About this Location

Facility Overview

The SE Main St Park & Ride, operated by TriMet, is an expansive open-air transit parking facility situated at 1119 SE 96th Ave in East Portland's Mill Park and Hazelwood district borders. Featuring approximately 420 designated parking spaces, the facility is laid out as a level surface lot extending alongside the MAX light rail corridor. Because it is an open-air lot with no overhead barriers or parking deck ceilings, drivers benefit from unlimited vertical clearance, making it fully accommodating for high-roof passenger vans, lifted pickup trucks, cargo vans, and vehicles with rooftop bike racks or cargo carriers, alongside standard passenger cars and SUVs.

Prime Location & Nearby Attractions

Positioned directly parallel to Interstate 205 and adjacent to key East Portland commercial districts, the lot offers direct walking access to local shopping and medical services, as well as rapid transit connections across the Portland metro area:

Mall 205 & Retail Hub: Located less than a 5-minute walk north, featuring major retailers including Target, Home Depot, and various dining options.
Adventist Health Portland: Situated roughly 0.4 miles away (an 8- to 10-minute walk), serving as an accessible park-and-walk or park-and-transit option for visitors and outpatient staff.
Downtown Portland: A seamless 25-to-30-minute ride westbound on the MAX Green Line, connecting commuters directly to Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland State University, and central office corridors.
Rose Quarter & Moda Center: Reachable in roughly 20 to 25 minutes via light rail, providing a stress-free route to Portland Trail Blazers games, concerts, and major entertainment events without inner-city traffic gridlock.
Clackamas Town Center: Located just a few stops south on the MAX Green Line, offering extensive shopping, dining, and cinema entertainment.

Access, Navigation & Transit Connectivity

Ingress and egress are straightforward via SE 96th Avenue and SE Main Street, crossing over the MAX light rail tracks via a dedicated signal-controlled level crossing. The lot sits right off the I-205 corridor, with immediate freeway connections via the SE Stark Street / Washington Street or SE Division Street interchanges, allowing regional commuters from Clackamas County or Clark County to bypass congested arterial roads. Transit connectivity at the station platform is exceptional, providing instant boarding for the MAX Green Line (running between Clackamas Town Center and Downtown Portland/PSU) as well as TriMet Bus Line 15 (Belmont/NW 23rd), linking riders to vibrant inner Southeast and Northwest neighborhoods.

Facility Amenities & Key Features

Free Daily Transit Parking: Complimentary parking for transit patrons, subject to TriMet's standard 24-hour maximum stay policy.
Open-Air Headroom: Ground-level layout with open clearance suitable for tall utility vehicles, full-size trucks, and roof-racked autos.
ADA Accessibility: Dedicated accessible parking stalls located near the platform pathway, coupled with flat, paved routes to train boarding platforms.
Secure Bicycle Storage: TriMet bike lockers and bike racks on-site for multimodal commuters.
Ticketing & Schedule Displays: TriMet electronic TransitTracker arrival monitors and ticket vending machines located directly on the central platform.
Area Lighting: Standard pole illumination throughout the parking field and adjacent walkways.

Ideal For

Downtown Commuters: Suburban and East Portland motorists seeking to avoid downtown garage fees, bridge bottlenecks, and heavy commuter traffic.
Event & Arena Attendees: Fans heading to Moda Center, Veterans Memorial Coliseum, or Providence Park who want to park for free and ride light rail straight to venue gates.
Hospital & Clinic Visitors: Patients and guests accessing nearby medical offices and Adventist Health Portland facilities.
Regional Transit Travelers: Travelers taking the Green Line north to Gateway Transit Center to transfer toward Portland International Airport (PDX) or Columbia River destinations.

Visitor & Driver Tips

Parking in the SE Main St lot is free for transit riders, but vehicles may not be stored for more than 24 consecutive hours. While spaces are generally readily available outside the busiest weekday morning rush, arriving before 8:00 AM ensures the closest proximity to the platform ramp. Avoid leaving any valuables or bags visible in parked vehicles to deter opportunistic theft. Light rail riders can pay fares conveniently by tapping a contactless debit/credit card, smartphone wallet, or Hop Fastpass card directly at station validator terminals prior to boarding the MAX train.