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The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) recorded more than 8.8 million rides on MAX and WES commuter-rail trains and buses in May, up 4.9 percent compared with ridership in May 2010.

MAX and WES ridership reached record highs and posted double-digit increases during the month, TriMet officials said.

MAX weekly ridership rose 9 percent; weekday ridership soared 11.5 percent; weekend ridership increased slightly 0.2 percent; and rush-hour ridership climbed 12.3 percent.

On the MAX Green Line, weekday trips averaged 23,000, up 18.3 percent; and weekend trips averaged 26,400, up 4.8 percent. WES weekday/rush hour and weekly ridership shot up 30.2 percent.

Meanwhile, construction on the Portland-Milwaukie light-rail bridge is scheduled to begin July 1. As a result, slow and no-wake zones have begun this week on the Willamette River. Five construction barges are in the process of being towed to the construction site.

The light-rail bridge will be the region’s first cable-stayed bridge, extending 1,720 feet over the river, according to TriMet.