February 22, 2007

More parking available in downtown Portland

Parking pay stations installation underway

As part of the Portland Mall Light Rail project, parking is being added on 5th and 6th avenues outside of construction zones. The city of Portland has begun installing parking pay stations along the Mall. Unlike other downtown on-street parking, there are no markings on the street, so, "if you can fit, you can park". When complete, downtown will see a net gain of about 200 parking spaces at any given time.

Parking

To date, parking pay stations have been added to 14 block faces along 5th & 6th and installation is expected to be complete by the end of March. The city is awaiting a shipment of additional machines and the next installment is expected to take place the week of March 5th.

Traffic

Cars and bikes can travel along the Mall in areas outside of construction. Sidewalks are open with access to all businesses.

Utility work

Public utility work is being done before light rail construction can begin. Currently most of the work is being done on 5th. Light rail construction is set to begin in early March in the North and Central mall.

About the project

• The Portland Mall project is part of the 8.3-mile I-205/Portland Mall MAX Light Rail Project.
• TriMet’s fifth MAX extension will add light rail to 5th and 6th avenues between Union Station and Portland State University, and between Gateway Transit Center and Clackamas Town Center.
• It is the first light rail extension into Clackamas County, it will serve the heart of downtown and the busiest transit destination in the TriMet system - Portland State University.
• When it opens in September 2009, it will help revitalize the Mall and poise the region for future rail extensions, such as to Milwaukie and Vancouver, Washington.