Overlook Park station


Overlook Park is a light rail station in Portland, Oregon, United States, that is part of TriMet's MAX Light Rail system. It is the eighth stop southbound on the Yellow Line, which connects North Portland to downtown Portland and Portland State University. The staggered side platform station is situated between the and stations, along the median of North Interstate Avenue. It is one of three stations serving North Portland's Overlook neighborhood; the other two are North Prescott Street and.
The station opened on May 1, 2004, as part of the Interstate MAX extension of the Yellow Line. It is located near the Interstate Medical Offices of Kaiser Permanente and Overlook Park. Trains serve the station daily for approximately 21 hours per day, operating on a headway of 15 minutes during most of the day. The station recorded 557 average weekday boardings in fall 2018.

History

In 1999, residents and business leaders urged TriMet to build a light rail line through North Portland. The project, approved in June of that year, came to be referred to as the Interstate MAX project. In February 2000, the Portland City Council authorized the relocation of Overlook Park station's planned northbound platform closer to the main entrance of Kaiser Permanente's medical offices, despite hospital officials expressing a preference to shift both platforms closer for the benefit of patients. Construction of the Interstate MAX began in February 2001 near the Rose Quarter. It lasted three years and was followed by line testing in February 2004. The station, along with Yellow Line service, opened on May 1, 2004.

Station details

The station is situated at-grade along the median of North Interstate Avenue, between the intersections of Fremont Street and Overlook Boulevard. It is the first of three northbound stations serving the Overlook neighborhood, with the other two being and. The station features two staggered side platforms, which are accessible via crosswalks at the ends of each platform. The platforms consist of shelters, benches, garbage cans, ticket vending machines, and passenger information displays. Reserved bike lockers are available nearby and may be rented in six-month increments.

Public art

TriMet commissioned artist Fernanda D'Agostino to design the station's public artwork, which pays homage to nature, healing, and the Overlook neighborhood's Polish roots. Her work, entitled Icons of Transformation, consists of two light towers and windscreens installed on the station platforms. The light towers, modeled after Polish wayside shrines, feature portraits of community members overlaid with images of nature. The windscreen art glass suggests "the transforming power of nature". A third piece, a community map by artist Margaret Eccles, depicts a shaft of wheat with its roots interweaving a street grid and adorned with glass-block medical drawings derived from ancient Islamic, Chinese, and Medieval European cultures. The artist intended for this piece to convey a symbol of good health and longevity.

Service

Overlook Park station is situated between the and North Prescott Street stations. It is served by the MAX Yellow Line, which runs from the station northbound to the Expo Center and southbound through the Rose Quarter to Union Station. At Union Station, most southbound Yellow Line trains through operate into the MAX Orange Line and continue to Southeast Park Avenue station in Milwaukie. Trains serve the station for approximately 21 hours per day every day of the week. The headway between trains measures 15 minutes during most of the day and up to 30 minutes in the early mornings and late evenings. From the station, trains take 17 minutes to reach Expo Center station and 10 minutes to reach Union Station/Northwest 5th & Glisan station. Overlook Park station averaged 557 riders per day on weekdays in fall 2018.