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Transportation planners and engineers are facing big choices that will affect residents in Southwest Portland and beyond for decades to come.

A new MAX light-rail line is . The route is broken into four sections, beginning at the south end of Portland’s city core, near Portland State University, and ending at Bridgeport Village in southeast Tigard. Options for each section carry a variety of advantages and drawbacks that include property impacts, travel times and cost.

has fallen on a steering committee featuring representatives of key agencies such as Metro, TriMet and area municipalities. Choosing wisely should provide commuters an efficient system for a reasonable cost. Choosing poorly could leave the region with an expensive and underused line.

Here is a look at options being considered:

Section 1: leaving downtown Portland

From Portland State University, at the southern end of the transit mall, the MAX would follow either Barbur Boulevard or run along Naito Parkway. After the streets converge, the line would follow Barbur Boulevard at least until reaching Southwest 13th Avenue.

Stay on Barbur Boulevard:

鈥淚ts big advantage is it would provide closer connection to Marquam Hill,鈥� said Chris Ford, Metro’s Southwest Corridor Plan project manager.

The route would provide for a stop that would lead to either a tunnel with an elevator or steps leading up to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

The route would be faster than Naito Parkway, by between 60 to 90 seconds. Barbur Boulevard also would be less expensive, although if a tunnel is chosen to access Marquam Hill, cost savings would be minimal.

The negative consequences of staying on Barbur Boulevard would largely focus on impacts to local property owners, ranging from relocation to inconvenience during construction.

Naito Parkway:

Ford said the major advantage of following Naito Parkway is that it would provide an additional stop and easier access to the orange line for riders coming from or going to Milwaukie.

A big factor working against this alignment is price. Large sections of Naito Parkway are elevated and would have to be rebuilt. Access to the Ross Island Bridge would also have to be reconfigured. Currently, drivers access the bridge through a route close to area residents. Using this route would likely mean building a traditional ramp to the bridge.

鈥淚t’s much more expensive,鈥� Ford said. 鈥淚t’s a loaded cost, but you get a benefit out of it.鈥�

Another factor against its use is that the route would make access to Marquam Hill longer by about two blocks, which could hinder people with physical infirmities.

Section 2: Southwest 13th Avenue to the Tigard Triangle

From Southwest 13th Avenue, the light-rail line could either continue to follow Barbur Boulevard to the Tigard Triangle or follow a route adjacent to Interstate 5.

Barbur Boulevard:

The biggest advantage to staying on Barbur Boulevard is that stations would become much more convenient to access. The track would run down the middle of the road, which would be widened to accommodate two lanes on each side, plus bike lanes and sidewalks. The sidewalks would extend the entire route. Currently, sidewalks have significant gaps along both sides of the busy thoroughfare.

Also, reconstruction of the road could spur major redevelopment in the area.

The biggest challenge is the disruption that construction would cause. Much of the road would have to be rebuilt for the rail line. Major utility lines run under the street and would be affected. Significant land acquisitions would be required and the relocation of a large number of businesses would have to relocate. Also, traffic on a major commuter route into downtown Portland would be affected.

鈥淏ack in December 2016, our steering committee preferred to be on Barbur Boulevard, knowing what redevelopment issues might be there,鈥� Ford said.

Adjacent to Interstate 5:

Another option would be to leave Barbur Boulevard at Southwest 13th Avenue and follow Interstate 5 to the Tigard Triangle.

The biggest advantage to staying along Interstate 5, as compared to staying on Barbur Boulevard, would be far fewer disruptions to traffic and area businesses. The new line would be set back from Interstate 5 to allow for future expansion of the interstate, and be elevated through most of the stretch.

The route does have its drawbacks. The fact that much of the route would be on elevated platforms presents challenges because the area has significant elevation changes between downtown Portland and the Tigard Triangle. Rail stations need relatively flat surfaces, which makes placement tricky.

While the Interstate 5 route would be cheaper to build, some savings would be offset by the number of bridges required. There would be bridges over Southwest 13th Avenue, Southwest 26th Avenue and Multnomah Boulevard.

鈥淭here is a cost difference,鈥� Ford said. 鈥淚t’s not so great that you are going to choose one or the other because of that.鈥�

Section 3: Tigard Triangle to downtown Tigard

There are two options being considered for this connection.

Clinton Street:

This route would turn west on Southwest Clinton Street and use a bridge to cross Southwest Dartmouth Street and Oregon Route 217. Tracks would then cross Southwest Hall Boulevard and Pacific Highway into downtown Tigard.

The biggest drawback is that it would allow fewer stations than following Ash Avenue.

Ash Avenue:

A second option would follow Ash Avenue, then cross Oregon Route 217 on a shorter bridge to Southwest Hall Boulevard. This option would require fewer elevated lines, be less expensive and provide for more stations.

The drawback is that it would have 鈥渉igh-profile property impacts鈥� on the surrounding area, according to Ford. Local businesses would be affected and downtown Tigard would be impacted substantially.

Section 4: Connecting to Bridgeport Village

Once the line reaches downtown Tigard, the question is how it will go to Bridgeport Village. Two options are on the table.

Branched route that would split at the Tigard Triangle:

One line would connect to Tigard. The other leg would connect to Bridgeport Village via Southwest 70th Avenue, using a separate bridge over Oregon Route 217, then run adjacent to Interstate 5.

The big advantage of the branched system is speed. It would cut travel time on the route by several minutes each way.

The disadvantages are greater cost, more complications and excessive service.

鈥淵ou have to provide too much service through the shared portion of the route before the branch to Bridgeport begins,鈥� Ford said. 鈥淵ou are providing double service in order to get that train to Bridgeport.鈥�

TriMet personnel agree on the added difficulty.

鈥淏ranch service is more complex to operate,鈥� said Leah Robbins, TriMet’s Southwest Corridor project director. 鈥淚t requires more cost for that operation. That is difficult for TriMet to be behind.鈥�

Route through Tigard

This would run to the Tigard Transit Center, using one of the options for reaching downtown Tigard, and then to Bridgeport Village beside freight rail tracks. The line would be relatively simple to operate, but would require TriMet to negotiate use of land adjacent to Union Pacific railroad tracks. TriMet worked out a similar agreement with the railroad when the orange line was built.

Another possibility under this option would be to run from Tigard to Tualatin on a route adjacent to Interstate 5. While it would avoid negotiations for land access, it would require more elevated track and likely cost more.

Summary

Environmental impact studies are being performed for all of the potential Southwest Corridor routes, and are expected to wrap up by 2019. Once a preferred route is selected, funding will present another challenge. The expansion could cost between $2.4 billion and $2.8 billion by the time it is completed in 2025. TriMet is considering putting a $1.7 billion bond on the ballot to cover its share, but federal funding would also be necessary.

鈥淔or all of the route options, we are looking forward to the years of operating it,鈥� Robbins said. 鈥淲e want a reliable, fast system that will work for opening day and 30 and 50 years beyond.鈥�