Table 3.23: Tramway, Light Railway and LRT
U.S., Canada, Western Europe and Australasia
Portland     (3.23.1, 2008.2)
City and Country
Population Served
System Length, km / mi
Annual Passengers (million)
Average Travel Distance, km / mi
Annual Traffic Density (million)
           
Portland (OR) - all-1915
US
@ 250,000
285.0 / 176.7
83
3 / 2
0.9
urban-1923
  
@ 280,000
169 / 103
85
"
1.7
1929
  
@ 300,000
"
68.4
"
1.3
Portland tramway lines as at 1929, arranged anti- (counter) clockwise (northwest, southwest, southeast, northeast, north).
Northwest
            
23 - Twenty-third Avenue
    
3.8 / 2.4
3.2
2 / 1
1.7
NS - North and South Portland
    
11.7 / 7.3
4.8
3 / 2
1.2
WH - Willamette Heights
    
4.7 / 2.9
3.0
2.5 / 1.5
0.5
WO - Westover Terrace (shuttle)
    
1.5 / 1.0
0.3
0.5 / 0.3
0.1
KH - Kings Heights (shuttle)
    
2.4 / 1.5
0.04
1 / 0.5
0.07
AH - Arlington Heights (shuttle)
    
2.5 / 1.6
0.07
1 / 0.5
0.3
             
Southwest
            
CC - Council Crest
    
5.5 / 3.4
1.6
2.5 / 1.5
0.7
13 - Thirteenth Avenue (shuttle)
    
1.3 / 0.8
0.07
0.5 / 0.3
0.03
             
Southeast
            
BT - Bridge Transfer
    
5.9 / 3.6
3.3
2 / 1
1.1
SW - Sellwood
    
8.7 / 5.4
1.6
3 / 2
0.6
EM - Eastmoreland (shuttle)
    
2.5 / 1.6
      
EH - Erroll Heights (shuttle)
    
1.2 / 0.7
      
             
WS - Woodstock
    
9.8 / 6.1
2.1
    
RM - Richmond
    
5.8 / 3.6
1.3
    
WS + RM
    
11.3 / 7.0
3.4
3 / 2
0.9
             
MS - Mount Scott
    
12.5 / 7.7
3.8
    
HA - Hawthorne Avenue
    
8.6 / 5.3
2.4
    
MS + HA
    
15.5 / 9.6
6.3
3 / 2
1.2
             
MM - Murraymead (shuttle)
    
1.2 / 0.7
0.1
0.5 / 0.3
0.04
             
Northeast
            
MT - Mt. Tabor
    
8.4 / 5.2
7.0
3 / 2
2.7
MV - Montavilla
    
9.6 / 5.9
3.6
3 / 2
1.2
             
RC - Rose City
    
8.9 / 5.5
5.5
    
BM - Beaumont
      
1.2
    
RC + BM
    
10.1 / 6.2
6.7
3 / 2
2.0
             
BW - Broadway
    
7.2 / 4.4
3.7
3 / 2
1.6
I-J - Irvington & Jefferson
    
7.8 / 4.9
2.3
3 / 2
0.9
             
AB - Alberta
      
2.8
    
WL - Woodlawn
      
2.0
    
VC - Vancouver
    
12.5 / 7.8
1.4
    
AB + WL + VC
    
16.9 / 10.5
6.2
3 / 2
1.1
             
North
            
WA - Williams Avenue
    
7.6 / 4.7
3.5
3 / 2
1.4
RS - Russell - Shaver (shuttle)
    
3.1 / 2.0
0.4
1.5 / 0.9
0.2
MA - Mississippi Avenue
    
9.1 / 5.6
4.3
3 / 2
1.4
SJ - St. Johns
    
12.4 / 7.7
3.6
3 / 2
0.7
             
interurban-1923
    
117.5 / 72.8
1
15 / 9
0.1
1950
  
@ 470,000
u 374,000
35.0 / 21.7
1.4
8 / 5
0.3
1956
  
@ 670,000
u 373,000
"
1
"
0.2
Portland-Corvallis-1915
  
@ 250,000
168 / 104
1
40 / 25
0.2
Portland-Eugene-1915
  
@ 275,000
252.0 / 156.3
1.6
40 / 25
0.3
             
LRT-1988
  
900,000
u 425,000
24.4 / 15.1
6.6
9.3 /5.8
2.5
1996
  
1,000,000
u 490,000
"
8.9
8.8 / 5.5
3.2
2000
  
1,100,000
u 529,000
52.3 / 32.5
21.2
9.1 / 5.7
3.7
2006
  
1,250,000
u 560,000
70.0 / 43.4
32.6
8.4 / 5.2
3.9
* Green Line + existing - 2025
    
83.4 / 51.7
44
10 / 6
5
* Green Line, * Orange Line + existing - 2025
    
92 / 57
50
10 / 6
5
             
Streetcar-2002
    
4.0 / 2.5
1.4
1.9 / 1.2
0.7
Streetcar-2007
    
6.0 / 3.7
3.0
"
1.0
* Eastside Loop + existing - 2009
    
10.5 / 6.5
5.7
2.4 / 1.5
1.3
* Eastside Loop, * Lake Oswego + existing - 2025
    
20 / 12.5
9
4.0 / 2.5
2
see also Vancouver (WA) US
            
Key to Symbols:
* = in planning; ** = under construction.
*** = operated for less than 12 months as noted; traffic density scaled up to annual rate.
@ = population corresponds with historic data year.
u = population within municipal boundary.
 
Notes for Table 3.23
Portland-1915-1930: Operator title: Portland Railway Light and Power Company (to 1924), Portland Electric Power Company (from 1924; subsidiary enterprise of Pacific Northwest Public Service Company 1930-1932).
Portland urban tramway network extended to Vancouver (WA) on Interstate Bridge from 1917.
Interurban-1923: Operated Portland – Oregon City, Golf Jct – Bellrose – Gresham – Cazadero, Linneman Jct – Ruby Jct – Gresham – Bull Run, and Montavilla – Ruby Junction – Troutdale.
Interurban-1950, 1956: Operator title: Portland Railway and Terminal Division, Portland Traction Company. Operated Portland – Golf Junction – Oregon City ("Oregon City Division") and Golf Junction – Bellrose ("Springwater Division"). Bellrose – Gresham passenger service withdrawn 1949 November 5. Remaining passenger service withdrawn (in defiance of orders by [federal] state authority, and court) 1958 January 25.
Portland-Corvallis: Operator title: Southern Pacific Company. Operated Portland – Oswego – Tulatin – Newberg – McMinnville –Whiteson – Corvallis, and Portland – Hillsboro – Forest Grove – Carlton – McMinnville. Whiteson – Corvallis not electrified until 1917.
Portland-Eugene: Operator title: Oregon Electric Railway Company. Operated Portland – Garden Home – Salem – Albany – Eugene, branches to Woodburn and Corvallis, and Garden Home – Hillsboro – Forest Grove.
LRT: "South Corridor Project," includes:
--"Portland Mall Revitalization Project," rebuilding of Portland Mall, in SW 5th Avenue and SW 6th Avenue between Portland State University (PSU) and railway station (Union Station) for LRT operation, 2.9 km / 1.8 mi, in planning. (Portland Mall opened 1978, extended northward to Union Station 1994.) Construction planned for 2007, opening planned for 2009 September 10.
--"I-205 Light Rail Project," Gateway Transit Center – Clackamas Town Center, 10.5 km / 6.5 mi, under construction. Being built in alignment of Interstate-205 motorway ("freeway"), in a location once planned for a busway ("I-205 Transitway"). Opening planned for 2009 September 10.
Portland Mall and I-205 segments known collectively as the "Green Line." Traffic density estimate based on ridership forecast (46,500 / weekday, of which 38,800 / weekday travel to, from or within the I-205 segment), and pertains to Green Line and existing LRT segments.
--"Orange Line," Portland State University – Caruthers Bridge (new bridge for LRT and Streetcar (below) across Willamette River) – Oregon Museum of Science and Industry – Milwaukie (Lake Road), 8 km / 5 mi, in planning. Planned for construction in McLoughlin Boulevard between OMSI and Milwaukie. Opening projected for 2014 September 10. Traffic density estimate based on ridership forecast (20,000 - 25,000 / weekday, by 2025), and pertains to Orange Line, Green Line (above) and existing LRT segments.
(The LRT branch to Portland International Airport was opened on 2001 September 10. At 2007, the airport was used by more than 14.7 million passengers, of which nearly 0.6 million international and more than 14.0 million domestic passengers.)
Streetcar: Opened 2001 July 20. Claimed as the first street tramway ("streetcar") line using modern cars built in the US since World War II. (The authors believe that this claim is conservative, because the "last" street tramway line built in the US, prior to the Portland Streetcar, opened during the late 1920s or early 1930s.)
Extension to RiverPlace (1.0 km / 0.6 mi) opened 2005 March 11. Extension to SW Moody Avenue / SW Gibbs Street, 1.0 km / 0.6 mi, opened 2006 September 8.
Lowell Extension, SW Moody Avenue / SW Gibbs Street – SW Moody Avenue / SW Lowell Street, 0.6 km / 0.4 mi, opened 2007 August 17. Serves South Waterfront - North Macadam Urban Renewal Area.
Eastside Streetcar Loop: NW 11th Avenue - NW 10th Avenue / NW Lovejoy Street – Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), 5.6 km / 3.5 mi. Planned for construction in three stages (if required by financing):
--Eastward from current line, NW 11th Avenue - NW 10th Avenue / NW Lovejoy Street, in NW Lovejoy Street, across Willamette River on Broadway Bridge, N Weidler and N Broadway streets, NE 7th Avenue and NE Grand Avenue, to NE Oregon Street.
--From NE Oregon Street in NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and NE Grand Avenue to SE Morrison Street.
--From SE Morrison Street in E Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and NE Grand Avenue to OMSI.
Streetcar service planned to share the planned Caruthers Bridge (0.8 km / 0.5 mi)with LRT trains to Milwaukie, completing the loop between OMSI and RiverPlace.
Completion to OMSI planned for 2009 September. Traffic density estimate based on ridership forecast (9,500 / weekday, at opening), and pertains to Eastside Streetcar Loop and existing Portland Streetcar segments.
Lake Oswego Extension: SW Moody Avenue / SW Lowell Street – Lake Oswego, 10 km / 6 mi, in planning. To use former railway alignment opened 1887, electrified 1914 (see Portland – Corvallis, above). Following withdrawal of passenger service (1929 October 5) and de-electrification, the line was used for goods (freight) service to 1983. Excursion service with preserved tramcar, powered by a diesel generator towed behind, operated 1987 (September - December). Railway purchased by local authorities in 1988. Seasonal excursion service (marketed as "Willamette Shore Trolley") started in 1990. Traffic density estimate based on ridership forecast (10,900 / weekday, by 2025), and pertains to Lake Oswego extension, Eastside Streetcar Loop and  and existing Portland Streetcar segments.