Portland’s MAX light rail system as it appeared just after the initial opening of the Red Line. Note that the Red Line doesn’t continue out to Beaverton as it does these days, but turns around just west of downtown. Later, the Yellow Line would turn around here as well, before it was rerouted down the transit mall. 

The map itself does a nice job with a relatively simple system. The gracefully curved Willamette River is actually one of the better representations I’ve seen on a MAX map, and the four zones (1 through 3, plus the old Fareless Square) are shown with a minimum of fuss. The split platforms at PGE Park—as it was then—could have been handled better, as the eastbound platform just ends up looking like it’s missing a label. As well as the usual park-and-rides/transit centers/paid parking garages, the legend for this map also helpfully shows the location of food concessions and “Quick Drop” zones (what a lot of other transit systems call “Kiss-and-Ride”, which is just adorable). However, the legend itself might have been better placed at the top left, rather than the bottom right, just to give it a little more room to breathe.

Our rating: As a first effort after becoming a multi-line system, this isn’t half bad. Workmanlike rather than stunning, but it lays the groundwork for the maps that came after it. Three stars.

Source: The ZehnKatzen Times