This summer I was lucky enough to be able to drive across the county and visit 29 states and dozens of different cities. One city that really stuck out to me though was Portland. It was young, hip, and, although cool in its own right, was not at all my scene (I’m a country boy through and through). What really stuck out to me about Portland though was the traffic, or lack thereof. See, Portland has a rather complete public transportation system, which includes a lot of streetcars.
The streetcars have been a success for Portland, and other cities are taking notice. Combine that with changes to the Department of Transportation’s new guidelines for building public transit, and we could see a real streetcar renaissance.
It used to be that there was hardly a city anywhere that didn’t have a streetcar line running down most major roads. Before cars became popular, streetcars and steam trains were the most popular methods of travel. Unfortunately, streetcars and trains died together as Americans flocked towards cheap cars and cheap gas. Those days appear to be coming to an end though, and streetcars are poised to make a major comeback.
Portland’s streetcar system is a driving factor behind many new streetcar projects. Studies suggest the streetcar lines in Portland have brought $3.5 billion of business investment and resulted in over 10,000 units of housing being built and filled. My experience is that you can get almost anywhere in Portland via their public transportation. If more cities would use streetcars, it would likely lead to similar results, all the while reducing traffic congestion and bringing in jobs. And more jobs is exactly what our country needs.
Source: USA Today | Image: Associated Press
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About Christopher DeMorro
“What really stuck out to me about Portland though was the traffic, or lack thereof.”
were you travelling about on a sunday at 06:00 ? or maybe you’re talking about portland maine.
“What really stuck out to me about Portland though was the traffic, or lack thereof.”
were you travelling about on a sunday at 06:00 ? or maybe you’re talking about portland maine.
the streetcars are not very popular with Portland residents… they’re mostly popular with tourists…
the old ones you picture were awesome, until the automobile industry bought them all out and shut them down in favor of personal transport thus wrecking mass transit in the eyes of Americans…
the streetcars are not very popular with Portland residents… they’re mostly popular with tourists…
the old ones you picture were awesome, until the automobile industry bought them all out and shut them down in favor of personal transport thus wrecking mass transit in the eyes of Americans…
I feel the need to chime in here since I live about 1/2 block away from a street car stop. I think this article is confusing Portland’s street car system with our Light Rail and probably just lumping it into one like many tourist do. Portland has 4 mass transit options: Bus, Light Rail, Street Car, Tram
Bus: Mostly neglected by the city. Buses are about 15-20 years old and in need of a refresh, but aren’t prioritized as our transit agency is rail happy
Light Rail: The MAX is Portland’s lightrail system. Light rail uses large sized cars, that have priority over car traffic and move in dedicated lanes. The signals change in their favor as they move through town and the trips are fairly quick
Street car: Portland’s street car system uses very small car that travel with car traffic, without dedicated lanes. They make more frequent stops than MAX trains and generally you can walk faster than they travel
Tram: We have a tram that travels between two parts of the Oregon Health and Sciences University. Think of it as a giant ski lift. If you don’t work for the university there’s no real reason to use it.
I feel the need to chime in here since I live about 1/2 block away from a street car stop. I think this article is confusing Portland’s street car system with our Light Rail and probably just lumping it into one like many tourist do. Portland has 4 mass transit options: Bus, Light Rail, Street Car, Tram
Bus: Mostly neglected by the city. Buses are about 15-20 years old and in need of a refresh, but aren’t prioritized as our transit agency is rail happy
Light Rail: The MAX is Portland’s lightrail system. Light rail uses large sized cars, that have priority over car traffic and move in dedicated lanes. The signals change in their favor as they move through town and the trips are fairly quick
Street car: Portland’s street car system uses very small car that travel with car traffic, without dedicated lanes. They make more frequent stops than MAX trains and generally you can walk faster than they travel
Tram: We have a tram that travels between two parts of the Oregon Health and Sciences University. Think of it as a giant ski lift. If you don’t work for the university there’s no real reason to use it.
Why specifically streetcars, rather than, say, electric buses?
I lived in toronto for years and we all lamented the streetcar system. They are incredibly expensive to install and the tracks screw up any other vehicle traffic – and are very hazardous to motorcyclists and bicyclists.
Why specifically streetcars, rather than, say, electric buses?
I lived in toronto for years and we all lamented the streetcar system. They are incredibly expensive to install and the tracks screw up any other vehicle traffic – and are very hazardous to motorcyclists and bicyclists.
Why specifically streetcars, rather than, say, electric buses?
I lived in toronto for years and we all lamented the streetcar system. They are incredibly expensive to install and the tracks screw up any other vehicle traffic – and are very hazardous to motorcyclists and bicyclists.
I would like to add that you might want to think of coming to San Francisco. We have ‘electric buses’ but they are run on overhead electric lines instead of on board power sources, but they work very well for us (considering the hills we have) we also have bio-diesel buses for the longest runs (or runs that are in areas that would not support overheads) we have streetcars, LRV lines and underground LRV lines in the downtown congested area and the Cal-train lines that runs down the peninsula and the BART lines that cover eastbay and South San Francisco area and out to the airport. I have not owned a car for 25 years – no need to. You learn to shop a little different and plan your outings a little better, but our system runs 24/7 and if all else fails you can always get a cab!!
I would like to add that you might want to think of coming to San Francisco. We have ‘electric buses’ but they are run on overhead electric lines instead of on board power sources, but they work very well for us (considering the hills we have) we also have bio-diesel buses for the longest runs (or runs that are in areas that would not support overheads) we have streetcars, LRV lines and underground LRV lines in the downtown congested area and the Cal-train lines that runs down the peninsula and the BART lines that cover eastbay and South San Francisco area and out to the airport. I have not owned a car for 25 years – no need to. You learn to shop a little different and plan your outings a little better, but our system runs 24/7 and if all else fails you can always get a cab!!