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Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (Tri-Met) Oct. 4 ordered 17 low-floor rail vehicles from Sacramento, Calif.-based Siemens Transportation Systems Inc. at a cost of more than $50 million.

Seventy percent of the cars’ floor space is designated low floor with four doors on each side 14 inches above the top of the rail. Passenger-activated bridgeplates extend to accommodate passengers with wheelchairs or other wheeled conveyances. The vehicles seat 72 passengers, and have space for four wheelchairs.

Tri-Met plans to use the cars on its 5.8-mile Interstate MAX extension opening in 2004. Interstate MAX would begin at the Rose Quarter Transit Center and travel north on Portland, Ore.-owned Interstate Avenue to the Expo Center.

Interstate MAX plans evolved from a former South/North proposal. When the proposal failed, the business community and neighborhood representatives approached Tri-Met, asking the agency to present new plans that would cost less and not displace homes or businesses, says Tri-Met Director of Communication, Mary Fetsch.

Tri-Met’s response, Interstate MAX, has no provisions for additional property taxes. Instead, the extension would be funded by Tri-Met ($38.5 million), Regional Transportation funds ($24 million), the city of Portland ($30 million), and the Federal Transit Administration.

On Sept. 20, FTA awarded a $257.5 million Full Funding Grant Agreement to the Interstate MAX project, subject to full Congressional approval. On Oct. 3, $7.5 million was appropriated for fiscal-year 2001 work on the project.

Tri-Met plans to begin construction in November and start service in 2004. A 5.5-mile Airport MAX extension already is under way and slated to open next fall. When both extensions are complete, MAX’s entire system will expand from 33 miles to 44.3 miles.

— Kathi Kube