U.S. Transportation Secretary to visit Portland to see streetcar, boost 'sustainable communities'

[depakid]

The Portland Streetcar, shown here on Northwest Lovejoy Street, has won national attention and financial support from the Obama administration.
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U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood will be in Portland on Wednesday to see the Portland Streetcar line, The Oregonian has learned.

LaHood has called Portland's light rail and streetcar networks a model for how the nation can use infrastructure to fight global warming and pollution. Portland is a model for a new program called Partnership for Sustainable Communities, fueling national debate about the region's mass transit infrastructure.

In April, LaHood announced he would approve $75 million for an eastside extension of the Portland Streetcar from the Pearl District, across the Broadway Bridge to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Conservative columnist (and noted serial liar) George Will wrote a column in Newsweek criticizing LaHood and the Portland model of mass transit and bike-oriented transportation planning. U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer offered to debate Will on the issue.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/us_transportation_secretary_to.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. All right!

I've always felt public transportation was a boon--less stress on commutes to work, less pollution, less traffic--a win win win situation.

[Cha]

2. That just looks Cool..thanks for the article, kid.

My daughter and her family live in Portland, Ore..I'll have to ask her about this.

[depakid]

6. You might want to also ask if they've ridden the tram yet

Jury's still out on whether it was cost effective or not- but something had to be done to develop the new biotech area and solve transportation problems up to Oregon Health Sciences University (pill hill).

The aerial tram runs from the streetcar line to the top.

[Cha]

7. Wow! I love Portland, Ore..I was there at Thanksgiving

2008~ I'm talking to her tomorrow and I will ask about the tram. I've already booked this thread for the conversation.:)

Those pics of the tram!! Wow!

[roguevalley]

15. Portland has the coolest, bestest rail system in the USA. I love it

to death and its even cute. Love to see this spread.

[patrice]

3. These DARNED "free market" Republicans DON'T want any CHOICES!!

You really don't need a car in Portland. There are alternatives and you have a choice.

Blumenauer responded by Twitter:

In Newsweek: it's LaHood that gets it. George Will doesn't. It's about "choices" not behavior modification.

In Portland the P word is Progress. There's one way to find out, Mr. Will, come to Portland and we'll debate-what you write and what you see.

And bring your bowtie, your neckwear choice may be one area we may actually agree.

In a press release, Blumenauer added:

Rep. Earl Bluemanauer

In his article, Mr. Will proves that he is mired in a one-dimensional past, one that the city of Portland has successfully overcome. He opposes policies that will provide Americans with more choices while saving them money, creating jobs and protecting the environment. In Portland we have been able to increase productivity, boost our economy, and invest in our city's resources by taking a well-rounded approach to transportation.

"

[Thrill]

4. Thats a good amount for Portland. How many jobs will it create for them?

Sounds like a good project

[depakid]

10. I dunno- I suppose it depends on how many communities want streetcars

Oregon Ironworks has a subsidiary that's building them called United Steetcar.

Tucson's getting seven of them (which makes sense, considering the weather).

http://www.unitedstreetcar.com/

The only beef about the streetcars here is that they stop too often and are kind of slow- particularly compared with bikes.

[Pirate Smile]

5. Check out the video linked to in the thread below. LaHood went on a tour of the European high speed

rail system. Very cool.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8501894&mesg_id=8501894

[ensho]

8. Washington, D.C. used to have streetcars - I rode on them as a kid

used to ride them with my great aunt Anna Katherine from 8th and E. Capitol Sts. to downtown and the most wonderful department store, Woodward and Lothrop. to shop and have the famous chicken salad sandwiches in their Tea Room.

I vote for more streetcars.

[Veruca Salt]

9. I want those in my Portland too!

That would be huge, and take more cars off the road in downtown which is exactly what we need! Are those more efficient and less polluting than buses too? We do have an excellent bus system in Portland ME but the Metro still uses a lot of the older buses which don't use Biodiesel.

[avaistheone1]

11. Woohoo for sustainable communities with sustainable health care

like a single payer health plan.

[izzybeans]

12. Bring that to Chicago.

Please.

[depakid]

13. The L trains are pretty cool

They go a lot more places than light rail does in Portland. Cities like Seattle and LA wish they had something like that- and maybe some day they will.

[izzybeans]

14. The L is surprisingly inadequate

There are far too many parts of the city it does not reach and then it filters all rail traffic through the loop. It makes going east and west very hard, especially with our clunky bus system.

Over half my commute is waiting on the bus to take me west from the loop. And much of that is spent waiting on the next bus with room enough for me to squeeze on to it.