Washington Park is the one underground station on the MAX Light Rail in the middle of the 3.1 mile long twin Robertson Tunnels (name for the present of TriMet at the time of his death ) and its depth of 260 Feet below street level makes it the deepest transit station in North American. The deep underground station has the design of two separate platforms in the separate tunnel tubes that are connected at either end where two separate shafts each containing two elevators up to the street, the only way to reach it. The counters in the elevators list the current location in terms of elevation not floor. The upper elevator landings are in a tall stone building that also serves as the tunnel's ventilation shaft and lead directly out to the surrounding area. The elevators each have two doors and at street level utilize the system where passengers leave first from one side through exit only doors and arriving passengers for the light rail use separate entry landings. The stations only TVMs are by the entrance landings with the underground portion a fare paid zone. The stop serves only the recreation facilities and attractions of Washington Park. Attractions right at the station include the World Forestry Center, Hoyt Arboretum and Portland Children's Museum, and the Oregon Zoo that includes the Washington Park and Zoo Railway, a miniature two mile-long railway (Link). There is a parking lot right at the station but is clearly signed not to be used as a Park & Ride, but just for the park's attractions.
The station's design is extremely unique and both platforms are lined with two halves of a 260 foot pilot bore made before the station opened in 1992 and shows the various rock layers between the street and station platforms, highlights of geologic time, evolution and inspirational quotes, are sketched in the marble above and below the glass enclosed tube of dirt, the bottom depths at platform level 16 million years old. The elevators each have (some are not operating) counters above each landing door that go from 16 million years ago for the platform and present for today. There are also light boxes along the platform walls that show fossil-like images. The platforms have arched roofs with indirect lighting, the silver roofs and concrete walls have indirect lighting with the eastbound platform with strips of yellow, westbound red.
Photos 1-7 taken on 5 July, 2006 Photos 10-45 on 19 October, 2011
Sunset 
