When the new main terminal debuts next year, some of the details we’re proudest of will be less visible, like some of the local, sustainable building materials we’ve used and the huge gains we’ve made to PDX’s energy and water efficiency. 

Of course, we recognize that air travel contributes greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. That’s why we’re doing as much as we can to reduce the airport’s own impact on the environment—and hopefully paving the way (sorry for the unintentional pun) for future construction projects to do the same. 

We Pacific Northwesterners have a certain reputation for going hard on environmental sustainability. Driving 55 in a 60-mph zone to save gas. Composting every vegetable scrap that leaves our kitchens. 

So when PDX designed our new main terminal, we found ways to expand the airport’s size while doubling the building’s energy efficiency and cutting our use of fossil fuels by 95%. It took the brainpower of dozens of architects and engineers, and a fanatical attention to detail that we might just call … Portlandian.

Meet the Maker: Valerie Carey of Sankofa Lumber

Valerie Carey’s innovative Portland company collects wood waste from construction companies, then sells it back to builders in the form of pre-cut lumber and panels made from recycled plywood. Sankofa came up with a creative use for scrap wood from PDX’s new roof: Making walls for the concession stands we’re building in the main terminal. 

Introducing your new rideshare and taxi pickup spot

The next time you drive to PDX to pick up traveling friends or family, you may notice it takes less time to circle around the roadway to get to the terminal. On October 24, we opened a new Transportation Plaza in the short-term parking garage for taxi, Uber, and Lyft passengers. It should help everyone get to their destination faster.

Question: Can I take the MAX Red Line to PDX again without having to get on a shuttle? 

Answer: The shuttles are gone, just in time for holiday travel! In June 2023, TriMet began construction on a new PDX station as well as a second light-rail track to make MAX trips to and from PDX more reliable. For four months, MAX Red Line riders transferred to shuttle buses between the Gateway Transit Center and the airport. On October 22, TriMet announced that the new station at the main terminal was ready. There, you’ll find more space for riders, more overhead protection against the rain, and displays showing when the next trains arrive. Thanks for bearing with the delays!  

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