Editing MAX Light Rail (section)

===South Corridor extensions===
{{Main|MAX Green Line|MAX Orange Line}}
[[File:MAX Orange Line Opening Day (21259084049).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Crowds at [[South Waterfront/Southwest Moody station]] and Tilikum Crossing during the Orange Line's opening in 2015]]

In 2001, Metro revisited its former light rail plans for Clackamas County and reconsidered proposals similar to those of the canceled South/North project, with two routes extending to Clackamas and Milwaukie.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rose |first=Joseph |title=New MAX plan tries the double-team approach |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=May 8, 2001 |page=D1 |author-link=Joseph Rose (journalist)}}</ref> This resulted in a new study, which Metro referred to as the South Corridor transportation project,<ref>{{cite news |last=Rose |first=Joseph |title=Metro planners will study two south light-rail lines |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=June 6, 2001 |page=E3}}</ref> that evaluated light rail among other alternatives.<ref name="new-max-plans-arrive">{{cite news |last=Oppenheimer |first=Laura |title=New MAX plans arrive for input; a revived bid to expand light rail to Milwaukie, one of five transit proposals, may fare better now that former critics are on board |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=January 27, 2003 |page=E1}}</ref> The study's task force recommend both light rail options in 2003 and suggested splitting the project into two phases.<ref>{{cite news |last=Leeson |first=Fred |title=TriMet board agrees to plan for southeast light-rail lines |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=March 27, 2003 |page=C2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Oppenheimer |first=Laura |title=Metro gives final OK to MAX lines |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=April 18, 2003 |page=D6}}</ref> The first phase planned for the addition of light rail to I-205, between Gateway Transit Center and Clackamas Town Center. In October of that year, the first phase plans were amended to include adding light rail to the Portland Transit Mall following a petition from Portland business leaders.<ref name="likely-addition">{{cite news |last=Leeson |first=Fred |title=Light-rail line likely addition to transit mall |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=April 15, 2003 |page=B1}}</ref> The combined project was approved for federal funding in 2006 and work began in January 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mayer |first=James |title=Metro rail projects hit funding fast track |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=February 8, 2006 |page=A1}}</ref><ref name="bushs-2008-budget">{{cite news |last=Mayer |first=James |title=Light rail in Bush's 2008 budget |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=February 8, 2007 |page=C5}}</ref> Light rail commenced service along the 14-station, {{convert|1.8|mi|km|1|adj=on|abbr=out}} Portland Transit Mall on August 30, 2009, first served by the Yellow Line.<ref name="tribune2009-0828"/> The opening of the eight-station, {{convert|6.5|mi|km|1|adj=on|abbr=out}} I-205 MAX and [[MAX Green Line|Green Line]] service followed on September 12.<ref name="green-festivities">{{cite news |last=Rivera |first=Dylan |title=Thousands on MAX go Green Festivities and free rides draw takers for the new downtown–Clackamas Town Center line |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=September 13, 2009}}</ref>

The South Corridor project's second phase initially proposed the extension of MAX between downtown Portland and Milwaukie via the [[Hawthorne Bridge]].<ref>{{cite news |last=McCarthy |first=Dennis |title=Milwaukie group poses surprise light-rail option |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=December 20, 2001 |page=C3}}</ref> Studies showed that this alignment would cause severe traffic bottlenecks in downtown.<ref name="likely-addition"/> As a result, Portland businesses pushed for the construction of a new bridge further upstream that led to the southern end of the Portland Transit Mall.<ref name="new-max-plans-arrive"/> The locally preferred alignment was finalized in mid-2008; a new bridge would carry light rail across the Willamette River from the [[South Waterfront]] to just south of the [[Oregon Museum of Science and Industry]] (OMSI).<ref name=oreg-2008may2>{{cite news |last=Mortenson |first=Eric |date=May 2, 2008 |title=Panel realigns route of new light-rail span |newspaper=The Oregonian |page=D1}}</ref> TriMet designed this bridge, which was eventually inaugurated as [[Tilikum Crossing]], to be "car-free" and to accommodate only transit vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians.<ref name=Libby2015>{{Cite journal |last=Libby |first=Brian |date=October 2015 |title=Bridge to the Future (The Bridge that Bans Cars) |journal=[[The Atlantic]] |volume=316 |issue=3 |pages=42–43 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/10/the-bridge-that-bans-cars/403234/ |access-date=September 27, 2015 |archive-date=April 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429180250/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/10/the-bridge-that-bans-cars/403234/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Construction of the line began in June 2011.<ref name="piece by piece">{{cite news |last=Rose |first=Joseph |author-link=Joseph Rose (journalist) |title=Construction begins on new light-rail bridge in Portland that will go up 'piece by piece' |date=June 29, 2011 |newspaper=The Oregonian |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/06/construction_begins_thursday_o.html |access-date=July 27, 2013 |archive-date=January 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105083403/https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2011/06/construction_begins_thursday_o.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2012, opponents passed a ballot initiative—with 60% of the vote—requiring all Clackamas County spending on light rail to be approved by voters.<ref>{{cite news |last=Theriault |first=Denis C. |title=Checkpoint Clackamas! Keeping Portland Out—to Let More Republicans In? |url=http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/checkpoint-clackamas/Content?oid=6165483 |newspaper=[[The Portland Mercury]] |access-date=February 22, 2016 |date=May 31, 2012 |archive-date=January 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103011344/http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/checkpoint-clackamas/Content?oid=6165483 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Zheng |first=Yuxing |title=Clackamas County anti-rail measure passes comfortably; effect could resonate for decades |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2012/09/clackamas_county_anti-rail_mea.html |newspaper=The Oregonian |access-date=February 22, 2016 |date=September 18, 2012 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083522/http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2012/09/clackamas_county_anti-rail_mea.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the county's attempt to end its involvement and a suit filed by TriMet, a [[circuit court]] upheld the project's continuation.<ref name="selinger-2019">{{cite web |title=Making History: 50 Years of Transit in the Portland Region |last=Selinger |first=Philip |date=October 2019 |publisher=TriMet |url=https://trimet.org/history/pdf/making-history.pdf |access-date=February 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225160919/https://trimet.org/history/pdf/making-history.pdf |archive-date=February 25, 2020}}</ref>{{rp|95–96}} The 17-station, {{convert|7.3|mi|km|1|adj=on|abbr=out}} Portland–Milwaukie segment and Orange Line service opened on September 12, 2015.<ref name="wait's over">{{cite news |last=Njus |first=Elliot |date=September 12, 2015<!--(print edition September 13, p. A12)--> |title=The wait's over: TriMet's Orange Line, Tilikum Crossing up and running |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2015/09/orange_line_tilikum_crossing_o_1.html |newspaper=The Oregonian |access-date=September 18, 2015 |archive-date=August 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801190516/https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2015/09/orange_line_tilikum_crossing_o_1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Orange Line, operating along the Portland Transit Mall's southbound segment, became the third service to serve this corridor.<ref name="you-asked-orange-downtown"/>