Southwest Corridor Plan

Map showing the Southwest Corridor Refinement Plan Area in Portland, Oregon, with proposed and existing transit routes highlighted and a legend explaining route statuses.

Project Stats


Project Type: Land Use

Staff Contact

Planning Staff

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Southwest Corridor Plan

The Southwest Corridor Plan is a comprehensive planning effort to help address the impacts of future growth while preserving great neighborhoods and creating more great places. It is a collaborative planning effort with Metro and local jurisdictions within the southwest Portland metropolitan region including Portland, Tigard, King City, Tualatin, Sherwood, and Oregon Department of Transportation.

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Phase One

Phase One (completed in July 2013) identified a shared investment strategy with  key investments in roadways, active transportation, parks, trails and nature as well as options for transit to be studied further. It also directed TriMet to undergo a broad update of existing local transit service in the corridor, as a first priority for transit. The Steering Committee also determined that two options for high capacity transit (HCT) should be evaluated as potential long range investments. The two HCT options being considered were bus rapid transit (BRT) and light rail transit (LRT) with connections from Portland to Tualatin, by way of the Tigard Triangle and Downtown Tigard.

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Phase Two (Refinement Phase)

Phase Two (Refinement Phase) ended in June 2016.  During this phase, decisions were made to narrow the possible transit alignment options and to select light rail instead of bus rapid transit as the best high capacity transit mode for the alignment. Alignment options removed during the Refinement Phase included three potential underground transit tunnels to Marquam Hill, Hillsdale town center, and the PCC Sylvania campus. Other adjustments to alignment options were made in and around downtown Tigard. The steering committee also set the preferred terminus—or end point—of the light rail project at Bridgeport Village, removing an extension into downtown Tualatin.

During the Refinement Phase project partners and public stakeholders continued to refine the set of bicycle, pedestrian and road projects that will contribute to improving transportation mobility and safety throughout the corridor. Some of these bicycle, pedestrian and road projects will be studied in the upcoming Draft Environmental Impact Statement, while the project team will continue seeking funding opportunities for the other projects.

Beginning this fall the Southwest Corridor Light Rail Project will enter a 12-15 month federally-required environmental review process to produce a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).  A DEIS is a detailed study of the positive and negative impacts that a proposed project could have on the built and natural environments, and also recommends strategies for minimizing or avoiding adverse impacts. The DEIS studies the impacts of the remaining light rail alignment options and also pedestrian, bicycle and roadway projects that could be constructed with the light rail project.

The environmental review will begin with a “Public Scoping Period” in late August-September, with detailed analysis to begin by the end of the year. Release of the DEIS for public comment is anticipated for the end of 2017, with a public comment period in early 2018.

A Scoping Period is the opportunity for the public and government agencies to provide input on what to study in the DEIS. The project team will release a packet of information that describes the:

  • project’s background, including its purpose and need
  • light rail, bicycle, pedestrian and road projects proposed for study in the DEIS
  • types of positive and negative impacts the DEIS will assess (for example: air and water quality, traffic impacts, property impacts, ridership projections)
  • environmental review process and timeline

The public will be able to comment on this information online, at a public Scoping Open House to be held September 22nd, 6-8 pm at Wilson High School, or in writing. The Scoping Period specifically seeks feedback on:

  • Has the project identified the right alignment choices and bike/pedestrian/road projects to study during the DEIS? Are there changes to the project Purpose & Need for the Southwest Corridor Steering Committee to consider?
  • Has the project identified the right impacts to study during the DEIS? Are there additional issues or locations of concern you would like the project team to evaluate or consider?  How should these impacts be studied?

No decisions about final alignment choices or station locations will be made during the Scoping Period this fall. For example, the decision about whether to run the light rail alignment on Barbur Blvd. or Naito Parkway south of downtown Portland will not be made during the Scoping Period. This and other final alignment decisions will be made after release of and public comment on the DEIS and will be part of the recommended Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) to be approved by the project steering committee in 2018.

In 2013, regional leaders adopted the Southwest Corridor Plan Shared Investment Strategy that identified five critical strategies:

  • Invest in local transit service and high capacity transit
  • Invest in roadways and active transportation
  • Invest in parks, trails and nature
  • Consider new regulations and policies, and develop incentives to promote private investment consistent with community vision
  • Develop a collaborative funding strategy for the Southwest Corridor Plan

This Plan continues to be the guiding framework that local agency, business and community partners are pursuing to support local land use visions and improve transportation choices and safety for all users.

The Southwest Corridor Light Rail Project that will enter the federal environmental review process this fall will focus on the components of the Southwest Corridor Plan that are specific to designing and constructing a light rail project and those bicycle, pedestrian and roadway projects that are critical to providing safe and reliable access to the light rail line. While a majority of the work during the next 12-15 months will focus on the Southwest Corridor Light Rail Project, partners will also continue to work on strategies to implement the comprehensive set of goals and strategies outlined in the 2013 Southwest Corridor Plan Shared Investment Strategy.

This August and September there will be online and in person opportunities to provide feedback during the DEIS Scoping Period—exact meeting dates and locations are being determined and will be announced via email, social media and on the project website at www.swcorridorplan.org. Throughout 2017, the project team will continue to reach out for input on focused project issues, such as station area planning. When the DEIS technical analysis is complete at the end of 2017 the public will have multiple opportunities to provide feedback and recommendations that will help determine the project’s Locally Preferred Alternative, which is the final selection of the light rail alignment, terminus and station locations. If you have questions or want to learn more, contact swcorridorplan@oregonmetro.gov. 

Check the City website for information on local opportunities to provide input and the Metro web site for the SW Corridor Plan to learn about opportunities to participate at the larger corridor level.

Supporting Documents

pdfSW Corridor Presentation by Metro 6.4.13 linkSW Corridor Plan linkSherwood Town Center Plan