"Green" Construction Practices
Our pledge to protecting the environment goes from our business and vehicle operations to our maintenance facilities and construction projects. This commitment began with the construction of Interstate MAX Yellow Line, continued with MAX Green Line construction in downtown Portland and along I-205 and, most recently, with the completion of WES Commuter Rail.
- Reuse and recycle
- Storm water management
- Reduce energy and vehicle emissions
- Eco-friendly construction
Green construction in progress
Reuse and recycle
Plastic railroad ties
We were the first transit agency to use recycled plastic railroad ties instead of steel in an embedded light rail trackway, including about 6,000 plastic ties on the MAX Yellow Line.
Creosote ties
During construction on WES, a portion of the removed creosote ties were sent to an energy co-generation plant, saving landfill space, and the rest were reused in the project's landscaping.
Concrete
About 30,000 cubic yards of concrete, existing aggregates and base material were crushed or cleaned and reused during the building of the MAX Green Line.
Plastic bollards
MAX Yellow Line was the first project to use recycled plastic bollards (short posts) in paved portions of the trackway. The bollards are used with recycled plastic chain to discourage pedestrians from crossing the tracks.
Sound walls
We relocated about 1,810 feet of existing sound walls and installed nearly a mile of new sound walls along the 1-205 light rail line. We used a unique product manufactured by Carsonite that is a composite plastic shell filled with recycled, chipped tires. This prevented about 9,030 tires from ending up in a landfill.
Stormwater management
For decades, almost all surfaces along freeways have been solid, giving water on the road no place to go except directly into stormwater systems, area streams, creeks and rivers. In our projects, we create vegetated bioswales along freeways that filter and slow stormwater runoff. In areas where the soil doesn't drain well, we designed solutions that allow partial water retention. In addition, the parking areas at some of the MAX Light Rail support building areas have pavement that lets water drain through it, which reduces runoff.
MAX Yellow Line at Delta Park/Vanport Station
We built a pond with plantings and artwork that collects and naturally cleans stormwater runoff from the Park & Ride lot.
MAX Yellow Line at N Prescott St Station
A tall sculpture that looks a little like a ship's prow at the N Prescott St MAX station gathers rainwater and funnels it to a drain leading to the nearby bio-filtration greenspace.
WES Commuter Rail at Beaverton Transit Center
We helped restore Hall and Beaverton creeks by planting native trees and removing invasive plants, such as Reed Canary Grass.
MAX Green Line from Market Street to the South Terminus
We added landscaping in planting strips and bioswales for water filtration to treat the stormwater from the street, tracks and light rail operations. Water treatment planting strips are also used in the brick extension from Market Street to the South Terminus.
Reduce energy and vehicle emissions
Improvements to track
Upgrades on WES Commuter Rail train tracks help improve Portland & Western's ability to move freight with greater fuel efficiency.
Learn more about conserving fuel and reducing emissions
Eco-friendly construction
Trees—MAX Yellow Line
We tripled the number of trees along Interstate Avenue and relocated many large trees.
Neighbors helped select the size and type of tree species to be planted. We used naturescaping principles to select plantings that could survive in an urban environment using less water, fertilizers and pesticides.
The Interstate MAX Yellow Line received the National Arbor Day Foundation's 2005 Lady Bird Johnson Award for exemplary leadership in roadside beautification.
Trees—MAX Green Line
Preserving trees along 5th and 6th avenues and I-205 was a project priority. Although light rail construction initially required tree removal, the project ultimately planted more than 1,100 new trees. Tree species were chosen that would thrive in the specific environment where they were planted. Several of the trees that had to be removed were salvaged for use in furniture and residential structures, while others were made into bark mulch.
Wetlands
TriMet restored and expanded the wetland next to the Forebay Slough on Portland International Raceway property by planting more than 200 trees, 12,000 deciduous shrubs and 12,000 plants. We also excavated about 18,000 cubic yards of soil to make the wetland and slough one continuous body of water. The wetland provides habitat for wildlife and helps to cleanse the water.
Earth-friendly buildings
New facilities that support the maintenance and operation of the MAX Yellow Line were built with an environmental focus.
- Our support buildings were designed to shed rainwater and let it be absorbed by the ground rather than draining into the storm sewer system.
- The expanded maintenance facility at Ruby Junction was designed using earth-smart elements, including energy-efficient lighting and variable air volume mechanical systems, that are 20 percent more efficient than current energy code requirements.
Wildlife
Along the WES alignment, north of Wilsonville, a wildlife crossing was installed under the tracks to maintain a safe passage for animals.