Portland — Expanded Streetcar Plan Adopted

Rail Transit Online, September 2009

A report outlining plans for 58 mi. (93.3 km) of new streetcar lines was adopted unanimously on Sept. 9 by the Portland city council. The 77-page report identified several potential corridors, including portions of North Lombard Street, Southeast 122nd Avenue, Northeast Broadway, Southeast Belmont Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Foster Road, but does not show specific routes or prioritize any of them.

A preliminary cost estimate for 17 mi. (27.4 km) of new track is $640 million, but prospective funding sources have not been identified. "It is the beginning of the beginning," Mayor Sam Adams told The Oregonian. "It is not an endpoint. It is a milestone."

Adams, a strong supporter of streetcar expansion, said a comprehensive
public transit system that includes rail encourages smart development while being environmentally sound. The city already has 7.8 mi. (12.6 km) of streetcar track and is building a 3.3-mi. (5.3 km) extension.