Tualatin station

Tualatin is a train station in Tualatin, Oregon, United States, that is served by TriMet as part of WES Commuter Rail. It is situated next to Hedges Green Shopping Center on Southwest Boones Ferry Road in the city's downtown area. The commuter rail line, which opened in February 2, 2009, links the westside Portland metropolitan area cities of Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, and Wilsonville. The station sits between Tigard Transit Center and Wilsonville station as the fourth of five southbound WES stops. WES connects with the Blue and Red lines of MAX Light Rail at Beaverton Transit Center.

Tualatin
WES Commuter Rail station
Tualatin station in 2015
Location18955 SW Boones Ferry Road
Tualatin, Oregon, U.S.
Coordinates45°23′00″N 122°45′52″W
Owned byTriMet
Line(s)Portland and Western Railroad
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
Connections TriMet: 76, 97
Tualatin Shuttle
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Parking129 spaces
Bicycle facilitiesLockers and racks
Disabled accessYes
History
OpenedFebruary 2, 2009
Services
Preceding station   WES Commuter Rail   Following station
Terminus
Commuter Rail
Location

Local governments approved the station in 2004 as part of the Washington County Commuter Rail Project. Its construction had been scheduled to begin in July 2007 but issues emerged with its location and the amount of available parking. A compromise was reached and work began in January 2008. WES serves Tualatin station every thirty minutes on weekdays during the morning and evening rush hours. Connections include TriMet bus routes 76–Hall/Greenburg and 97–Tualatin–Sherwood Rd, and the Tualatin Shuttle. The station includes a 129-space park and ride.

History

In 1908, the Oregon Electric Railway (OE) established an interurban line between Portland and Salem and built a depot to serve Tualatin. At its peak, the interurban line extended south as far as Eugene.[1] OE's Tualatin depot is believed to have stood on the site of the present-day WES station.[2] As automobile use increased in the 1920s, ridership failed to grow as projected, and OE ended passenger rail service in May 1933. Diesel freight trains continued to utilize the route into the 1990s.[1][3] Led by Washington County officials, planning for a commuter rail line between Beaverton and Wilsonville began in 1996.[3] In 2001, local governments authorized the Washington County Commuter Rail Project,[4] which included plans for a station in Tualatin on a site along Boones Ferry Road, in consideration of the city's transportation plan.[5]

The Federal Transit Administration authorized funding for the project in 2004,[4] and construction of the line began in October 2006.[6] That year, Haggen Food & Pharmacy, a grocery store situated next to the station's proposed location, pursued efforts to have the station moved. They contended the station did not have enough parking and more traffic would worsen congestion around the area.[7][8] Haggen's protest led to a delay in the station's construction, which had been scheduled to begin in July 2007.[7][9] The city and TriMet argued that the location had been selected in 2001 and re-affirmed in 2005 with no objections from Haggen. TriMet subsequently threatened to forgo having a station in the city.[5] In August 2007, Haggen and TriMet compromised. The station's location remained as planned but additional parking was added.[5][10]

The station's construction commenced on January 9, 2008, with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by local dignitaries.[11] The public artwork was installed that September.[12] Tualatin station was completed in time for the line's opening on February 2, 2009.[13][14]

Station details
Platform level
Side platform, doors will open on the left or right
Northbound → WES toward Beaverton Transit Center (Tigard Transit Center) →
Southbound ← WES toward Wilsonville (Terminus)

Tualatin station is situated on the east end of Hedges Green Shopping Center near the intersection of Southwest Boones Ferry Road and Seneca Street in downtown Tualatin.[15][16] It is one of five WES stops along the 14.7-mile (23.7 km) rail segment owned by Portland and Western Railroad.[17] The station has a 129-space park and ride, a 24-space covered bike rack, and six bike lockers.[18] The station's shelter exhibits enhancements to TriMet's standard design practices; it includes a clock tower and red brick columns that are intended to blend the platform in with the neighborhood's existing architectural styles.[10] The Tualatin Development Commission contributed $491,000 for its construction.[15] The platform measures 146 feet (45 m) in length and 15 feet (4.6 m) in width, covers about 2,000 square feet (190 m2), and sits 4 feet (1.2 m) above the ground.[2] The station features card-only ticket vending machines and a digital information display showing WES and bus arrival information.[18]

Tualatin station's public art consists of an interactive sculpture created by Frank Boyden and Brad Rude. Entitled The Interactivator, it features bronze heads and a vehicle designed to represent the train and the variety of people who ride the line. The vehicle moves along a track and has an animal figure displayed in a scene atop the piece.[19]:28 Additionally, glass within the station platform's windbreak is etched with a willow pattern.[20]

Services

Tualatin is the fourth of five southbound stations on the WES Commuter Rail line after Tigard Transit Center and before the line's southern terminus, Wilsonville station. WES runs between the cities of Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, and Wilsonville and offers a connection to the Blue and Red lines of MAX Light Rail at Beaverton Transit Center.[21] Service operates only on weekdays during the morning and evening commutes and trains arrive at the station every thirty minutes per direction.[22][23] The station is also near a bus stop for TriMet's 76–Hall/Greenburg and 97–Tualatin–Sherwood Rd routes.[18] Additionally, the city of Tualatin provides the Tualatin Shuttle, a free shuttle bus service operated by Ride Connection, to connect riders between Tualatin station and local employers. The service, which operates two routes in the north and south areas surrounding Southwest Tualatin–Sherwood Road, coordinates with WES train arrivals and is free for use by the public.[24][25]

References
  1. Thompson, Richard (January 1, 2008). Willamette Valley Railways. Arcadia Publishing. p. 29. ISBN 978-0738556017. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  2. "Proposed Tualatin Commuter Rail Station and Park & Ride" (PDF). City of Tualatin. January 25, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 9, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
  3. "WES Commuter Rail" (PDF). TriMet. July 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  4. "Wilsonville-to-Beaverton commuter train gets OK". Portland Business Journal. May 10, 2004. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  5. Bella, Rick (September 26, 2007). "Tualatin rail stop overrides differences". The Oregonian. p. C1.
  6. "TriMet building passenger train line". Portland Business Journal. October 23, 2006. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  7. Tran, My-Thuan (March 20, 2007). "Tualatin station short on parking, firm reports". The Oregonian. p. B3.
  8. Tran, My-Thuan (June 14, 2007). "TriMet, Haggen to meet on moving Tualatin station". The Oregonian. p. D3.
  9. Tran, My-Thuan (April 10, 2007). "West side onboard for risky rail ride". The Oregonian. p. B1.
  10. Foyston, John (August 3, 2007). "Businesses OK site for rail station in Tualatin". The Oregonian. p. D3.
  11. Foyston, John; Mayes, Steve (January 8, 2008). "Construction will start on commuter station". The Oregonian. p. C3.
  12. Foyston, John (September 4, 2008). "Ambitious crews install 5 steel sculptures in a day". The Oregonian.
  13. Rivera, Dylan (October 1, 2008). "TriMet delays opening of Westside commuter rail line until February". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on June 17, 2009. Retrieved October 2, 2008.
  14. Crepeau, Megan (February 3, 2009). "Westside commuter rail launch smooth". The Oregonian. p. B2. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  15. Clampet, Jennifer (January 10, 2008). "Even six months late, WES to arrive on time in Tualatin". The Times (Tigard). Archived from the original on July 17, 2011.
  16. "Stop ID 13069 – Tualatin WES Station". TriMet. Archived from the original on February 1, 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  17. Tucker, Libby (May 3, 2007). "Commuter rail project breaks ground in Wilsonville". Daily Journal of Commerce.
  18. "WES Commuter Rail". TriMet. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  19. Priester, Mary (2009). The Interactivators: Sculpture for TriMet WES Commuter Rail (PDF). TriMet. ISBN 978-0-9666762-1-1. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 2, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  20. "Public Art on Commuter Rail". TriMet. Archived from the original on September 17, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2008.
  21. WES Commuter Rail (PDF) (Map). TriMet. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 2, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  22. "WES Commuter Rail, Weekday To Beaverton" (PDF). TriMet. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  23. "WES Commuter Rail, Weekday to Wilsonville" (PDF). TriMet. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  24. "Ride Connection". City of Tualatin. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  25. "Tualatin Shuttle Brochure" (PDF). Ride Connection. July 11, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
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