Red Electric Trail
FundedA 16-mile planned rail-trail along the former Southern Pacific Red Electric interurban corridor connecting the Tualatin River to the Willamette River through Beaverton and SW Portland.
Agency: Portland Parks & Recreation / City of Beaverton / TriMet / Metro
The Red Electric Trail follows the right-of-way of the historic Southern Pacific Red Electric interurban railway, which ran bright red passenger trains between Forest Grove, Beaverton, and downtown Portland from 1914 to 1929. When complete, the trail will run 16 miles from the Tualatin River to the Willamette River Greenway in South Waterfront — the only regional trail making that east-west connection through the SW Portland hills.
Why It Matters
Most protected east-west trail connections on the westside are missing or incomplete. The Red Electric corridor is one of the few routes that could let a cyclist travel from the Tualatin Valley to the Willamette River without using high-speed arterials. The Beaverton end of the corridor is the critical westside link.
Current Status
A pedestrian and bicycle bridge between SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and SW Capitol Highway opened in 2022, completing one of the key crossings along the corridor.
A roughly 2-mile gap remains in the regional trail network through Portland’s southwest hills. Metro and Portland Parks & Recreation have identified the corridor as a priority for future funding through programs like the Oregon Community Paths Program and Metro’s Regional Flexible Funds Allocation, though full funding to close the gap has not yet been secured.
The trail connects to the Fanno Creek Trail at Alpenrose Dairy on its western end and to the Willamette Greenway Trail at South Waterfront on its eastern end.
Get Involved
- Portland Parks & Recreation leads the Portland segments; comment at Portland City Council when trail funding comes up
- Beaverton and TriMet hold easements or right-of-way on western segments
- Metro’s Regional Trails program tracks the full corridor
- See Get Involved for regional advocacy opportunities
Resources
- Red Electric Trail — Portland.gov
- Red Electric Bridge and Trail Project — Portland Transportation
- Red Electric Trail — SWTrails PDX
- Metro Regional Trails
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