Wilsonville Station

Infobox Station
name=Wilsonville Station


image_size=200
image_caption=Station under construction April 2008
address=9699 SW Barber Street
Wilsonville, Oregon
line=Westside Express Servicerail color box|system=WES|line=main|note=Opens Jan 2009
coordinates= coord|45.311341|-122.775258|type:railwaystation_region:US|display=inline,title
other=
structure=At grade
platform=Side platform
tracks=1
preceding=rrrr
parking=Park & Ride: 400 spaces
bicycle=
baggage_check=
passengers=
pass_year=
pass_percent=
pass_system=
opened= January 2009
closed=
rebuilt=
ADA=yes
code=
owned=City of Wilsonville
zone=
services=
mpassengers=

Wilsonville Station is a train station and transit center on the Westside Express Service (WES) commuter rail line in Wilsonville, Oregon, United States. The station is the southern terminus of the convert|14.7|mi|sing=on line that connects to the city of Beaverton at the Beaverton Transit Center where passengers can connect to MAX Light Rail. Scheduled to open in January 2009, the station includes a 400 car park and ride lot and bus transit center, both owned by the city of Wilsonville as part of their South Metro Area Rapid Transit (SMART) public mass transit bus system.

History

Plans for the commuter rail between Beaverton and Wilsonville began as early as 1996. [cite news| author=Frost, Danielle| url=http://www.wilsonvillenews.com/ArcStoryPage.asp?Database=Story&StoryID=1421| title=Rail project gets closer to station| publisher="Wilsonville Spokesman"| date=2004-03-24| ] In 2001, the Federal Transit Administration authorized the project, and in 2004 they approved the project. [cite news| url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2004/05/10/daily9.html| title=Wilsonville-to-Beaverton commuter train gets OK| publisher="Portland Business Journal"| date=2004-05-10| ] Construction on the project began in October 2006.cite news| url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2006/10/23/daily1.html| title=TriMet building passenger train line| publisher="Portland Business Journal"| date=2004-10-23| ] The station was originally planned to be built at Boberg Road, and was later changed to the location on Barber Street as suggested by the Villebois developers. [cite news| author=Frost, Danielle| url=http://www.wilsonvillenews.com/ArcStoryPage.asp?Database=Story&StoryID=1022| title=Commuter rail plans delayed| publisher="Wilsonville Spokesman"| date=2003-07-31| ]

On March 2 2007, a ground breaking ceremony was held at the station which included officials from TriMet, the state, and Wilsonville politicians.cite news| author=Tucker, Libby| title=Commuter rail project breaks ground in Wilsonville| publisher="Daily Journal of Commerce"| date=2007-03-05| ] This included former mayor and then state representative Jerry Krummel, an early proponent of the line.cite news| author=Jagernauth, David| url=http://www.wilsonvillenews.com/ArcStoryPage.asp?Database=Story&StoryID=3723| title=Wilsonville rail station finally gets on track| publisher="Wilsonville Spokesman"| date=2007-03-07| ] Once completed, the line will be the first suburb to suburb commuter line in the United States, and the first commuter rail line in the state. The line was scheduled to begin service in September 2008,cite news|url=http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=121390694491745300|title=WES rail car debuts in Wilsonville|date=2008-06-19|work=Portland Tribune|accessdate=2008-08-21] but is currently scheduled to open in January 2009.cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/10/trimet_delays_opening_of_wests.html#post|first=Dylan|last=Rivera|title=TriMet delays opening of Westside commuter rail line until February|date=October 1, 2008|work=The Oregonian|accessdate=2008-10-02]

Details

The station is one of five on the convert|14.7|mi|sing=on rail line that utilizes Portland and Western Railroad’s freight rail line. Located on Barber Street on the west side of Interstate 5, the station and line will only transport rail passengers during the morning and evening commute times Monday trough Friday.cite web| url=http://trimet.org/commuterrail/stations.htm| title=Washington County Commuter Rail Project: Station Locations| publisher=TriMet| accessdate=2008-04-15| ] Averaging convert|37|mph, the trip between Wilsonville and Beaverton is anticipated to take 27 minutes with trains departing every 30 minutes. Wilsonville Station has bus connections through SMART, Canby Area Transit, and to Salem via Cherriots. [ [http://www.trimet.org/wes/schedulemap.htm WES Fares, Route/Station Map and Schedule.] TriMet. Retrieved on August 18 2008.]

Wilsonville Station, the southern terminus of the Westside Express Service, was built by contractor Stacy and Witbeck. The stop includes a park and ride lot with 400 spaces along with the platform. The platform includes a shelter for waiting passengers measuring 40 feet long. The station includes 12 bays for the transit center and a 17,000 square-foot maintenance building for SMART buses. Future plans call for a mixed-use development to include SMART offices, retail shop, and restaurant along with public restrooms, bicycle storage, and a outdoor play area.

Additional amenities at the station are wind screens, public artwork, and a scored-concrete plaza featuring trees. Public art at the station consists of an interactive sculpture created by Frank Boyden and Brad Rude. [http://www.trimet.org/commuterrail/publicart.htm Public Art on Commuter Rail.] TriMet. Retrieved on August 21 2008.] The sculpture 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. Additionally, glass in the windbreak is etched with a willow pattern.

Commuters from the surrounding communities of Lake Oswego, Canby, Donald, Woodburn, and Aurora are expected to utilize the station.cite news| author=Tims, Dana| title=Shaping Wilsonville’s center| publisher="The Oregonian"| date=2001-06-28| ] cite news| author=Tims, Dana| title=Commute rail line closer| publisher="The Oregonian"| date=2001-08-02| ] Washington County provided the land for Wilsonville Station. [cite news| author=Bella, Rick| title=Planners can count on one thing: complaints| publisher="The Oregonian"| date=2007-03-29| ] Self-propelled, diesel-fueled rail cars are used for the line. The park and ride lot was partly built to allow for interconnection between the city's SMART bus service and the rail line. [cite news| author=Kipp, Curt| url=http://www.wilsonvillenews.com/ArcStoryPage.asp?Database=Story&StoryID=1885| title=Congress puts goodies under Wilsonville’s tree| publisher="Wilsonville Spokesman"| date=2004-11-24| ] For the first five years of the line, Wilsonville will pay a maximum of $300,000 a year to help fund the annual operations of the TriMet operated line. [cite news| author=Jagernauth, David| url=http://www.wilsonvillenews.com/ArcStoryPage.asp?Database=Story&StoryID=2701| title=City and TriMet agree on rail costs| publisher="Wilsonville Spokesman"| date=2005-11-23| ]

References

External links

* [http://trimet.org/pdfs/commuterrail/wccrfactsheet.pdf TriMet: Fact Sheet]