Join us this Sunday, May 14th at 4pm for Greater Greater Portland, a production of Portland Radio Project, diving deep into the issues involving the Portland Metro Region. Listen live at 99.1 FM in the heart of Portland – or online anywhere at PRP.fm.

In our newest episode, Xavier, Bradley, and Jenna discuss The WES (Westside Express Service), a commuter rail line owned by Trimet that serves parts of Washington and Clackamas counties. The line is 14.7 miles long and travels five stops north–south from Beaverton to Wilsonville via Tigard and Tualatin. The infrequent service only operates on weekdays during the morning and evening rush hours, with a 7-hour break in between. And as of Spring 2022, the service saw low weekly ridership of 420 passengers.

To get at the root of the problem with WES, Xavier explains the definition and operating philosophy of commuter rail as a whole. Then, Bradley notes how all of these components went (or didn’t go) into the planning of the WES back in the 1990s. Further, the friends lay out what they feel is contributing to the low ridership, and how to improve the train service overall.

 

Sources and further reading

Making History: 50 Years of Trimet and Transit in the Portland Region

Trimet Service and Ridership Information

Trimet 2024 Approved Budget

ODOT Oregon Rail Study (2010)

Oregon Electric Railway

 

Researched, written and hosted by Xavier D. Stickler and Bradley Bondy

Produced, edited, and co-hosted by Jenna Deml

Thank you to Lynn Stanek for sponsoring this episode.

Jenna Deml
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