Given Yesterday’s article on the upcoming streetcar propsal in Miami and the obvious opposition to the propsed system, I have decided to post a video of Portland’s streetcar (video found by Ryan.) The Portland Streetcar system is nearly 5 miles long and is the first modern streetcar system in the United States. The streetcar shares the roads with vehicles as well as pedestrians as it crosses through areas designated soley for foot traffic. Like Miami, Portland also had a successful Trolley system until the late 1940’s, when buses were favored over the train routes. The initial daily boarding for the Portland system was estimated to be 3,000 riders, a number which was quickly surpassed within the first few months of operation to 6,000 daily riders. The Portland system was almost entirely funded by local dollars and required minimal federal funding (Less than $5 Million.) In its first 5 years of operation the city of Portland has experienced a great deal of urban renewal along the streetcar loop, spurring growth and development in pedestrian friendly ways. The similarities between the two cities and systems are astounding…
The City of Miami and the FDOT are hosting a final public hearing on the Miami streetcar initiative today
from 6-8 p.m. at the Miami-Dade College Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave. I hope the demonstration of the Portland Streetcar has convinced enough of you that the benefits of this project would surpass the costs…
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