Sunset Transit Center

I pass through here on my way to and sometimes from work. There is a parking garage for those that park & ride but safety first and make sure valuables are out of sight (better that they aren’t even in there). There is place in the parking garage where you can park your bike too.
This is where I catch my transfer to work and on some mornings, if I have time to spare, I like to grab a mocha and a breakfast sandwich from the little coffee shop stand. It’s located between both stairs.
There is a also a pedestrian bridge that goes over Highway 26 so for those of you who walk and bike, you don’t have to worry about dodging highway traffic to get to the transit. This is where most people going to watch a game at the MODA Center or Providence Park will catch their MAX ride into downtown. It’s really a quick and easy way to get downtown without the hassle of traffic.

The Sunset Transit Center is one of the better light rail stations in the Portland area. It hosts many buses, a parking garage, two lines of light rail stopping by, somewhere to eat and glass covering all the places to sit on the platform, as to reduce the amount of individuals who get themselves wet. This place is also only two stops from Goose Hollow.
I went here about noon. This is an elegant station, considering that public transportation is not a priority in the United States. It is also near a freeway, the freeway which you can drive your car to the coast on.
More stations ought be of this grade.

The park-​and-​ride garage here is far too small to accommodate demand; this is a major issue, as the parking garage fills up very quickly in the morning. My other gripe is the lack of public restrooms. Since there aren’t any businesses here, you’d think there would be public restrooms — but nope. If you have to pee while you’re waiting for your MAX to arrive, you’re out of luck.
The only thing Sunset TC has going for it is that it’s only two stops out from the city itself, and so there are a lot of local buses that connect here.

This is not my favorite transit center, and yet it’s the largest of all the transit centers I’ve used, and it has the most amenities (three stories of parking, snack shop, MAX, and lots of buses). It’s just so bleak, looking out over the Sunset, and it’s all cement with no color or art. It’s more like a fortress. I guess it doesn’t help I’ve only ever used it during freezing or blistering hot weather. Like they say good things come in small packages, which is why I prefer the smaller transit centers and not behemoths like this.

Easy to get to. Parking has always been available when I’ve showed up, although I’m rarely parking there on weekday mornings, so I can’t speak to that. Clean and visually attractive facilities. Easy to drive in and pick people up.
I really don’t use the MAX that often and it seems like when I do there’s often something wrong with it. Last time I was here I parked, paid for a ticket, sat on a broken train for 15 minutes, decided I couldn’t wait any longer, went back to my car, and drove downtown. I dunno… I’m just not a huge fan. If you want to encourage use of public transportation make sure your trains work so people can actually utilize them.

What. The. Hell.
I can never find a place to park here. The first time I had to drive in circles for half an hour waiting for someone to get off the train and move their car. I moved here because I heard the public transit was great, but I can’t rely on it AT ALL.
And I have always seen other people doing the same thing, driving around like vultures. And I bet for every one of us driving around there are ten at home who have given up.
Not everyone wants to take the bus to the train station! I want my car at the station when I get back home because I have things to do. The train has so many convenient stops; the zoo, the airport, the convention center. I would use the train to go somewhere every week, if only there was parking, but I have already given up.
I want to comment about the rest of the station BUT I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO USE IT.

The parking lot really needs to be upgraded to accommodate the huge need for parking during work hours. On the weekends, I have never had an issue but on weekdays this is an exceptionally frustrating experience.
However, the station itself is great. There are sufficient (3) ticket machines and the area is usually clean. The people there are also normal for the most part, which is unusual for a MAX station. The MAX is timely going into downtown because it has usually only made a few stops prior to Sunset TC. There is also a nice sky bridge to take you across the street, which is where I usually have someone pick me up if I don’t park and ride.
Compared to the majority of the MAX line, this is a great stop. I just think that there are some easy fixes that could and should be made here.

Important: Don’t try to find a parking place between 8am and 3pm.
Beyond that parking issue, this is good place to catch the MAX train. Clean, no offensive smells, and covered to keep you dry.
Also has bicycle parking.
And it goes UNDER THE WEST HILLS… COOL!

Easy to get around, gotta love it!

Ok, so maybe it’s lame to review a train station on a line of public transportation, but this stop is good. First off, it’s CLEAN. No bad odor or general dirty appearance. Totally clean. There are nice awnings to block sun/​rain, elevators, and lots of parking (can’t commit on parking availability during work hours as I only parked here during the weekend). There’s also a coffeehouse and walkways from across the freeway (our hotel was across the way, so that was super convenient).

This station is conveniently located for going east or west. The parking garage usually has parking unless it is at 9 a. m during a weekday or during a sports event. If there isn’t parking, just drive to the south side near Big Lots and the DMV on Park Way and then walk the sky bridge over to the MAX.
Tip — The top of the parking garage is a great place to watch the sunset, albeit not the most romantic spot in town!

One of the best in the Trimet collection of transit centers. Why? Mainly because the MAX stops at Sunset are entirely covered by stylish awnings. You can always count on a dry wait for your train. Also, since I brought up «stylish», I have to mention that for what amounts to nothing much more than a couple of juxtaposed sets of train tracks, Sunset TC is quite architecturally attractive. I really like the iceblock elevator towers and the interesting wrought iron fencing. Nice design.
Additionally, most of the folks you see at this station are serious business commuters. You rarely see panhandling hobos at Sunset TC.

Keeping it simple.
— It’s clean and doesn’t smell like pee or homeless people.
— There are lots of places to sit if you need to transfer from a RED to BLUE or vice versa.
— There is lots of cover from the rain.
A hui hou!

Your first time on the MAX, going from Beaverton to Portland, can be pretty amazing. Here you are, rubbing shoulders with people from two very different cultures (Beaverton and Portland both have their own unique flavor, to be sure!) and meeting all kinds of people… then, before you know it…
…you’re PLUNGED OVER 400 FEET UNDERGROUND!!!
…ok, so maybe it is a BIT more gradual than that, but it is still pretty cool! Then you emerge into the light and… whoosh! You’re in Portland! Such a dramatic change of scenery, like night into day — maybe I’m easily impressed, but it’s almost poetic in a way; two worlds living side-​by-​side, connected through the earth by a great roaring dragon! (Well, that’s what it sounded like to me underground!)
As my first-​ever MAX experience, the Sunset Transit Center has a special place in my heart… so many people moving about, so many lives and stories, all so very different and wonderfully weird and unqiue… all quintessentially Portland!
Man I love this city!