Streetcar Plan Gains Speed
Earlier this month, on September 6th, the City Council met to discuss the proposed $147 million Eastside streetcar project, that, if approved, would extend the streecar from Downtown, across the Broadway Bridge, down Martin Luther King Boulevard, and terminate at OMSI. The meeting came at a critical time for the project, as the following day was the cutoff date for submitting a viable plan to the Federal Transit Administration, the agency that the Council is hoping to receive $75 million from to help fund the extension.
Ultimately, the City hopes that this new Eastside streetcar will replace much of the #6 busline that runs the length of MLK Blvd., and that the money that is currently used for maintenance of the busses on the route, and the cost of the extra maintenance to the road itself, can be diverted into the new rail line.
The question must be asked, Is this a good time to be planning even MORE light rail extensions? With Downtown currently in absolute shambles while the construction of the new MAX line and revamp of the transit mall continues, and Tri-Met already planning its South Corridor Project (a proposal to extend the MAX down the eastside of the Willamette, from Downtown to Milwaukie), the City may want to take a step back, and wait to see how the plethora of current transit projects pan out before diving head first into yet another multi-million dollar commitment.
For more information on the Eastside streetcar proposal, check out the article in the Portland Mercury.
Related posts:
- Your thoughts on Portland’s Streetcar
- Washington County Commuter Rail
- Portland Mall Site Goes Live
- Freeway to go Underground
- The O-Train: Ottawa’s Light Rail
