PORTLAND, Ore. — If you ride TriMet MAX red and blue lines through downtown Portland, get ready for some changes that start Sunday, March 1st. The transit agency is closing three MAX stations to make your ride more efficient.
Closing are the Mall/SW 4th and Mall/SW 5th stations at Pioneer Place and the Kings Hill/SW Salmon Station near Providence Park.
The three stations have one thing in common, they are within a block or two of other MAX stations. Because of that, they are not heavily used, said TriMet officials.
Removing the stops will cut 90 seconds in each direction from the trip across the city, and that’s an 11% reduction in travel times, according to the agency.
The Mall stations are closing permanently, while the Kings Hill stop is closing for a year. TriMet will monitor how it goes, and then consider whether to reopen it.
The Skidmore Station got a closure reprieve, because of opposition to shutting it down.
The stop is near Portland’s Saturday Market, Mercy Corps, and some social service providers.
TriMet said the Skidmore stop is still a candidate for closure in 2022, adding that it will be looking to see if weekday ridership for the stop increases with new development in the area.
More information can be found on the TriMet website.