The Portland Streetcar made its debut on July 20, 2001, making Portland the first city in North America to build a modern streetcar system with modern vehicles.

This year, we got to celebrate Portland Streetcar's extension into the South Waterfront district, where there will be two new stops -on Gibbs St. by the tram station and further into SoWa on Lowell St.

Sam helped piece together funding for this project from a variety of sources: a state of Oregon $2.1 million ConnectOregon grant, regional Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Project funds from Metro, a lot of support from various private partners, and support from the Portland Development Commission.

The Streetcar is not just for transportation - it has become a national model for community support, land-use planning, transportation planning, public art, and environmentally friendly construction practices.

Transportation options like the Streetcar, light rail, bus service, and great bicycle and pedestrian facilities help Portland achieve its status as the most sustainable city in the nation. It has never been more important to implement smart transportation polices and investments that will help us meet the needs of a growing and prosperous Oregon.

Related Links