Park & Ride & Shade

Partnering with TriMet to plant trees at MAX stops

We are always looking for creative places where trees can go. A MAX stop is a fantastic candidate, so when the public transportation agency TriMet came to us about a project, it made a lot of sense. Adding shade trees to MAX train stops and Park & Rides is an opportunity to improve the rider experience and address climate change at the same time.

This winter, working with TriMet with funding from the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, we planted over 100 trees at 6 different Max Stops and Park & Rides throughout Portland and Gresham.

“Trimet’s main motivation was to replace shade-producing tree canopies in our Park & Rides, as well as our swales,” says Justin Hale, Landscape Manager at TriMet. TriMet has been installing bioswales to capture and filter stormwater runoff at its MAX stops. These vegetative spaces are perfect locations for trees.

While we weren’t able to have traditional planting events at the MAX stop sites, some of the project work was completed by our crews from Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center (POIC). Much of the work was contracted to JN Landscaping, a minority-owned business in Portland.

“Transportation and tree planting are both issues that are important to our community,” Friends of Trees Deputy Director Whitney Dorer says. “This partnership was an innovative way for us to engage with transportation.”

Working with organizations like TriMet, we can find new ways to expand our tree canopy and improve heavily trafficked spaces like train and bus stops. “We are excited about replacing trees in an effort to restore our sites,” Justin says, “especially those with diminishing tree canopies.”