Frequency Modern streetcars returned to North America after nearly a half‐century with the Portland Streetcar Snapshots project in 2001. Serving as a catalyst for $3.5 billion in transit‐oriented investment, Streetcar has helped Weekdays Every 12 minutes from 10:30 revitalize Portland’s urban core with over 10,212 new housing units and more than 5.5 million square feet of Timeline a.m. to 7 p.m., with morning and evening office, institutional, retail and hotel construction, all within 2‐3 blocks of the streetcar route and in some service every 15‐20 minutes areas that were formerly home to industrial land in decline. 1994 Portland City Council adopts the Central City Streetcar alignment Saturdays Every 12 minutes, 10:30 a.m.–7 the South Waterfront District in August 1995 Portland Streetcar, Inc., is formed Background p.m., with morning and evening service 2007. The South Waterfront District and chosen by the Portland City Council Much of Portland’s early development every 15‐20 minutes grew up around its extension offers a convenient connection to lead the project with the Portland Aerial and a June 1998 TriMet’s Board of Directors original streetcar Sundays Every 14 minutes to 7 p.m. with possible future extension to Lake Oswego. approves funding for a portion of Portland lines. By the 1950s evening service 20‐24 minutes Streetcar’s operating costs—eventually the streetcar had disappeared from In August, 2009, construction began on agreeing to contribute up to two‐thirds of the Portland Streetcar Loop Project. The the cost. Travel Times Portland, replaced by 60‐70 minutes Portland Streetcar does automobiles and buses. Loop is a 3.3 mile extension of streetcar 1999 Construction begins connecting the downtown alignment July 20, 2001 Streetcars opens not stop at every station automatically— Reviving the streetcars was first proposed only when a passenger is waiting or if an in the 1972 “Downtown Plan,” which called across the Broadway Bridge to the east March 2005, October 2006 and August side of Portland and south to OMSI. 2007 Streetcar extensions open onboard passenger signals a stop request. for a “supplemental transit circulator” to serve larger areas of the central city. Future plans include closing the Loop August 2009 Construction begins on south of OMSI via a planned Transit Portland Streetcar Loop Project bridge. October 2009 FTA signs Project Grant The “Central City Plan” evolved in the Agreement for $75 million for the Loop For Streetcar transfer & Transit mid‐1980s. It advocated for stimulating the Project. city center by increasing jobs and housing Tracker information call: in the downtown core while reducing 503‐238‐RIDE (7433) Facilities traffic to less dense adjacent TTY 503‐238‐5811 neighborhoods. Once again, a transit Length 4 miles end to end or 8 miles circulator was proposed, this time to roundtrip augment bus and service Stations 46 platform stops downtown. In 1994 the City Council Maintenance facility Carbarn at 1516 NW adopted a streetcar alignment running Northrup from northwest Portland through Annual ridership downtown and Portland State University First year (FY02) 1,365,000 (PSU) to the Johns Landing area. By 1997, Second year (FY03) 1,654,000 a funding plan had been developed and Eighth Year (FY09) 4,000,000 design work began on a shortened alignment ending at PSU. The first Hours modern streetcar system in North Monday–Friday 5:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m. American opened on July 20, 2001. Saturdays 7:15a.m. – 11:30 p.m. Sundays 7:15a.m.–10:30 p.m. www.portlandstreetcar.org A 0.6‐mile RiverPlace extension of the Portland Streetcar opened in March of 2005, followed by a 0.6‐mile Gibbs extension in October of 2006 and a 0.4‐mile Lowell extension into Design and construction street curb. Fares has approximately 130 acres of land, much highlights y Streetcars have low floors for wheelchair Portland Streetcar honors all valid TriMet of which is in the development process. accessibility and are air‐conditioned. tickets & passes and y Except at platforms, the Portland Streetcar is Contracted service annual passes. TriMet and Streetcar fares Streetcar’s alignment maintained existing are valid all day on Streetcar. Tickets sold seen as a key In 1995, the City of Portland contracted curbside parking and loading. onboard Streetcar are valid on TriMet for catalyst to the Portland Streetcar, Inc. (PSI), a single‐ two hours. The annual Streetcar‐Only pass development purpose, nonprofit company to help the Minimizing construction impacts is available at TriMet’s Ticket Office, the of housing, City design, manage construction and With much of construction occurring in PSU Information Office at the Urban Plaza, neighborhood operate the Streetcar project. PSI consists of Portland’s city center and densely populated Umpqua Bank at South Waterfront and at retail and office a group of interested citizens and property neighborhoods, minimizing construction Streetcar’s maintenance facility. Streetcar‐ space with plans owners along the alignment. impacts along the entire line proved Only annual passes can be purchased online calling for 10,000 new jobs and 5,000 especially important. Street construction at Portlandstreetcar.org. Streetcar service is housing units. Design specs was confined to the trackway itself and free in . y Portland Streetcar generally runs on adjacent parking to minimize disruption to Funding either two‐way streets or on opposite traffic and businesses. The construction Transit‐oriented development one‐way streets, with a single track on activity was also sequenced so that track each street. The Portland Streetcar is part of the City’s The total capital project cost to date for could be paved with a single pour, reducing growth management strategy and travels Portland Streetcar is $103 million. The y Track is paved throughout with a shallow the time needed to construct each segment. section girder rail encased in a rubber through the heart of the Pearl District—the principal funding sources included revenues boot that is set in a reinforced concrete gem of pedestrian‐friendly and transit‐ from City‐owned parking facilities, a local pavement slab eight feet wide and 14 Technical highlights oriented development in the region. Since improvement district, tax increment inches thick. 1997, over $3.5 billion has been invested financing, City transportation and general y Track and power systems are generally Vehicles near the Streetcar line, including over 10,212 fund. Average cost of construction (4.0 compatible with the light rail system so In 1999, streetcars from Inekon‐Skoda in the new housing units and more than 5.5 miles end to end, double track) was $12.9 major maintenance can be done in were ordered. They are 66‐ million square feet of office, institutional, million TriMet’s maintenance facilities. feet‐long, four‐axle, double articulated cars retail and hotel construction—all within 2‐3 with low floors for accessible boarding. blocks of the Streetcar route, formerly home The Portland Streetcar Loop project, which Fitting into its surroundings Streetcars use basically the same technology to mostly decaying industrial buildings is currently under construction, adds $148 adjacent to the downtown core. New parks, A design priority for the Portland Streetcar as light rail, but are smaller to fit into an million to the total capital project cost. The employment and retail have made the Pearl alignment was that it preserve the integrity urban landscape. A car barn for storage and principal funding sources for this extension a major destination and key source of rides of the neighborhoods it runs through. As a daily maintenance include $75 million from the FTA, $20 for Portland Streetcar. result, the Portland Streetcar fits the scale was constructed million from the State of with the and traffic patterns of its surroundings: under the I‐405 remainder from local sources similar to y Shelters are small and fit within the Freeway. The South Waterfront development those on earlier construction. neighborhood’s architecture. system currently strategy y Most of the Portland Streetcar’s has 10 streetcars. The extension of alignment is shared with other traffic, and streetcar into the as a result the Streetcar can preempt With the construction of the Loop Project, heart of the South traffic signals in only a few places. Portland Streetcar will be purchasing six Waterfront District y To the extent possible, the trackway new vehicles. These vehicles will be is an integral part of conforms to existing street grades. manufactured by located the North Macadam y Stops are placed every two or three blocks in Clackamas, Oregon. Urban Renewal Plan adopted by the with a low platform extension from the Portland City Council in 1999. The district