Transportation in Portland, Oregon

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Road bridges across the Columbia and Willamette Rivers are a critical piece of Portland's transportation infrastructure. USACE Fremont Bridge Portland.jpg
Road bridges across the Columbia and Willamette Rivers are a critical piece of Portland's transportation infrastructure.

Like transportation in the rest of the United States, the primary mode of local transportation in Portland, Oregon is the automobile. Metro, the metropolitan area's regional government, has a regional master plan in which transit-oriented development plays a major role. [1] This approach, part of the new urbanism, promotes mixed-use and high-density development around light rail stops and transit centers, and the investment of the metropolitan area's share of federal tax dollars into multiple modes of transportation. In the United States, this focus is atypical in an era when automobile use led many areas to neglect their core cities in favor of development along interstate highways, in suburbs, and satellite cities. [2]

Contents

Portland is "an international pioneer in transit orientated developments."

Sayeeda Warsi, a British Conservative politician, from a 2006 episode of Newsnight [3]
Commuting statistics for major U.S. cities in 2008. USCommutePatterns2006.png
Commuting statistics for major U.S. cities in 2008.

Mass transit

Portland has a public transportation system. The bus and rail system is operated by TriMet, its name reflecting the three metropolitan area counties it serves (Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington). Portland's rate of public transit use (12.6% of commutes in 2008) is comparable to much larger cities like Los Angeles, and higher than in most similarly sized U.S. cities, but is lower than in some others, such as Baltimore and Seattle. [4] Transit service between Portland and Vancouver, Washington, the second-largest city in the metropolitan area, is provided by C-Tran, with a small number of express routes.

Buses and bikes in downtown Portland. Portland Transit Mall with cyclists crossing.jpg
Buses and bikes in downtown Portland.

Within the downtown area (the city center) is the Portland Transit Mall, a transit-priority corridor on which buses and light rail trains from many different parts of the region converge. First opened in 1977, and for three decades served only by buses, the transit mall underwent major changes in 2009. Tracks for light rail (MAX) were added, bus stops spaced farther apart, and the left lane opened to general traffic (but with right turns prohibited). [5] To facilitate this major renovation and rebuilding, lasting more than two years, all bus routes using the mall were diverted to other streets (mainly 3rd and 4th avenues) starting in January 2007. [6] The transit mall reopened to buses on May 24, 2009, [7] and operator training runs on the new light-rail tracks took place during the late spring and summer. [8] Light rail service on the transit mall was introduced on August 30, 2009, when the MAX Yellow Line moved to the mall from its previous routing. [9] The new MAX Green Line opened 13 days later, on September 12, and it also serves the downtown transit mall. [10]

From 1975 to 2010, all of downtown Portland was in Fareless Square, a fare zone within which all rides on buses, light rail and streetcars were fare-free, and starting in 2001 this zone also covered a portion of the adjacent Lloyd District. In 2010, free rides became limited to light-rail and streetcar service – no longer covering bus service – and the zone was renamed the "Free Rail Zone". [11] In September 2012, the fareless zone was discontinued entirely, due to a $12 million shortfall in TriMet's annual budget. [12]

Ben Holladay was the first person to offer public transportation to the city of Portland when in 1872 he opened the Portland Street Railway Company, a horsecar line on First Street extending to a garage at the end of Glisan. [13] In 1882, a second horsecar system was built for Third Street. [14] Ferries such as the O&CRR Ferry#2 were used to cross the Willamette River before the construction of the first Steel Bridge in 1888. At that point, rail expanded into Albina and East Portland. Horsecars took passengers across the river and steam trains took them further into the suburbs, [15] but both modes were soon replaced by electric streetcar lines, the first of which began operation on November 1, 1889, between St. Johns and Portland. [16]

Buses

TriMet operates a fleet of 688 buses on a network of 79 bus routes. [17] Twelve of the routes are designated "Frequent Service" bus routes, with more frequent schedules than other routes. [17] Originally intended to have buses scheduled every 15 minutes or less all day, every day (including weekends and holidays), budget cutbacks in 2009 caused TriMet to change "Frequent Service" routes to have 15-minute-or-less wait times only during weekday peak usage times in the morning and afternoon. [18] In August 2014, TriMet reintroduced 15-minutes-or-less wait times at all times during weekdays on Frequent Service routes, with the stated goal of reinstating weekend 15-minutes-or-less wait times on these routes. [18]

TriMet's bus fleet is made up of 40-foot (12 m) and 30-foot (9 m) buses, built in 2000 or later, and all are low-floor buses, the last of the high-floor models having been retired in 2016. The last non-air-conditioned buses were retired in December 2015. [19]

TriMet's bus routes also include express buses from downtown Portland to South Beaverton, Sherwood and Oregon City, and express buses from Marquam Hill to Beaverton, Tigard, Southwest Portland, and Milwaukie. TriMet also has several "cross-town" routes that do not serve downtown Portland. The bus network operates predominately in a hub-and-spoke network starting with the downtown Portland transit mall, and includes outlying transit centers in Portland's suburbs.

In addition to the fixed-route service, TriMet operates a paratransit service known as LIFT which operates 253 minibuses and 15 sedans offering door-to-door service for citizens who cannot access regular TriMet services. [17]

MAX light rail

MAX Type 4 cars crossing 185th.JPG
A Siemens S70 MAX train, in service on the Blue Line
MAX and bus side-by-side on Portland Mall, 5th & Yamhill.jpg
Since 2009, the Portland Transit Mall has been used by both MAX and buses.

Since September 2015, Portland's light rail system, named MAX (short for Metropolitan Area Express), consists of five color-coded lines:

Portland Streetcar

Portland Streetcar PortlandStreetcar5.jpg
Portland Streetcar

The Portland Streetcar is a two-line streetcar system serving the central part of Portland—downtown and the areas immediately surrounding downtown. The system's first line opened in 2001 and, with later extensions, now follows a 3.9-mile (6.3 km) route [23] from Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center at NW 23rd Avenue through inner-Northwest and Southwest, including the Pearl District and Portland State University, to the new South Waterfront neighborhood, where it connects to the Portland Aerial Tram. [24] In 2012, this route was given the designation North-South Line, or NS Line.

The system's second line opened in 2012 and extended service across the Willamette River to the Lloyd District and the Central Eastside. [25] The federal share of funding for this $148-million project, a 3.3-mile (5.3 km) extension and fleet expansion, [25] was approved in April 2009, [26] and construction began in August 2009. Originally named the Central Loop Line, or CL Line, it was renamed the A Loop (clockwise) and B Loop (counterclockwise) in 2015, when it was extended from the eastside across the Tilikum Crossing bridge and also along the NS Line from South Waterfront to Portland State University. See Portland Streetcar (Eastside line) and Loop Service (Portland Streetcar) for more detail.

The Willamette Shore Trolley is a seasonal, volunteer-operated heritage streetcar service established in 1990 – after a 1987 trial run – for the purpose of preserving an approximately 6-mile (10 km) former Southern Pacific railroad right-of-way running south from Portland to Lake Oswego for possible future transit use. Plans to extend the Portland Streetcar along the right-of-way were mothballed in early 2012, but remain under consideration for the long term. [27] The right-of-way was acquired by a consortium of local governmental entities in 1988 for this purpose. [28]

Commuter rail

TriMet's WES Commuter Rail connects the cities of Wilsonville, Tualatin, Tigard and Beaverton. It is one of only two suburb-to-suburb commuter rail lines in the country,[ citation needed ] along with Tri-Rail in Miami. Rather than electric railcars like those of MAX, the line uses FRA-compliant diesel multiple units running on existing Portland and Western Railroad freight tracks. The first rides open to the general public took place on Friday, January 30, 2009, and regular service began on Monday, February 2, 2009. [29]

Amtrak also exists as a rail commuting option in the Portland area with the Amtrak Cascades providing daily service between Portland and neighboring Oregon City. [30] While the frequency is less than that of TriMet, the 20-minute ride from Oregon City is faster, has cheaper tickets, and is arguably a more comfortable service. [31]

See the Intercity service section below for information about the many intercity bus and train services to and from Portland from outside the metro area.

Portland Aerial Tram

Portland Aerial Tram car descends towards the rising South Waterfront district. PortlandTramCar3.jpg
Portland Aerial Tram car descends towards the rising South Waterfront district.

The Portland Aerial Tram is an aerial cableway used to connect the South Waterfront district with Oregon Health and Science University on Marquam Hill above. The cableway is two-thirds of one mile (1 km) long and was opened to the public in January 2007.

Portland, OR Public Transportation Statistics

The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Portland, OR, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 90 min. 36% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 14 min, while 21% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 8.2 km, while 18% travel for over 12 km in a single direction. [32]

Cycling

Bicycle use in Portland has been growing rapidly, having nearly tripled since 2001; for example, daily bicycle traffic on four of the Willamette River bridges has increased from 2,855 before 1992 to over 16,000 in 2008, partly due to improved facilities. [33] Approximately 8% of commuters bike to work in Portland, the highest proportion of any major U.S. city and about 10 times the national average. [34] In July 2016, Portland introduce a bike share program known as Biketown, [35] initially running with 1,000 bikes. The bikes were provided by Social Bicycles, [36] and the program is operated by Motivate. [37]

Walking

According to a city video, in 1994 Portland became the first city to develop a pedestrian master plan. [38] Blocks in the downtown area are only 200 feet (61 m) long. Many streets in the outer southwest section of the city lack sidewalks; however, this is partially made up with various off-street trails. [39] A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Portland the 12th most walkable of the fifty largest cities in the United States. [40]

The Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over I-5 near the Portland Aerial Tram, opened in 2012. [41]

Electric ride-share scooters

Ride-share scooters from two different providers parked on a sidewalk in Northwest Portland Spin and Razor rental electric scooters in Portland, Oregon (2019).jpg
Ride-share scooters from two different providers parked on a sidewalk in Northwest Portland

Electric scooter sharing systems have become popular in the past few years as an alternative form of transportation. They first came to Portland in July 2018, after being approved for a four-month pilot program. [42] Scooters returned to Portland in April 2019 for a one-year program after positive review by the city of the first program. [43] The system works much like most bike share systems which have also become popular in Portland and around the world. Users unlock and pay for a scooter with an app on their smartphone and then can drop it off anywhere when done with it. There were many complaints about the effectiveness and safety of the program when the program first returned to Portland. A report done by the city shows that over 700,000 [44] rides were taken during the pilot program and that scooters are equally dangerous to other transportation systems but that many riders did not follow the safety regulations such as wearing a helmet. [43] However despite this there are still a lot of concerns. In response to some of the backlash around safety Portland instituted specific laws that apply to scooters, which include that all riders must wear a helmet, must be 16 or older, must not ride on the sidewalk or in city parks, and must yield to pedestrians. [45] In addition to some of the safety concerns there were also concerns about access both for low-income residents and residents with mobility issues. The city has responded to both of these and each scooter company now has discounted rates for low-income residents. These rates differ significantly by company with some being a small discount and others being up to 50 free rides of 30 minutes or less a month. [46] All companies also offer options for non-smartphone users although most of these still require being able to receive SMS texts. [47] The city has passed codes that outlaw leaving the scooters in the middle of sidewalks in response to complaints about the scooters, but it is unclear how often that is being enforced. Despite all of these measures taken by the City of Portland as well as the individual companies there is still much concern and controversy around the scooters. Many are still concerned about inclusivity and disability access as well safety as all complaints about riders leaving or riding the scooters on the sidewalk and not wearing helmets will be dealt with by the private companies, not the city itself. [44] There are also concerns about access to the scooters in all parts of Portland particularly the low-income neighborhoods as most of the scooters have been centered in downtown and other wealthier and popular tourist parts of the city. As the program is still new there is a lack of data about whether or not this program is decreasing the reliance on cars and providing alternative forms of transportation in the city as its original goal. According to a report done by the city, 34% of local riders used the scooters instead of driving and 48% of visitors used the scooters rather than driving or using a rideshare system. [44] It is unclear whether these numbers have increased or decreased with the new year-long program and as with other new technologies there are still many concerns surrounding the scooters. In June 2019, more than 50 scooters from various companies were pulled out of the Willamette River in Portland by a dive team from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s office. It is unclear who put them there or why, and it is unclear how long they were there before being spotted by the divers. [48]

Traffic flow

Many streets in Portland are one-way; streets in downtown Portland (Southwest Portland bounded by I-405 and the Willamette River) are virtually all one-way, forming a grid of alternating street traffic: for north-south streets, odd-numbered avenues (1st, 3rd, etc.) are southbound, while even-numbered avenues (2nd, 4th, etc.) are northbound, and similarly east-west streets alternate. This is partly due to the streets in downtown Portland being relatively narrow (64 feet (20 m)).[ clarification needed ] This grid extends a short way west across I-405 into Goose Hollow, terminating at SW 18th Avenue, and extends to some degree north across Burnside Street into the Pearl District, particularly with the north-south streets extending into Old Town.

Most streets on the east side are two-way, but there are a number of one-way pairs along major routes: Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (MLK)/Grand Avenue (the equivalent of 4th and 5th avenues), and 11th/12th east-west pairs are connected with bridges, with NE Couch/Burnside forming a pair east of the Burnside Bridge from 3rd to 14th avenues, SE Morrison/SE Belmont forming a pair from the Morrison Bridge to SE 25th Ave, and SE Madison/SE Hawthorne forming a pair from the Hawthorne Bridge to SE 12th Avenue. [49]

Highways

State highways, numbered as Interstate, U.S and Oregon Routes, in the metropolitan area include:

Notable highways never built, or removed altogether, include Mount Hood Freeway, Interstate 505, and Harbor Drive. [50]

Bridges

The large number of bridges in Portland has given the city its "Bridgetown" nickname.

Willamette River

A pedestrian and bicycle bridge over S.E. McLoughlin Boulevard in Portland. Johnsoncreek2.jpg
A pedestrian and bicycle bridge over S.E. McLoughlin Boulevard in Portland.

Bridges over the Willamette River, listed north to south:

Columbia River

Bridges over the Columbia River, listed west to east:

Intercity service

Long-distance passenger rail service to Portland is provided by Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, with trains stopping at Union Station. Amtrak routes serving Portland include the Amtrak Cascades (with service to/from Vancouver, British Columbia and Eugene, Oregon), the Coast Starlight (with service to/from Los Angeles and Seattle), and the Empire Builder (with service to/from Portland and Chicago).

While long-distance rail options are somewhat limited and infrequent, Oregon has a well-connected intercity bus network offering numerous options for travel to and from the Portland metro area. The Cascades POINT provides daily service between Portland and Eugene, with stops at every Amtrak station in the Willamette Valley. [52] The NorthWest POINT provides daily service between Portland and Astoria, with stops in several rural communities along U.S. Route 26 and towns along the Oregon Coast. [53] BoltBus began offering service from Portland in May 2012, with Seattle as its first destination. [54] Additional bus services that bring passengers to and from the Portland area include Columbia County Rider Archived March 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine from St. Helens, Tillamook County Transportation District's service from Tillamook, the Central Oregon Breeze from Bend, and more.

Airports

Portland's main airport is the Portland International Airport ( IATA : PDX, ICAO : KPDX), located in the northeast quadrant, near the Columbia River, and 20 minutes by car from downtown. PDX is also connected to the downtown business and arts districts by the MAX Red Line. The city's first airport, Swan Island Municipal Airport, opened in 1927 and closed in the 1940s.

The Port of Portland's Hillsboro Airport ( IATA : HIO, ICAO : KHIO) is an executive and general aviation airport located in Hillsboro, Oregon, and it the second busiest airport in the state. It is connected to the metropolitan area by the MAX Blue Line, and is the starting point for many corporate and charter flights, including Nike, Inc.

Troutdale Airport also serves the area. Portland is also served by Wiley's Seaplane Port, a private seaplane base on the Willamette.

Portland is home to Oregon's only public use heliport, the Portland Downtown Heliport ( ICAO : 61J).

Other alternatives

Portlanders living downtown or in nearby neighborhoods have car sharing as an alternative, through Zipcar, which acquired Flexcar in 2007. [55] As of 2017,[ needs update ] there are over 5,000 members sharing 250 vehicles which are located in neighborhoods such as the Pearl District, Old Town Chinatown, the Lloyd District, Hawthorne, and Brooklyn. [56]

Skateboarding and roller blading are welcome methods for travel around town. Downtown Portland includes signs labeled "skate routes" to aid the urban skater. [57] The Wall Street Journal stated Portland "may be the most skateboard-friendly town in America." [58]

See also

Notes

  1. http://library.oregonmetro.gov/files//tod_final_report.pdf Archived May 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine [ bare URL PDF ]
  2. Timothy Egan (May 31, 1987). "Focus: Portland; So Long Cars, Hello People". The New York Times . Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  3. Where the car is not king Archived August 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine , a 15 August 2006 BBC News article on Portland transportation
  4. "American Community Survey 2006, Table S0802". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
  5. Rose, Joseph (January 22, 2009). "Weave through TriMet's work in downtown Portland". The Oregonian . Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  6. Redden, Jim (January 12, 2007). "Bye-bye, bus mall as we know it". Portland Tribune . Archived from the original on February 22, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  7. Rivera, Dylan (May 26, 2009). "Buses return to Portland's revamped transit mall". The Oregonian . Archived from the original on May 30, 2009. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  8. "Light-rail operator training begins on Portland Mall". Portland Business Journal . May 1, 2009. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  9. "New MAX line opens downtown". Portland Tribune . August 28, 2009. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  10. 1 2 Rivera, Dylan (September 13, 2009) [online date September 12]. "Riders pack MAX Green Line on first day of service". The Oregonian . Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  11. "Better have that bus fare today; Fareless Square ends". Portland Tribune . January 4, 2010. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  12. Bailey Jr., Everton (August 30, 2012). "TriMet boosts most fares starting Saturday; some routes changing". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
  13. Labbe, John T. (1980). Fares, Please! Those Portland Trolley Years. Caldwell, Idaho: Caxton Printers, Ltd. p. 18. ISBN   0-87004-287-4.
  14. Labbe, p. 19
  15. Labbe, pp. 20–21
  16. "Cars Running By Electricity; Formal Opening of the Portland–St. John's Line Yesterday". (November 2, 1889). The Morning Oregonian, p. 7.
  17. 1 2 3 "TriMet At-a-Glance" (PDF). TriMet. July 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 2, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  18. 1 2 "Frequent Service". TriMet. Archived from the original on September 10, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  19. "The Year in Review: 2015". How We Roll. TriMet. December 31, 2015. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  20. "MAX Yellow Line: Route and schedule changes effective August 30, 2009". TriMet. August 29, 2009. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  21. Libby, Brian (October 2015). "Bridge to the Future (The Bridge that Bans Cars)". The Atlantic . 316 (3): 42–43. Archived from the original on April 29, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  22. Morgan, Steve. "Expansion for Portland's MAX: New routes and equipment", pp. 38-40. Passenger Train Journal , "2010:1" issue (1st quarter, 2010). White River Productions.
  23. Portland Streetcar: Streetcar History Archived February 6, 2005, at the Wayback Machine from portlandstreetcar.org
  24. 1 2 Redden, Jim (September 22, 2012). "East side streetcar service begins". Portland Tribune . Archived from the original on October 24, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  25. "Feds give $75 million for Oregon streetcar". Portland Business Journal . April 30, 2009. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  26. Bailey Jr., Everton (January 25, 2012). "Lake Oswego officially suspends streetcar plans with goal of retaining Willamette Shore right-of-way for future transit use". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  27. "Lake Oswego to Portland transit project: Willamette Shore line right-of-way". Metro. January 2014. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  28. Leah Weissman (February 5, 2009). "WES' first day — 'I plan on using it every day'". Beaverton Valley Times . Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  29. "Our Train Schedules | Amtrak Cascades". Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  30. "Amtrak gaining popularity among commuters who ride between Portland, Oregon City and Salem". March 5, 2012. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  31. "Portland, OR Public Transportation Statistics". Global Public Transit Index by Moovit. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017. CC-BY icon.svg Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
  32. Portland Bicycle Counts 2008 Archived April 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine (PDF), City of Portland
  33. Dougherty, Conor (May 16, 2009). "'Youth Magnet' Cities Hit Midlife Crisis". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on January 13, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  34. Njus, Elliot (July 19, 2016). "Biketown bike-share program launches with inaugural Tilikum Crossing ride". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  35. Njus, Elliot (September 24, 2015). "Road test: The good, bad of Portland's new bike-share bicycles". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  36. Powell, Meerah (July 19, 2016). "Portland's BIKETOWN Bike Rental Program Launches". Oregon Public Broadcasting . Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  37. Portland Walks - Be Safe Archived October 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine from the City of Portland website
  38. SW Urban Trails Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine , a website of the neighborhood coalition for southwest Portland
  39. "2011 City and Neighborhood Rankings". Walk Score. 2011. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  40. Koffman, Rebecca (July 12, 2012). "New pedestrian and bicycle bridge across Interstate 5 opens Saturday in Southwest Portland". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  41. Sparling, Zane (July 30, 2018). "E-Scooters Zoom into Downtown Portland". OPB. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  42. 1 2 Guevarra, Ericka Cruz (January 15, 2019). "E-Scooters Are Returning To Portland This Spring". OPB. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  43. 1 2 3 Powell, Meerah (May 24, 2019). "E-Scooters Return To Portland Despite Concern Over Accessibility, Inclusivity". Archived from the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  44. "Laws Applicable to Electric Scooters in Portland". Portland Bureau of Transportation. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  45. "Low Income Pricing Plans". Portland Bureau of Transportation. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  46. "Non-Smartphone Options". Portland Bureau of Transportation. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  47. Talbot, Peter (June 25, 2019). "Divers pull more than 50 e-scooters from Willamette River". The Oregonian . Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  48. "Portland Neighborhoods Guide: Navigating Portland". Portland Bridges.
  49. Young, Bob (March 9, 2005). "Highway to Hell". Willamette Week . Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  50. "Finish Bridge Over Columbia; Steel Structure of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railroad [sic] Completed—Last Bolt In Yesterday" Archived November 23, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . (June 26, 1908). The Morning Oregonian, p. 11. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
  51. "Home - POINT". Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  52. "Home - POINT". Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  53. Lindblom, Mike (May 7, 2012). "Low-cost bus line to Portland on track to compete against Amtrak". Seattle Times. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
  54. "Seattle's Flexcar merges with rival Zipcar". Seattle Times . October 31, 2007. Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  55. "Car-sharing in Portland: Driver's guide to options in a growing market". The Oregonian . November 1, 2017. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  56. "Skate Route from Wed09Jul2003 Portland III - Djangos, 23rd, Cultural District, OSCON". Archived from the original on September 28, 2003. Retrieved August 25, 2005.
  57. Dougherty, Conor (July 30, 2009). "Skateboarding Capital of the World". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on January 13, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2009.

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The Steel Bridge is a through truss, double-deck vertical-lift bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, opened in 1912. Its lower deck carries railroad and bicycle/pedestrian traffic, while the upper deck carries road traffic, and light rail (MAX), making the bridge one of the most multimodal in the world. It is the only double-deck bridge with independent lifts in the world and the second oldest vertical-lift bridge in North America, after the nearby Hawthorne Bridge. The bridge links the Rose Quarter and Lloyd District in the east to Old Town Chinatown neighborhood in the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willamette Shore Trolley</span> Heritage railroad/streetcar along the Willamette River

The Willamette Shore Trolley is a heritage railroad or heritage streetcar that operates along the west bank of the Willamette River between Portland and Lake Oswego in the U.S. state of Oregon. The right-of-way is owned by a group of local-area governments who purchased it in 1988 in order to preserve it for potential future rail transit. Streetcar excursion service began operating on a trial basis in 1987, lasting about three months, and regular operation on a long-term basis began in 1990. The Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society has been the line's operator since 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Union Station</span> Train station in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Portland Union Station is a train station in Portland, Oregon, United States, situated near the western shore of the Willamette River in Old Town Chinatown. It serves as an intermediate stop for Amtrak's Cascades and Coast Starlight routes and, along with King Street Station in Seattle, is one of two western termini of the Empire Builder. The station is a major transport hub for the Portland metropolitan area with connections to MAX Light Rail, the Portland Streetcar, and local and intercity bus services. The station building contains Wilf's Restaurant & Bar on the ground level and offices on the upper floors. It also has Amtrak's first Metropolitan Lounge on the West Coast, which is reserved for first-class sleeping car and business-class passengers.

Fareless Square was an area within central Portland, Oregon, where all rides on TriMet buses and light rail and the Portland Streetcar were free. It primarily consisted of the downtown area and, after 2001, the Lloyd District. It existed from January 1975 through August 2012, but was briefly renamed the Free Rail Zone in January 2010 after its coverage became limited to light rail and streetcar service, with bus rides no longer being free. The TriMet board decided in June 2012 to discontinue the Free Rail Zone primarily to help fill a large shortfall in the agency's budget, and the action was one component of a package of extensive budget cuts which also included service reductions and fare increases. The Free Rail Zone ended on August 31, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MAX Blue Line</span> Light rail line in Portland, Oregon

The MAX Blue Line is a light rail service in Portland, Oregon, United States, operated by TriMet as part of the MAX Light Rail system. It travels east–west for approximately 33 miles (53 km)—the longest in the network—between Hillsboro, Beaverton, Portland, and Gresham and serves 48 stations from Hatfield Government Center to Cleveland Avenue. The line carried an average 55,370 riders each day on weekdays in September 2018, the busiest of the five MAX lines. It runs for 2212 hours per day from Monday to Thursday, with headways of between 30 minutes off-peak and five minutes during rush hour. Service runs later in the evening on Fridays and Saturdays and ends earlier on Sundays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MAX Yellow Line</span> Light rail line in Portland, Oregon

The MAX Yellow Line is a light rail service in Portland, Oregon, United States, operated by TriMet as part of the MAX Light Rail system. It connects North Portland to Portland City Center and Portland State University (PSU) with 17 stops from Expo Center station to PSU South/Southwest 6th and College station. The line travels from Portland Expo Center in the north, south to the Rose Quarter through a 5.8-mile (9.3 km) light rail segment along the median of Interstate Avenue. From the Rose Quarter, it crosses the Willamette River via the Steel Bridge and enters downtown Portland, where it operates as a northbound-only service of the Portland Transit Mall on 6th Avenue. Service runs for approximately 21 hours daily with a headway of 15 minutes during most of the day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Portland, Oregon</span> Neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, United States

Downtown Portland is the central business district of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is on the west bank of the Willamette River in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MAX Green Line</span> Light rail line in Portland, Oregon

The MAX Green Line is a light rail service in Portland, Oregon, United States, operated by TriMet as part of the MAX Light Rail system. It is 15 miles (24.1 km) long and serves 30 stations from the PSU South stations to Clackamas Town Center Transit Center; it connects Portland State University (PSU), Portland City Center, Northeast Portland, Southeast Portland, and Clackamas. The Green Line is the only service that shares parts of its route with the four other MAX services, sharing the Portland Transit Mall with the Orange and Yellow lines and the Banfield segment of the Eastside MAX with the Blue and Red lines. Southbound from Gateway/Northeast 99th Avenue Transit Center, it operates the Interstate 205 (I-205) segment through to Clackamas Town Center. Service runs for approximately 2112 hours daily with a headway of 15 minutes during most of the day. It is the third-busiest line in the system, carrying an average of 19,160 riders per day on weekdays in September 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MAX Orange Line</span> Light rail line in Portland, Oregon

The MAX Orange Line is a light rail service in Portland, Oregon, United States, operated by TriMet as part of the MAX Light Rail system. It connects Portland City Center, Portland State University (PSU), Southeast Portland, Milwaukie, and Oak Grove. The line serves 17 stations from Union Station/Northwest 5th & Glisan to Southeast Park Avenue and runs for 2012 hours daily with a minimum headway of 15 minutes during most of the day. It averaged 3,480 daily weekday riders in September 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Vintage Trolley</span> Heritage streetcar

The Portland Vintage Trolley was a heritage streetcar service in Portland, Oregon, United States, that operated from 1991 to 2014. It operated on a portion of the MAX light rail system, and for a brief time also operated on the Portland Streetcar system, in downtown and nearby areas. Service was provided with replicas of a type of Brill streetcar, nicknamed the "Council Crest" cars, which last served Portland in 1950. The service was managed by Vintage Trolley Inc., a non-profit corporation, and the cars were owned and operated by TriMet, Portland's transit agency. For 18 of its 23 years, the service followed a 2.3-mile (3.7 km) section of what is now the MAX Blue Line, between Lloyd Center and the west end of downtown. In September 2009, the route was changed to a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) section of the MAX system, along the transit mall in downtown Portland, from Union Station to Portland State University (PSU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Transit Mall</span> Public transit corridor in Portland, US

The Portland Transit Mall is a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) public transit corridor that travels north–south through the center of downtown in Portland, Oregon, United States. It comprises a pair of one-way streets—6th Avenue for northbound traffic and 5th Avenue for southbound—along which two of three lanes are restricted to transit buses and light rail vehicles only. As of September 2022, the corridor is served by the Green, Orange, and Yellow lines of MAX Light Rail; Frequent Express; and over a dozen local bus routes, all of which are services of TriMet, the transit agency operating within the Oregon side of the Portland metropolitan area. C-Tran, the transit agency for Clark County, Washington, additionally serves it with two express bus routes—#105 I-5 Express and #164 Fisher’s Landing Express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilikum Crossing</span> Bridge over the Willamette River, Portland, OR, USA

Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People is a cable-stayed bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was designed by TriMet, the Portland metropolitan area's regional transit authority, for its MAX Orange Line light rail passenger trains. The bridge also serves city buses and the Portland Streetcar, as well as bicycles, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles. Private cars and trucks are not permitted on the bridge. It is the first major bridge in the U.S. that was designed to allow access to transit vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians but not cars.

The transportation system of Oregon is a cooperation of complex systems of infrastructure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NS Line</span> Streetcar route in Portland, Oregon

The North South Line is a streetcar service of the Portland Streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, United States. Operated by Portland Streetcar, Inc. and TriMet, it travels approximately 4.1 miles (6.6 km) per direction from Northwest 23rd & Marshall to Southwest Lowell & Bond and serves 39 stations. The line connects Portland's Northwest District, Pearl District, downtown, Portland State University (PSU), and South Waterfront. It runs every day of the week between 15 and 18 hours per day and operates on headways of 15 to 20 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A and B Loop</span> Streetcar circle route in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The A and B Loop is a streetcar circle route of the Portland Streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, United States. Operated by Portland Streetcar, Inc. and TriMet, it is made up of two separate services: the 6.1-mile (9.8 km) A Loop, which runs clockwise, and the 6.6-mile (10.6 km) B Loop, which runs counterclockwise. The route travels a loop between the east and west sides of the Willamette River by crossing the Broadway Bridge in the north and Tilikum Crossing in the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frequent Express</span> Bus rapid transit route in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Frequent Express (FX) is a high-capacity bus service operated by TriMet in Portland, Oregon, United States. Operating as FX2–Division, the 15-mile (24 km) route runs east–west from 5th & Hoyt on the Portland Transit Mall in downtown Portland to Cleveland Avenue Park and Ride in Gresham via Division Street. It connects Portland City Center, Portland State University (PSU), South Waterfront, Southeast Portland, and central Gresham, with transfers to MAX Light Rail and the Portland Streetcar.