The Springwater Division rail line was named for a planned connection to
Springwater, Oregon. The Portland Traction Company operated rail service from Portland to Boring from 1903 until 1989. Passenger service peaked in 1906 and ended in 1958.
Oaks Amusement Park—and five other city parks—were built to encourage weekend passenger traffic. Freight trains brought farm produce into Portland. When the
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) began a project to widen
Oregon Highway 99E, a new, expensive overpass was required for the rail line. Citing low traffic volumes, construction was refused and the line was put up for sale. This was of great interest to the 40-Mile Loop Trust, a conservation effort formed in 1981 During master planning in 1991 for conversion, the projected use of the corridor was 400,000 people annually, distributed as 56% bicycling, 36% walking, 9% jogging, and 3% equestrian. By 2003, usage was expected to exceed one million users per year. Prior to paving, much of the trail was suitable for mountain biking. In 1993, Metro completed studies to construct a "
South/North" line from Vancouver, WA to Clackamas town via the Springwater Corridor. A 1994 bond measure only partially funded the project and state funding was overturned by the Oregon Supreme Court. As a result, the plans for light rail along the portion of Springwater from Milwaukie to Clackamas were abandoned. Construction of the east–west segment of the trail between Oregon Highway 99E and Gresham was completed in 1996. An additional mile east of Gresham was built in 2000. In 2005, a north–south "Springwater on the Willamette" segment opened between central Portland and the
Sellwood Bridge along the Willamette River. The last significant section of the trail was completed ahead of schedule in summer 2006, when the construction of three new bridges over Johnson Creek, Oregon Highway 99E and a railroad line, allowing users to cross them without having to detour and mix with traffic on busy streets. In 2006, the City of Portland rejected a development proposal for a property that did not include an
easement for a
greenway along the
Willamette River, and would have prevented completion of a planned connection between the Springwater Trail and the Eastbank Esplanade. The easement requirement was upheld by the
Oregon Court of Appeals on February 13, 2008. As of 2012, a gap in the
Sellwood area remains, but there were plans to reduce it. This segment was one of the parks and trails recommended for funding by a Metro advisory panel in 2001. In 2013, paving was completed on a stretch from Rugg Road to Boring Station Trailhead Park. There is a proposal to continue this trail to connect the 40-Mile Loop to the
Pacific Crest Trail via the
Cazadero Trail. == Homeless encampments ==