07-03-07
Contact: Paul Griffo
Telephone: (202) 366-4043
Nearly 150,000 Portland area commuters will soon have better access to public transportation thanks in part to a $345.4 million agreement to provide federal funding for a key expansion to Portland’s light rail system.
“Portland’s vision of providing better solutions to relieve congestion will ensure its citizens continue to enjoy the outstanding quality of life this city is known for,” said Federal Transit Administrator James S. Simpson. “This project holds the promise of more jobs, more business, and a better way of life for countless Portland residents.”
The full funding grant agreement (FFGA) is the federal government’s commitment to provide its share of money to build the two-pronged South Corridor I-205/Portland Mall Light Rail Project. Upon completion, the total of 8.3-miles in light rail expansion will provide direct service from Clackamas County to the Portland Mall.
The first segment, South Corridor I-205, will consist of a 6.5-mile double-track line and run parallel to I-205 connecting Clackamas Regional Center in Southeast Portland to the Gateway Transit Center east of downtown. The South Corridor project will add eight new stations and 2,300 park-and-ride spaces.
With construction of the second segment along a 1.8-mile spur consisting of seven stations, service will begin at the existing Rose Quarter Transit Center and end at Portland State University in South downtown Portland.
The Federal Transit Administration approved final design for the project in October 2005, and proposed it for an FFGA in the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2007.
The federal agreement will bring the total funding for this project to $575.7 million. TriMet plans to begin operating the line in September 2009 with ridership anticipated at 46,500 and a surge of 62,200 new jobs by 2025.
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