Posted 07/01/2009
General News

Help Shape How the Streetcar Comes to Portland

City seeks input on proposed streetcar system concept plan.

Portland, Ore. – From July 1 through August 14, 2009, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is inviting public comments on the Public Review Draft of the Portland Streetcar System Concept Plan. During the 45-day public comment period, Portlanders are invited to share their reactions to the plan with city staff. On August 11 the Portland Planning Commission will hold a hearing on the plan and it will go to City Council on September 9.

PBOT wrote the draft plan to provide guidance on where Portland should expand its existing streetcar system. It identifies six "concept" corridors - totaling 16.8 miles - which are the most viable for future streetcar lines. In addition, it illustrates another 41.1 miles of "Comp Plan Corridors," which are potential corridors to consider for further analysis in the city's update of the comprehensive plan known as the Portland Plan.

"I encourage all Portlanders to take this opportunity to shape the future of our city's world-renowned public transit system," states Mayor Sam Adams. "By extending our streetcar system in the coming years, we will be able to preserve and enhance the character and vitality of our existing neighborhoods while accommodating future residents. And we will do so in a way that gives our citizens much-needed transportation choices and makes our city more sustainable."

The Public Review Draft of the Portland Streetcar System Concept Plan will be available from July to August 4. It can be found online at www.portlandonline.com/transportation/streetcarsystemplan.

Paper copies of the report can be viewed at each City Neighborhood Coalition office and at public libraries in Portland.

The Portland Streetcar is a major economic development tool and a clean, green mode of transportation for the city. The existing 4.1-mile line has enhanced business growth, livability and housing options. The Eastside Loop extension, slated to begin construction this fall, will add an additional 3.5 miles to the system, and is projected to encourage thousands of new housing units and attract millions of dollars in private investment.

This will be increasingly important as Portland strives to accommodate growth while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Streetcar corridors will play a key role in helping the city absorb some of the one million new residents Metro expects in the region by 2035. At the same time, the corridors will help preserve the character of existing residential neighborhoods and reduce Portland residents' reliance on the automobile to meet daily transportation needs.

Currently, two streetcar extensions are planned beyond the existing downtown line and the Eastside Loop. These are the 6-mile Portland to Lake Oswego streetcar project and the 1.3-mile "Close the Loop" project which would connect downtown, PSU and South Waterfront to OMSI over the proposed Willamette River Light Rail Transit Bridge. Future corridors proposed in the draft plan would build off of the existing and planned projects.

Some of the proposed streetcar corridors are former historic streetcar corridors that helped shaped Portland. The walkable main streets and bustling commercial corridors in many areas of the city grew as a result of streetcar-based land use patterns established over a century ago. These areas are still vital today, and could thrive even further with the reintroduction of a modern streetcar.

An online comment form is available at www.portlandonline.com/transportation/streetcarsystemplan.

Comments on the report can be e-mailed to portlandstreetcarplan@pdxtrans.org or mailed to:

Patrick Sweeney
SSCP Project Manager of Portland Bureau of Transportation
1120 SW 5th Ave. #800
Portland, Ore. 97204

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