Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport

Infobox Station
name=Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport

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image_size=250px
image_caption=Public art in foreground, shelter in background
address=
coordinates=coord|45.527066|-122.94611|display=inline,title|type:railwaystation_region:US-OR
line=MAX Light Railrail color box|system=TMTC|line=Blue
other=
platform=Island platform, Side platform
tracks=2
parking=Park & Ride
bicycle=
baggage_check=
passengers=
pass_year=
pass_percent=
pass_system=
opened=September 12 1998
closed=
rebuilt=
ADA=yes
code=
owned=TriMet
zone=3
services=
mpassengers=The Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport station is a light rail station on the MAX Blue Line in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. It is the 16th stop westbound on the Westside MAX, and the last westbound stop prior to crossing the Main Street Bridge. The station is located close to the Washington County Fair Complex and Portland-Hillsboro Airport, a major general-aviation facility in Hillsboro, and the location of the Oregon International Airshow is in the summer.

History

Construction of TriMet’s Westside MAX project began in 1994, with the Fairplex station opening on September 12 1998, along with the rest of the line west of Downtown Portland. [Mapes, Jeff. Gore walks tight line on Clinton. "The Oregonian", September 13 1998.] A person was struck and killed by a MAX train at the station in April 2001. [Frank, Ryan. Man struck by Westside MAX train was a suicide, officials say. "The Oregonian", October 23 2001.] In June 2004, the station was the site of a failed armed robbery where the robber's gun failed to fire. [Danks, Holly. Jammed gun gives robbers a break. "The Oregonian", August 30 2004.] In 2007, plans for redesigning the county fairgrounds were announced and included a proposal to create a large exhibition hall that would connect to the MAX station via a public plaza. [ [http://www.fairgroundsrevitalization.com/index.php Home.] Fairgrounds Revitalization Task Force. Retrieved on July 17 2008.] [Gorman, Kathleen. Committee tosses around ideas for Fair Complex. "The Oregonian", June 28 2007.]

Amenities

Located south of northeast Cornell Road on northeast 34th Avenue, the station is within TriMet's fare zone 3 on the Blue Line adjacent to the Washington County Fairplex and directly south of the Hillsboro Airport. [http://trimet.org/max/stations/fairplss.htm Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport MAX Station.] TriMet. Retrieved on July 12 2008.] [How to get to the fair. "The Oregonian", July 27, 2006.] Passengers can travel west to downtown Hillsboro or east to Portland and Gresham from the stop. The station has a park-and-ride lot and bus connections to the number 46 line. Designed by architectural firm OTAK Inc., the station features an island platform and a side platform along the two tracks, with a third track to the west used for parking extra trains utilized for increased capacity during special events such as the county fair and the Oregon International Airshow. [Colby, Richard N. Tracking art plans. "The Oregonian", August 3, 1995.] The station also includes bike lockers and bike racks, is complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and has a seasonal concessions stand.

Artwork

As with all stations along the Westside MAX line, the Fair Complex station includes public artwork, with the theme of pride in achievement for this stop. One item is a weather vane featuring five model airplanes designed by Glen Geller and Curt Oliver.Hamilton, Don. Sculptures will let riders know which way wind is blowing. "The Oregonian", July 23, 1997.] These planes have a wingspan of approximately convert|2|ft|cm, are based on real historic aircraft, and include a Longster III, a dirigible named "Gelatine", the George Yates "Geodetic", a Curtiss Pusher, and Van's Aircraft RV-3. An additional piece of art at the station is a large metal sculpture of a trophy designed by Bill Will.Gragg, Randy. A platform to reveal the art of the journey. "The Oregonian", September 9, 1998.] Entitled "World's Greatest", the wire cup is a topiary covered in ivy sitting atop a cement block base. Additionally, historic photographs featuring the county fair are etched into the glass of the windscreen, while tree rooms create shade. [http://trimet.org/publicart/bluelineart.htm Art on Westside MAX Blue Line.] TriMet. Retrieved on July 12, 2008.]

References