Portland Streetcar News

[maccoinnich]

Unfucking believable. Less than 3 years after opening a $150 million extension to the streetcar line they are shutting it down for 6-10 weeks.



Now, I understand that it's necessary to paint the Broadway Bridge, and there are dangers in having that work done with 750 volt overhead power adjacent to the workers, but surely there's a better solution. Could they have waited to do the work until the Tilikum Crossing is open? Or could they have deadheaded a fleet of trains over the Broadway Bridge or Tilikum Crossing at the start and end of the day? (There are turnbacks at OMSI and at the east end of the Broadway Bridge.)

[Photogeric]

Because they are painting the Broadway bridge, the bridge that probably needs painting the LEAST. How about they paint the Fremont or Marquam?!

[babs]

Originally Posted by Photogeric

Because they are painting the Broadway bridge, the bridge that probably needs painting the LEAST. How about they paint the Fremont or Marquam?!

6-10 weeks??? You paint around the electrical wires and maybe close it for a few days, then do the rest of the bridge. Shows the lack of creativity of the project planners and the lack of empathy for streetcar riders. Once you shut it down for 10 weeks, it will take a long time to rebuild ridership as people get used to other ways to travel.

[MarkDaMan]

Originally Posted by Photogeric

Because they are painting the Broadway bridge, the bridge that probably needs painting the LEAST. How about they paint the Fremont or Marquam?!

Different bridge owners. Broadway is owned by Multnomah County. The other two are maintained by ODOT.

[2oh1]

There has to be more to the story... right? Would they really shut down the entire CL line of the streetcar for 6 to 10 weeks just to paint a bridge? I'd understand (sort of) if the bridge was also being repaired... but 6 to 10 weeks for painting? Is the whole bridge going to be closed, or just the streetcar line?

Bizarre.

[58rhodes]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

There has to be more to the story... right? Would they really shut down the entire CL line of the streetcar for 6 to 10 weeks just to paint a bridge? I'd understand (sort of) if the bridge was also being repaired... but 6 to 10 weeks for painting? Is the whole bridge going to be closed, or just the streetcar line?

Bizarre.

could be a contractor liability issue

[urbanlife]

I am not really too concerned with this, I always felt that the CL loop was just running temporarily to test it out before the loop was fully completed. Once the Tillicum is open, then it would make no sense to shut the line down.

Though I am curious what the CL's ridership numbers are right now and if that had anything to do with this decision to close it down for 6 weeks...

[Photogeric]

They wouldn't have to shut the line down at all if they waited to paint until after the Tillicum is open.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by Photogeric

They wouldn't have to shut the line down at all if they waited to paint until after the Tillicum is open.

True, though I am guessing that they didn't want any delays from the circle line to be up and fully functional once the new bridge opened.

[65MAX]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

True, though I am guessing that they didn't want any delays from the circle line to be up and fully functional once the new bridge opened.

This is exactly right. They (people associated with Portland Streetcar) specifically said that they didn't want the new bridge to open up the full loop on the south end, only to have it chopped off again on the north end. That would have killed any momentum they would have realized from the startup of the full loop. Better to get the work done on the Broadway Bridge prior to the September kick off.

[maccoinnich]

Streetcar CAC minutes [PDF] from April. Totally confusing. Nothing in the minutes indicates why Option A received zero votes.

5. Broadway Bridge painting

Gustafson reminded the CAC that starting at some point in Mid-May the Broadway Bridge is going to be repainted. Multnomah County has agreed to do the portions that impact Streetcar service first so that it is completed prior to the opening of the completed Central Loop in September. During this time, the power will need to be shut down on the Broadway Bridge for 6-10 weeks, which will prevent Streetcar from operating across it. There are three options for service during this time frame. Staff is hoping for a recommendation from the CAC on which option to move forward with. Gustafson prefaced the options by stating that all three options are ugly and will greatly impact riders. All three options would involve running a special circulator Streetcar on 10th & 11th between Market and Northrup to maintain the regular frequencies in the core.

Option A is to run Streetcars from OMSI to N Broadway/Weidler & Ross. This would involve coordination with TriMet operations to get four streetcars across the Tilikum Crossing each morning, three for operations and one spare, and hiring a supervisor and flaggers to stop traffic and assist the operator with the turnback using the manual switch which sits in the traffic lanes on the east end of the Broadway Bridge. Traffic will still be on the Broadway Bridge using the center lanes. Riders would need to transfer to either a bus shuttle or the Route 17 bus to get from the east side to the west side of the bridge.

Option B is a TriMet bus shuttle replacement service from OMSI to NW 11th & Marshall. Option B comes at a potential cost above the normal Streetcar Operations budget of $500,000. This is money that is not currently allocated.

Option C would be to utilize the existing TriMet service, particularly lines 6, 17, and 77, to get to the locations along the alignment. This would cover the majority of stops but not all and would require coordination with Central Loop Riders who hold Monthly and Annual pass to ensure that they were able to get around.

Farhoodi asked why Option B would be more expensive as there will be operators who are available who aren’t operating the Central Loop streetcars. Ronchelli responded that Streetcar operators and Bus operators are a different group. Gustafson added that the costs also involve the price of the gas and buses and supervisors assigned to bus.

Ronchelli added that Option C is the only option with no Streetcar presence on the east side.

Brandt stated concern about the dramatic impact this will have on Central Loop ridership if it is completely absent. Pearce asked how the buses would connect with service on the west side. Gustafson responded that both the 6 and 77 cross Streetcar on 10th & 11th while the 17 runs parallel until PSU and would require a walk of 3-4 blocks. Pearce asked if there would be any service to the OMSI/ORHF area during this shutdown. She seconded the concern about the dramatic impact to ridership with Option C. Richardson asked if there was any way to turn around in the Lloyd District. Gustafson responded there is not a turn back in that area. Richardson asked if TriMet has to be the contractor for the bus service, such as Eugene which has buses with doors on both sides of the bus.

The CAC voted with 0 votes for Option A, 6 votes for Option B, and 5 votes for Option C.

[maccoinnich]

At this point I don't really see the point of the streetcar only fare.

Portland Streetcar set to double single-ride fares in September



Portland Streetcar plans to boost its fares in September.

The “Streetcar Only” fare will jump from $1 to $2 beginning Sept. 1. The increased cost of the two-and-a-half hour fare will also affect the price of the “Streetcar Only” monthly and annual passes.

Monthly passes will cost $40, up from $23, while annual pass fees will rise from $250 to $400.

The fare increases will coincide with the opening of the streetcar's new service over Tilikum Crossing this September. The move links what will be called the "A" and "B" loops, with the “A” Loop running clockwise around the city as the "B” Loop runs counter-clockwise.

...continues at the Portland Business Journal.

[davehogan]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

At this point I don't really see the point of the streetcar only fare.



...continues at the Portland Business Journal.

It's still cheaper than buying a TriMet day pass.

[maccoinnich]

What I mean is: why have a $2 ticket that's only valid on the streetcar, when there's a $2.50 ticket available that's a valid on the entire TriMet system (plus the streetcar)? At least the $1 streetcar-only ticket is substantially cheaper than a system wide ticket.

[2oh1]

I'm offended by this price hike.

In just a few years, the price of an annual pass on the Portland Streetcar has risen from $100 to $400 - and we lost fareless square - yet the streetcar has been focussed primarily on development rather than on the transportation needs of Portlanders. Does the streetcar go anywhere near Hawthorne, Bellmont, Mississippi or Alberta? Oh, heck no. But they wasted no time extending it to South Waterfront and a part of mostly non-residential inner SE where developers are building tiny studios that will rent for $1400 a month and up.

I didn't mind the city using the streetcar as a tool for development when it was cheap to ride, but now that the price has quadrupled to $400 a year, there's no excuse for prioritizing developers over Portlanders. Or, to put it another way... if the streetcar is going to prioritize being a tool for development, let developers fund it. If developers can't fund it, then lay the damn tracks where Portlanders live, work and play.

I'm extremely pro-development, but I am even more anti-discrimination, and focusing on potential future residents who can afford $1400 a month studios over the needs of everyone else who lives in Portland sure feels like discrimination to me. Oh, thank god, people moving into the upcoming 21 story Skylab building in inner SE will be able to keep their BMW's with out of state plates in their $150/mo underground parking and ride the streetcar instead. Oh. Thank. GOD. Meanwhile, everybody who lives in Southeast, Northeast and North Portland are ignored. And, please, let's not kid ourselves into thinking the CL loop somehow benefits 99.9999% of those who live in SE Portland. The tracks in SE go nowhere near where most residents of SE Portland live.

$400 annual passes for a system that ignores the majority of the city is offensive. I love the streetcar, but I find it offensive that it's designed to be a tool for development when the price is jumping to $400 a year, especially when the next major price hike is probably only a year or two away.

It doesn't help that the streetcar has a brand-spankin'-new logo. Gone is the Portland skyline with tracks. It's replacement is a generic S in a circle, likely chosen because so many of the residents in the new inner-SE $1400/mo studios haven't lived in Portland long enough to know what the skyline looks like. I wonder how much the new logo cost, keeping in mind that changing the logo means updating every single sign, vehicle, web page, and every single piece of paper associated with the system. Talk about a stupid waste of money. Well, at least the streetcar is making such a huge profit that they have money to burn on something as trivial as a new logo without raising prices on riders, right? Oh, wait.

I think the Portland Streetcar needs new leadership and a new focus.

[maccoinnich]

The majority of the local funding for building the streetcar system came from Urban Renewal money, Systems Development Charges and Local Improvement Districts. Which is another way of saying that developers did pay for a large part of it. Of the entire build out only $1.8 million has come from the City's General Fund.

Your claim that it's of no use to Portlanders is bizarre. The system gets around 15,000 riders a day, mostly because it travels through the densest neighborhoods in the entire state.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Your claim that it's of no use to Portlanders is bizarre.

That is not what I said. I'm not sure why you're twisting my words so wildly out of context. I said: "everybody who lives in Southeast, Northeast and North Portland are ignored. And, please, let's not kid ourselves into thinking the CL loop somehow benefits 99.9999% of those who live in SE Portland. The tracks in SE go nowhere near where most residents of SE Portland live."

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

The system gets around 15,000 riders a day, mostly because it travels through the densest neighborhoods in the entire state.

Neighborhoods that either didn't exist or barely existed when the system was built. The Pearl. South Waterfront. Industrial SE. Why was Goose Hollow ignored? Probably because the system prioritizes developers over Portlanders. And why have SE, NE and NOPO pretty much been ignored? Because the system prioritizes developers. It's always been primarily used as a tool for development.

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

That is not what I said.

Originally Posted by 2oh1

prioritizes developers over Portlanders.

For someone who claims not have said that you seem awfully keen to say it again.

Originally Posted by 2oh1

Why was Goose Hollow ignored? .... And why have SE, NE and NOPO pretty much been ignored?

If only we had another light rail system that serves every one of those areas...

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

For someone who claims not have said that you seem awfully keen to say it again.

I said prioritizes. I have no idea why you're twisting it into something else. The streetcar has primarily been designed as a tool for development.

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

If only we had another light rail system that serves every one of those areas...

The MAX isn't designed to be a neighborhood system. It's a totally different kind of mass transit. The MAX doesn't serve neighborhoods like Hawthorn, Alberta and Mississippi. The MAX is a long distance... wait... do I really need to explain the difference between a light rail system like the MAX and a streetcar?

Edited to add: I want to be clear here. I'm not against the streetcar being used as a tool for development. I just think it was easier to accept that the system prioritizes development when the system was also cheap to ride. Now that the price has climbed to the point where it's priced almost as high as a bus or the MAX, it's time to prioritize getting it into neighborhoods like SE, NE and NOPO.

[cityscapes]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

I'm offended by this price hike.

In just a few years, the price of an annual pass on the Portland Streetcar has risen from $100 to $400 - and we lost fareless square - yet the streetcar has been focussed primarily on development rather than on the transportation needs of Portlanders. Does the streetcar go anywhere near Hawthorne, Bellmont, Mississippi or Alberta? Oh, heck no. But they wasted no time extending it to South Waterfront and a part of mostly non-residential inner SE where developers are building tiny studios that will rent for $1400 a month and up.

I didn't mind the city using the streetcar as a tool for development when it was cheap to ride, but now that the price has quadrupled to $400 a year, there's no excuse for prioritizing developers over Portlanders. Or, to put it another way... if the streetcar is going to prioritize being a tool for development, let developers fund it. If developers can't fund it, then lay the damn tracks where Portlanders live, work and play.

I'm extremely pro-development, but I am even more anti-discrimination, and focusing on potential future residents who can afford $1400 a month studios over the needs of everyone else who lives in Portland sure feels like discrimination to me. Oh, thank god, people moving into the upcoming 21 story Skylab building in inner SE will be able to keep their BMW's with out of state plates in their $150/mo underground parking and ride the streetcar instead. Oh. Thank. GOD. Meanwhile, everybody who lives in Southeast, Northeast and North Portland are ignored. And, please, let's not kid ourselves into thinking the CL loop somehow benefits 99.9999% of those who live in SE Portland. The tracks in SE go nowhere near where most residents of SE Portland live.

$400 annual passes for a system that ignores the majority of the city is offensive. I love the streetcar, but I find it offensive that it's designed to be a tool for development when the price is jumping to $400 a year, especially when the next major price hike is probably only a year or two away.

It doesn't help that the streetcar has a brand-spankin'-new logo. Gone is the Portland skyline with tracks. It's replacement is a generic S in a circle, likely chosen because so many of the residents in the new inner-SE $1400/mo studios haven't lived in Portland long enough to know what the skyline looks like. I wonder how much the new logo cost, keeping in mind that changing the logo means updating every single sign, vehicle, web page, and every single piece of paper associated with the system. Talk about a stupid waste of money. Well, at least the streetcar is making such a huge profit that they have money to burn on something as trivial as a new logo without raising prices on riders, right? Oh, wait.

I think the Portland Streetcar needs new leadership and a new focus.

I understand your frustration with the price increase and the new logo, but why shouldn't the streetcar fare be more similar to the bus fare or max? It is still a public transportation service and yes while it has been a development tool that doesn't mean it should be free. No one is forcing anyone to pay these fares and people are free to go with a more practical Tri-Met pass and use the streetcar service as they please.

I'm also sensing a lot of hostility towards newcomers in your posts today and I find it tiresome especially because it seems like such a hot topic no matter where you go in Portland. My problem with this is it seems that most people act like it's only Portland that people are moving to and that other mid to large cities do not deal with the same issue. Also what makes people think that Portland is except from larger market forces as a whole. You can't get a 1 bedroom in a new building in my hometown in Florida either for under $1,200 anymore and it's just a far flung suburb of Miami. Rents are becoming outrageous everywhere.

Mostly Californians are vilified but I see out of state plates from Alabama, Florida, New York, Minnesota etc. on a daily basis. Oregon is a pretty small state. To put it in perspective the last state I lived in (Alabama) has nearly a million more people than Oregon. Oregon is next to the most populous state. Spoiler alert: the biggest percentage of people that are going to move here are most likely going to be from the massive state to the south.

If you go to Atlanta or Charlotte or any other growing city most of the people are transplants. Go to the new buildings in those cities and you're going to see license plates from Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Virginia etc. One thing about Portland is it seems to be drawing in a lot of tech and creative people that freelance so often they aren't taking local jobs. But on that topic doesn't Oregon have really high drop out rates and a relatively low rate of post-secondary education completion? If a bunch of people that are more qualified than the locals move in I'm pretty sure an employer is going to pick the ones that are best qualified.

You also are acting like Oregonians are not capable of renting any in any of the new properties in Portland. I highly doubt that's true. Most of the people I work with are native Oregonians and they all earn good salaries and could afford the rent in any of these new buildings if they chose to live there. My point is, there are plenty of locals that can afford these rents too just as there are plenty of people that move here from across the country that live in a room in a crappy old house with 8 roommates. I don't know if you've tried renting property from half way around the world before but it's pretty hard. I had to go with a more expensive place when I moved to London because only the fancy letting agencies had a way for someone to sign their lease online. That's another factor as to why most of the new buildings tend to have a higher than average percentage of people from other states living in them. It's much easier to lease a place from a big company than doing it with someone renting a room on craigslist if you're moving here without the luxury of coming here to look for a place in person first. If you really want to see a city that's turned into a playground for outsiders go to London.

/rantover