Two units cross the
Interstate 405 freeway
on Morrison Street. One
heading east and the other west.
Washington Park MAX station is the deepest
in North America at 260 ft below ground. This is MAX's only below
ground station.
The Portland History Web site has interesting
photos and stories about
Oregon trains.
Northwest Virtual
Transit Center
The site (not affiliated with any transit authority) covers the entire Pacific
Northwest including Portland, Spokane, and Seattle. It covers future
transit projects.
A self-propelled Diesel
Multiple Unit (DMU).
Streetcar rider ship has exceeded forecasts.
Next
Streetcar
9
minutes
23
minutes
37
minutes
51
minutes
971-404-2972
Code: 4509
NextBus uses Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking satellites to
provide streetcar arrival information and real-time maps for Portland Streetcars
passengers.
Transit Map
Click to Enlarge
The goal of TriMet's public art program
is to promote increased transit usage and community pride by integrating
temporary and permanent art works into TriMet's public transit system, thereby
celebrating the contributions of public transportation and recognizing the
cultural richness in the region.
An artist rendering of the new MAX trains
for the Green Line. TriMet has ordered 21 new MAX trains from Siemens
Transportation Systems for the I-205/Portland Mall MAX Light Rail Project
scheduled to begin in 2009.
Keep Portland Moving began as a multi-agency effort to coordinate large
public projects to reduce traffic impacts. Today it includes a Portland
Office of Transportation campaign to help promote a vibrant, accessible
downtown Portland, both short term and in the long run, by minimizing the
combined construction impacts of the Portland Mall project and private development
in the downtown core in 2007 and 2008.
Fareless Square Map
TransitTracker™ provides real-time bus and
MAX arrivals online over the phone. The system tracks the actual location
of your bus or train, so you know exactly when your ride is coming.
Each stop has an unique "stop number" displayed on a sign like the photo
above.
Get arrival times over the phone: Just dial
503-238-RIDE (7433) from any touch-tone phone. If you're using a web-enabled
cell phone, you can access TransitTracker at
wap.trimet.org. On a web-enabled PDA, log on to
pda.trimet.org.
American Built Streetcars
Clackamas-based
Oregon Iron Works,
has been selected by Portland Streetcar Inc. for a $20 million contract
to build seven new streetcars at about $3.3 million apiece. This is
for the new Eastside/Lloyd Center/OMSI Extension. The company is now working
on the finishing touches of its prototype streetcar, making it the only
company in the U.S. building the “modern American streetcar.”
If Portland is mentioned in any out-of-state
media, rest assured the news item is either about Portland's effort to contain
urban sprawl or its public transportation system. Three public transportation
modes are used by Portlanders: light rail, buses, and streetcars.
The
City of Portland
Office of Transportation is a community partner in shaping a livable
city. Their Web site is pack with information about getting around
Portland.
Light Rail
Portland's
light rail network (MAX) is operated by the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation
District of Oregon (TriMet.
It is charged with devising a suitable light rail network to attract new
development without bringing a disproportionate growth in road traffic.
The 44-mile light rail network carried 35 million riders
in 2008 and TriMet's bus service lines had 64 million boarders.
Eastside MAX Blue Line The first phase,
Eastside MAX (Metropolitan Area Express), connected Gresham, Oregon state's
fourth largest city, with downtown Portland, and was constructed between
1982-86. Between 1990-97 TriMet ridership grew 40 per cent faster than its
population growth. During the same period, TriMet ridership grew 30 per
cent.
Westside MAX Blue Line The 944 million
Westside MAX, Hillsboro to Portland light rail system began service
in September 1998. Construction began on the 18-mile light rail line in
May 1994. The Westside line has 20 stations, nine park and ride interchanges
and has spawned numerous other developments. The 33-mile run from Gresham
to Hillsboro takes 93 minutes.
Airport MAX Red Line This was a $125
million, 5.5-mile extension developed through an innovative public/private
venture involving the Port of Portland, TriMet, the City of Portland, Portland
Development Commission and Bechtel Enterprises. Bechtel contributed $28.2
million towards the $125 million project. It links Portland International
Airport to the existing regional light rail system. The system was completed
in late 2001.
Interstate MAX Yellow Line A 5.8-mile
segment opened May 1, 2004. This $380 million line connects MAX to
the Expo Center along North Interstate Avenue. It is a unique opportunity
to revitalize businesses and neighborhoods along North Interstate Avenue,
once Portland's main gateway.
South Corridor Green Line The $575.7
million (6.5 miles) expansion of light rail to Clackamas Town Center along
Interstate 205 and on to the downtown transit mall to Portland State University
opened in September 2009. The Federal government picked up 60 percent
of the project or about $345 million. The Green Line connects 19 bus lines,
five park-and-ride lots (2,300 spaces) and one of the largest regional malls,
The Clackamas Town Center. It also connect to the Red Line for access
to the airport.
The project transformed Portland's old and aging transit
mall into an inviting place for residents, commuters and shoppers. The Green
Line runs the length of the Mall, connecting Union Station and Portland
State University. A number of improvements, including refurbished streets
and sidewalks, new transit shelters, better lighting and eye-catching public
art, were part of the project.
Plans for Future Light Rail Routes
South
Corridor Extension to Milwaukie Funding is firm for a 7.3
mile line to Milwaukie. Regional leaders see the line to Milwaukie as the
fulfillment of a 20-year promise to connect the southeast metro area to
downtown with mass transit. Metro estimates that the line would put more
than 22,000 households. Metro expects daily rider numbers for the route
to top 14,000 per day, as 50,000 residents will live within walking distance
of the light-rail line.
In July, 2008, Metro unanimously approved the locally
preferred alternative for the Portland-Milwaukie light-rail project, which
will run between Southwest Fourth and Southwest Fifth Avenues near Portland
State University, cross the Willamette River near Oregon Health and Science
University, and follow the Tillamook Railroad into Milwaukie.
The 7.4 mile light-rail
line will serve up to 11 stops, nine of which will be within Portland's
city limits. A bridge for the proposed $1.4 billion light-rail line to Milwaukie,
would carry everything but cars and trucks.
Vancouver to Portland As of May, 2008,
the Portland area has another plan for light-rail. The proposed $4.2
billion I-5 replacement bridge, would carry a light-rail extension north
to Vancouver. Planners expect that the light-rail would help ease
the traffic bottleneck on the bridge.
Other Plans Planners envision a route
to Sherwood and Tigard, and another along Southeast Powell Boulevard.
Portland Streetcars
Streetcars
are back in Portland! They left in the 50s and started again
on July 20, 2001. Streetcars run on a 4.8 continuous loop from Legacy Good
Samaritan Hospital at NW 23rd Avenue, on Lovejoy and Northrup, through the
Pearl District and on 10th and 11th Avenues to a SW 5th and Montgomery Terminus
at Portland State University. Another extension (about 2 miles) goes south
of downtown along the river to RiverPlace and South Waterfront.
The Portland Streetcar is owned by the City of Portland.
A private non-profit runs the streetcar system. Unlike, the bus system
or light rail, which is operated by TriMet, a public agency, the streetcar
is run by Portland
Streetcar Inc.
Streetcar vehicles, manufactured by Skoda-Inekon in Plzen
of the Czech Republic, are 2.46 meters (about 8 feet) wide and 20 meters
long (about 66 feet), about 10 inches narrower and 1/3 the length of a MAX
(TriMet’s light rail system) double car train. They run in mixed traffic
and, except platform stops, accommodate existing curbside parking and loading.
View photos and detailed specs of the
Skoda cars.
RiverPlace Extension The Portland Streetcar
extended the line .6 tenths of a mile to RiverPlace (south of downtown along
the river). Construction of this extension started in the Winter of 2003
and opened March 12, 2005.
Gibbs Extension to South Waterfront This
extension was completed to SW Gibbs in late 2006. This 0.6 mile extension
connects at SW River Parkway and SW Moody, follows SW Moody south to SW
Sheridan and from SW Sheridan to SW Gibbs utilizing the former Willamette
Shore trolley rail right-of-way. The stop is located at SW Moody and Gibbs
at the base of the Portland Aerial Tram. The cost of this extension was
$15.8 million, which includes purchase of three additional streetcars. Extending
the line to SW Gibbs was a high priority for the newly emerging South Waterfront
“River Blocks” development and the Oregon Health and Science University’s
Building One, a 16-story building, that contains outpatient practices, educational
offices, and research laboratories.
Lowell Extension to South Waterfront
The Portland Streetcar started construction on the Lowell Extension in August
of 2006 and it was completed in the summer of 2007. This 0.6 mile extension
connects at SW Moody and Gibbs (base of Portland Aerial Tram), follows SW
Moody south to SW Lowell, east on SW Lowell to SW Bond. The route continues
north on SW Bond to SW Moody & Gibbs.
Eastside/Lloyd Center/OMSI Extension
In early May, 2009, the U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood awarded
Portland the federal funding necessary to begin construction of the Eastside
extension. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the project
will receive $30 million through the federal Small Starts program. That’s
on top of the $45 million included for the project in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations
bill that President Barack Obama signed into law in March.
The project has been stalled since late 2007 when
the Federal Transit Administration decided they they didn't like streetcars.
The federal government's money and blessing removes the last and most stubborn
barrier to expanding the line east of the Willamette River and unleashes
an already approved pot of $55 million from local governments and another
$20 million from state lottery bonds. The expansion means jobs
− not only for construction to expand the streetcar
system by three plus miles and 18 stations, but also for manufacturing the
streetcars, which will be built by United Streetcar, a subsidiary of Oregon
Iron Works, in Clackamas, Oregon.
Once completed, the loop would extend the current
west-side system, running from South Waterfront to Northwest 23rd Avenue,
across the Broadway Bridge into Northeast Portland where it will head south
on Grand Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to a new ramp to be
built at the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, where a new light rail
line to Milwaukie will be built. The line would then cross the new transit
bridge, currently in the design phase, to connect with the existing system.
It will connect the Lloyd Center to downtown. Total cost is expected to
be just under $150 million and is scheduled for completion in late 2011.
View a
map of the proposed line.
Lake Oswego Extension Metro is beginning
a corridor study to evaluate possible transit and transportation options
between Lake Oswego and Portland. The cities of Portland and Lake Oswego,
Clackamas and Multnomah counties, the Oregon Department of Transportation
and TriMet are participating in the study. Citizens, business representatives
and property owners have been selected to serve on a Project Advisory Committee
that will meet monthly to consider issues and alternatives.
Westside Express Service Commuter Rail
TriMet
showed off its new commuter train on January 21, 2009 at a "first ride"
for Westside community leaders, the first public passengers on its route
between Beaverton and Wilsonville.e.
The Westside Express Service (WES) started as a proposal
to ease congestion along the Interstate 5 corridor. After 14 years of planning
and troubles with its manufacturers, trains will run about every 30 minutes
Monday through Friday during morning and evening rush hours.
Transit officials estimate that WES will have 2,400 riders
a day. They expect it to reach 4,600 by 2020. Three self-propelled cars
and one trailer will complete 32 round trips a day. Each car has about 80
seats, along with standing room and space for bicycles and wheelchairs.
In addition, WES will have free Wi-Fi onboard and interactive public art
at each of its five stops. Parking for cars and bicycles will be available
at most of the stops.
Residents along the 14.7-mile rail line from Wilsonville
to Beaverton now have the option to avoid the congested I-5 and Highway
217 corridors. You are able to ride commuter trains from Wilsonville, Tualatin,
Tigard and Washington Square to the Beaverton Transit Center, where you
can transfer to the MAX light-rail for the remainder of your trip to the
Portland City Center.
The first phase of construction—track rehabilitation—began
in Wilsonville in late October 2006 and moved north to finish in Beaverton
in January 2009. In early March 2007, ground was broken on the first
of five commuter rail stations to be built for the Washington County Commuter
Rail line. Formerly part of the Oregon Electric Railway, this line
is now being operated for freight service by a short-line railroad, the
Portland & Western. Unlike the MAX light-rail
— which also follows freight rail lines for
part of its route, but has separate tracks —
the commuter rail service to Wilsonville operates on the very same tracks
used for freight service.
The estimated cost of the project was $120 million. Some
of this was covered by local and state funding and TriMet obtained some
federal funds to cover the rest of the projected cost.
The
WES line operates by diesel-powered equipment. Unlike other transit agencies,
which use diesel engines to pull non-powered commuter coaches, TriMet purchased
self-propelled Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) equipment for this new line. This
means that one unit, or vehicle, is able to drive by itself without being
pushed/pulled by a locomotive. A typical DMU has several small diesel engines
with automatic transmissions. Each bi-directional vehicle has a driver cab
on each end, which allows a fast change of direction without driving through
a long loop to turn the vehicle around. The driver simply walks from one
end to the other. Several DMUs can easily and quickly be coupled together
to make a longer train if a higher passenger capacity is needed, for example
during the morning or afternoon peak hours or during special events. No
additional train operator or other personnel is needed.
Free Rail Zone (aka Fareless Square)
Free Rail Zone provides free
rail rides (light rail and streetcars) in the downtown
Portland area bounded by the Willamette River, Northwest Irving, and the
I-405 freeway. In 2001, the fareless zone was extended across the river
to the Lloyd District − Multnomah Boulevard
on the north, Holladay Street on the south and 14th Street on the east.
The fareless policy started in 1975 as a way to cut pollution and endured
as a symbol of the region's commitment to bus and light-rail use.
Free bus rides were included in the early free zone but as of January, 2010,
the TriMet transit agency required that thousands of bus riders pay
their full fare in downtown Portland's Free Rail Zone. MAX light-rail lines
and the Portland Streetcar will remain free within the fareless zone.
Though 45,000 people board buses each weekday within the
fareless area, only 14,000 remain within the square, and fewer are without
prepaid bus passes, according to TriMet estimates. As a result, TriMet officials
expected the impact would be offset by expanded free rail service. The MAX
Yellow Line is redirected to serve the downtown transit mall and the new
MAX Green Line start in September, 2009
− giving most fareless bus riders a train alternative.
The free zone was called "Fareless Square" when it
started in 1975. The name was changed to "Free Rail Zone" in
January, 2010.
High-Speed Rail from Eugene to Vancouver
A portion of a $9.3 billion provision in the federal stimulus
bill (March 2009) could beef up passenger train service between Eugene,
Oregon and Vancouver, B.C. The bill includes $1.3 billion for Amtrak for
capital projects and $8 billion for states to foster high-speed passenger
rail. The federal money doesn’t begin to cover the cost to modernize the
U.S. rail system enough to carry true “bullet” trains that travel at 200
miles per hour and up.
Ten regions, including the 400-mile stretch of track between
Eugene and Vancouver, B.C., were identified for high-speed rail more than
a decade ago. It’s too soon to know if the Northwest corridor will
receive stimulus money for rail improvements. In Oregon, the Department
of Transportation is preparing its pitch to the Federal Railroad Administration.
In Oregon, as in Washington, passenger trains run on privately
owned track — Union Pacific in Oregon and Burlington Northern Santa
Fe in Washington. High-speed rail does not benefit freight trains, which
are limited by size and weight to 79 miles per hour. Passenger trains also
travel top out at 79 miles per hour.
If Oregon and Washington succeed in winning federal dollars,
the plan eventually is to boost Amtrak speeds to 110 miles per hour. That’s
well below the 200-mph “bullet” speed that are used across Europe and Japan.
Trains also can’t travel more than 110 miles per hour without significant
track improvements. Trains traveling faster than that must be kept separate
from trucks and cars. That means streets and highways need to go over or
under tracks, not across. It costs $4 million to $30 million to separate
a crossing. With about 700 crossings between Portland and Eugene, the cost
in Oregon would be $2.8 billion at a minimum.
Source: Oregon seeks
federal cash for high-speed rail route - March 13, 2009. Portland Business
Journal.
History of Rails in the Willamette Valley
Our modern light-rail and streetcar system is a continuation
of a long history of using “rails” for mass transit in the Portland metro
area. The entire Willamette Valley had a long history of using rail
systems for transportation. It was interrupted by 36 years of "bus
only" public transportation from 1950 until the Eastside Max Blue Line (light-rail)
opened in 1986.
In 1872, just 21 years after Portland
was officially founded, the city’s growth prompts the need for a public
transportation system. Portland's first trolleys, brought by steamer from
San Francisco by Ben Holladay, were horse and mule drawn, operating on First
Avenue from Glisan to Caruthers. In 1888, steam-operated streetcar
lines began service, developing into a network that served Hawthorne, Mt.
Scott, Mt. Tabor, St. Johns, west Portland, and Vancouver, Washington.
By 1889, electric streetcars began service,
gradually replacing horse-drawn, cable and steam-powered lines. Installed
by land developers to promote new subdivisions, a network eventually extended
out to city limits in all directions. By 1910, interurban railway
service extended from Vancouver south to Eugene and Corvallis, and from
Gresham and Troutdale west to Forest Grove and McMinnville. Meanwhile, the
“Good Roads” movement gained momentum, and Oregon embraced the automobile—becoming
the first state to pay for roads with a gas tax.
In the 1920s, trolley transportation growth slowed. Cutbacks
in service and labor economies, such as remodeling equipment for one-man
car operation, became the norm. The Great Depression saw further erosion
of what was once one of the most advance rail systems in the West.
Buses and trolley coaches began to replace electric streetcars. Several
interurban rail lines discontinued passenger service as ridership declines
and the aging streetcar system began converting to buses and trolleybuses.
WWII saw a resurgence of the use of the rail system due to gas rationing
and limited availability of cars. But it was short lived and by 1950,
the last streetcars were retired. Automobiles became the main source
of transportation and leaders had to deal with a new problem: congestion
on the roads.
What caused the demise of streetcar systems in the country?
According to an 2007 article in the International Herald Tribune, "In
the 1920s, there were about 1,200 electric lines operating across the United
States providing some 15 billion rides a year. By the 1970s, the number
of American cities with real streetcar systems was down to about five."
The article went on to say that, "Reasons for the demise vary but include
National City Lines, formed by General Motors, Standard Oil of California,
Phillips Petroleum and Firestone tires. It bought up more than 100 lines
in the 1930s and 1940s in many of the larger cities and dismantled them."
American Company to Start Building Streetcars
Clackamas-based Oregon
Iron Works, has been selected by Portland Streetcar Inc. for a $20 million
contract to build seven new streetcars at about $3.3 million apiece. The
company is now working on the finishing touches of its prototype streetcar,
making it the only company in the U.S. building the “modern American streetcar.”
The push for urban transit systems could prove to be a boon for Oregon Iron
Works, which is also a finalist for a job to produce another seven streetcars
for the city of Tucson, Ariz., in a project that is also vying for the federal
New Starts money.
Buses
The Portland metropolitan area has an extensive bus lines
with over 650 buses. Here are the
links to the fleets
to include photos of some of TriMet's buses and a link to the bus routes
maps
and schedules.
Car Sharing: Zipcar
Zipcar
is a car-sharing system where you share access to hundreds of Zipcar vehicles.
You reserve a car online or by phone; you drive - to a meeting, to run errands,
or to hit the lumber yard; and you return to the car's designated parking
space, all for one hourly rate that covers gas and insurance. All you pay
for is the drive. The
Portland
Zipcar system has 240 vehicles.
Bicycles
Also
available to lower commuting costs is an extensive bicycle path system.
Plus TriMet is now 100% bicycle friendly! All MAX and buses can accommodate
bicycles. Check out the
bike links.
Portland has the nation's highest rate of bicycling for
a big city − 4.5 percent, according to the U.S.
Census. The city auditor's office, in a survey in 2008, found that eight
percent of commuters came into downtown on bikes and that citywide, about
18 percent of residents use bikes as either a primary or secondary mode
of transportation.
American Automobile Association chapter
Oregon/Idaho
is the first AAA club in the U.S. to include bicycle service as part of
its regular roadside membership benefits package for AAA Plus, Plus RV and
Premier members. There is no additional charge for roadside service which
applies to all bicycles and tandems, including rental bicycles and bicycle
trailers.
The City of Portland has extensive
bike maps and resources at there Web site. You can also use
byCycle bicycle trip planner, a free online tool to help both new and
seasoned cyclists plan safe trips through the city. This private Web site
was created by cycling enthusiasts volunteering their time, with support
from Metro.
Rent a Bike
Renting a bike for a short trip are widely used in Europe
but are new to North America. Paris supports one of the world's largest
systems, with 21,000 bikes, 170,000 annual subscribers and kiosks throughout
the city. Cities across the nation, including Portland, are investigating
whether they would work on their streets. Finding the money is the problem.
Washington, D.C., already has a small program −
about 100 bikes − the first in the United States.
The programs typically are expensive, averaging $3,400 to $4,000 per bike
when figuring in the cost of docking stations, tracking and payment technology
and installation.
Portland Bicycle
Tours, a 3-year-old rental business, began offering subscriptions in
2008. They have 40 recycled bikes locked in high-traffic areas and at a
garage in Old Town/Chinatown. They charged members $20 to $40 per month.
When members need a bike, the system sends them the lock combinations by
text message.
For information about bike sharing in Portland, visit the
City of Portland's
Office of Transportation.
Video on Biking in Portland
Here's a video of biking in Portland produced by the
New York Times. It's a good history of biking in the Rose City.
Susan Marthens
Principal Real Estate Broker, CRS, GRI
(503) 497-2984
Fax (503) 220-1131
The
WES line operates by diesel-powered equipment. Unlike other transit agencies,
which use diesel engines to pull non-powered commuter coaches, TriMet purchased
self-propelled Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) equipment for this new line. This
means that one unit, or vehicle, is able to drive by itself without being
pushed/pulled by a locomotive. A typical DMU has several small diesel engines
with automatic transmissions. Each bi-directional vehicle has a driver cab
on each end, which allows a fast change of direction without driving through
a long loop to turn the vehicle around. The driver simply walks from one
end to the other. Several DMUs can easily and quickly be coupled together
to make a longer train if a higher passenger capacity is needed, for example
during the morning or afternoon peak hours or during special events. No
additional train operator or other personnel is needed.
Also
available to lower commuting costs is an extensive bicycle path system.
Plus TriMet is now 100% bicycle friendly! All MAX and buses can accommodate
bicycles. Check out the
