PORTLAND STREETCAR
Portland Streetcar

The Portland Streetcar represents the first application in this country of a revived concept in electric rail transit -- a line operating modern vehicles, running mostly intermixed with city street traffic, and at distinctly modest speeds, with frequent stations, serving the urban core and nearby areas: all characteristics of trolley lines from many decades ago. 

The Streetcar is owned by the City of Portland, but it is operated by TriMet, the agency that provides MAX light rail and area buses.  The route is over three miles each way, extending northwest and southeast from downtown.  

The  line travels primarily along city streets on a route that is about three and one-half  miles in each direction.  It runs through downtown generally north-south, at right angles to the MAX route. 

This scene is in the center city, and the car that has just passed is heading for NW 23rd Ave.  Streetcars heading in the other direction, destined for S. Waterfront, run parallel a block away to the left, along SW 11th Ave.  The "wrong-way" switch in view connects with the westbound MAX track that runs on SW Morrison St. 

Links to Individual Pages:
Through Downtown Downtown Streetcar Heading Back to Town
Rails Curving Streetcar Close-up Turning Inbound
Blue Paint Scheme Residential Street In City Traffic
Stop Sign for All Not In Service At Portland State
Distant Bridge South Park Blocks Leaving Campus
PSU Bookstore Recreating the Past Onto the Inbound Track
MAX Crossing Ahead Rails Cross Bend at RiverPlace
At NW Everett Remaking the Neighborhood Along SW Harrison
Rails Cross Downtown Past RiverPlace Old and New Rails
Long Grade Down From the Car Barn RiverPlace
Single Track Inbound Along SW Harrison End of the Line
Available Information Leaving Pearl Along NW Lovejoy
Go By Streetcar Along NW 10th Danger Overhead
Private Right of Way Central Library A Bundle of Rails
In the Rain To RiverPlace Working at Gibbs
Tram Station Passengers Waiting Crossing SW Moody
Canopy Above American Prototype Sharp Curve
Tram Above Stretch of Single Track Waterfront Development
Hills to the South Crossing SW Gibbs New Along SW Moody
Streetcars Meet South Waterfront Gondola Above
Onto SW 4th Very Different Models Broadway Bridge Beyond
Ross Island Bridge Control Panel Two-Way Running
Pearl, Northbound Onto SW Mill Near the Armory
Switching Inbound At SW Lowell Waiting at SW Lowell
Redevelopment Continues