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Metro, greater Portland’s regionally-elected government, is the lead planning agency for the Southwest Corridor Plan, which includes a new MAX light rail line. Metro convenes all the partners involved with the light rail and other transportation investments of the Southwest Corridor Plan.
Metro is the body that will ultimately adopt the final route for the light rail line. Metro is also considering whether to pursue a transportation funding ballot measure in 2020, which could include funding to build the Southwest Corridor light rail line and other associated safety and congestion projects in the area.
Photo courtesy of TriMet
If the federal government clears the project and Metro adopts the final light rail route, TriMet will lead the rest of the project. It will design, build, operate and maintain the new light rail line.
TriMet is also working on improvements to local bus services identified in its Southwest Service Enhancement Plan, which is separate from, but associated with, the Southwest Corridor Plan. The transit agency has service enhancement plans for every quadrant of the region.
The Southwest Corridor Plan's steering committee will make the final recommendations about the light rail route to the Metro Council. The committee is made up of one elected or appointed official from each of the partners, except Metro, which holds two seats on the committee.
The Federal Transit Administration is the federal agency responsible for approving the final environmental impact statement of the light rail project, which essentially clears the project. It’s also the federal agency that provides the matching dollars to build it.
The Oregon Department of Transportation helps plan and design the light rail’s interaction with freeways and state highways that it could potentially touch, such as I-5, I-405, US 26, Route 217 and Route 99W.
The cities of Portland, Tigard and Tualatin as well as Washington County, which are represented on the steering committee, help plan and design the light rail project. Their staff bring knowledge of their local communities, informing decisions about where the light rail would go, how it would function and what benefits it would help bring to local communities. They are also involved in permitting the project in their respective jurisdictions. These cities and the county will also weigh in on the preferred route recommended by the steering committee.
Leaders from other cities in the Southwest Corridor— Sherwood, Beaverton, Durham and King City —are also on the steering committee and stay briefed on these efforts. These communities are nearby the proposed light rail and could benefit from improved transit connections.
The community advisory committee will recommend a final preferred light rail route to the steering committee this summer. Members of this group are people working in advocacy and community organizations, business groups and colleges. The committee brings insights and a broad perspective on social and community issues.
Learn more about the Southwest Corridor Plan. Metro wants to hear from you during the next public comment period.