November 29, 2005

Airport MAX Thanksgiving travel breaks all records

Sunday’s ridership 87 percent higher than normal

The MAX Red Line broke all airport ridership records Thanksgiving week, with 4,220 travelers getting on and off at the airport station on both Wednesday and Sunday. Airport ridership records:

• 4,220 people rode MAX to the airport on both Wednesday, Nov. 23 and Sunday, Nov. 27; that's 35 percent higher than a typical Tuesday and 87 percent higher than a typical Sunday

• The previous one-day record for airport riders was 3,670 during Thanksgiving in 2004.

Overall, during the 10 days surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday, more than 30,000 people rode MAX to and from the airport. The Thanksgiving season is traditionally the busiest travel time for Red Line airport trips.

Airport MAX history

On September 10, 2001, the 5.5-mile Red Line opened as the West Coast's first train-to-plane service with offering direct trips between downtown Portland and the airport.

In August 2003, the Red Line was extended to Beaverton Transit Center, adding direct service to the airport from six more MAX stations and boosting capacity to handle growing Westside MAX ridership.