliable service as the number of commuters is expected to continue to increase in Portland.

A study of where exactly the line might run—and the soil conditions below the downtown grid—could be included in next year's transportation measure.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.