Library/Southwest 9th Avenue and Galleria/Southwest 10th Avenue

Library/Southwest 9th Avenue
Galleria/Southwest 10th Avenue
MAX Light Rail Station

Library SW 9th Ave MAX Station
Location SW 9th & Yamhill (eastbound)
SW 10th & Morrison (westbound)
Portland, Oregon
USA
Coordinates 45°31′11″N 122°40′58″W / 45.51972°N 122.68278°W / 45.51972; -122.68278Coordinates: 45°31′11″N 122°40′58″W / 45.51972°N 122.68278°W / 45.51972; -122.68278
Owned by TriMet
Platforms 2 one-way Side platforms
Tracks 1 per split
Connections Portland Streetcar
Construction
Disabled access Yes
History
Opened September 5, 1986
Services
Preceding station   MAX Light Rail   Following station
Blue Line
One-way operation
Red Line
One-way operation

Library/Southwest 9th Avenue and Galleria/Southwest 10th Avenue are light rail stops on the MAX Blue and Red Lines in Portland, Oregon. It was the original western terminus and is now the Eastside MAX line's first stop eastbound/last stop westbound in downtown.

The Library/Southwest 9th Avenue stop is located on Yamhill Street and is used by eastbound trains, while the Galleria/Southwest 10th Avenue is on Morrison Street and is used by westbound trains. Both platforms are built into the street's sidewalk, and a parking garage with ground-floor retail sits between them.

For a little more than five years, this station was also served by the Yellow Line, from that line's opening in May 2004 until its relocation to the Portland Transit Mall in August 2009.

11th Avenue loop tracks

A partial view of the SW 11th Ave turnaround loop, showing one of the three tracks in the loop and a Portland Streetcar passing by on 11th Avenue

The three 11th Avenue loop tracks, located one block west of these two stations, allow westbound trains terminating in downtown Portland access to Yamhill Street from Morrison Street. Previous to the opening of the Westside section of what is now the Blue Line, all trains used this facility to turn around. Red Line trains used them from that line's opening in 2001 until it was extended to Beaverton Transit Center in 2003. Then, Portland Vintage Trolley still used it on Sundays, and starting in 2004 Yellow Line trains used the loops every day until the Yellow Line and Vintage Trolley both moved to the Portland Transit Mall. Presently, there is no regularly scheduled use of the turnaround loop here, but it is often used to store trains temporarily for use after events, such as a game at nearby Providence Park.

When TriMet began using colors to designate rail lines (2001),[1] this was considered the western terminus for what is now the Blue Line, until it was expanded westward to Hillsboro in 1998; this was also the case for the Red Line when it opened in 2001 until it was extended west to Beaverton Transit Center in 2003. It was then used as the western terminus for the Yellow Line until it moved to the Portland Transit Mall in 2009.

Due to safety concerns, passengers are not allowed on trains passing through the loop and must disembark at the Galleria platform. The yard takes up about half a Portland city block, and includes a small maintenance pit and an operator break room. It is also used to store trains for special events. This is similar to the Vintage Trolley junction at Lloyd Center/NE 11th Ave MAX Station, which is now used to store extra light rail cars for events at Rose Quarter Transit Center since the Vintage Trolley is no longer in service.

Points of interest nearby

The Multnomah County Central Library is on the corner opposite the Library/9th platform. The westbound station's namesake, The Galleria, a former shopping center, now hosts the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. It is located across Morrison Street from the Galleria/10th platform. This section of Portland is known as the "West End", containing the Portland Park Blocks, museums, and historic hotels.

Portland Streetcar connection

The Portland Streetcar system stops close to this MAX station, allowing transfers south to Portland State University and South Waterfront, or northbound on 10th Avenue to the Pearl District and Northwest Portland. Northbound stops are on 10th Avenue at Central Library (across Yamhill Street from the MAX platform) and Alder (one block north of the MAX platform on Morrison). Southbound stops are located on 11th Avenue at Alder and Taylor Streets (the latter behind the Central Library).

MAX trains passing through the light rail/Portland Streetcar junction have priority over streetcar traffic, though both generally move with the traffic flow. In addition, there is also a switch to bring streetcars onto the MAX line. On a rainy day, one can see sparks when either type of train pantograph hits the electrical wire junction.

References

  1. ↑ Stewart, Bill (September 21, 2000). "Local colors roll out: Tri-Met designates the Blue, Red and Yellow lines". The Oregonian.


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