May 2011
NEWS
The Southwest Portland Post • 3
Controversial Portland to Lake Oswego streetcar route passed by
both city councils
By Lee Perlman
The Southwest Portland Post
After hours of debate as to whether
they should jointly build a new $458
million streetcar line, divided Portland
and Lake Oswego city councils gave a
less than resounding “maybe.”
The seven-member Lake Oswego
council heard from more than 90
citizens in a hearing lasting more than
three hours, and a week later held a de-
bate among themselves lasting almost
as long, before voting four to three to
approve their share of a $470,000 feasi-
bility study for the proposed line.
The next day the Portland Council
heard from more than 20 citizens (in-
cluding several Lake Oswego Council-
ors and residents) before approving the
study by a four to one vote.
Even its proponents agree that the
proposed line is an unusual streetcar
project. Typically, such vehicles are
“circulators” that help people navigate
dense urban neighborhoods, traveling
at an average speed of five miles per
hour.
The proposed line would be a re-
gional facility traveling between cities
through the unincorporated, wealthy
and ultra-low density Dunthorpe com-
munity. It would travel on the Willa-
mette Shore right of way, an abandoned
rail line purchased jointly by several
governing bodies for $2 million in 1988.
Between the route’s few Dunthorpe
stations, unimpeded by other traffic,
the streetcar could reach a speed of 55
miles per hour.
Although the right of way is one of
the main selling points of the project,
the proposed route would depart from
it through part of South Portland,
traveling for about a half-mile along
Southwest Macadam Avenue.
This is in response to area residents
and businesses, who argue that here a
Macadam route will have less adverse
effect on existing housing, and more
catalytic encouragement toward devel-
opment, than Willamette Shore.
As with other streetcar projects, it is
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The Portland Streetcar stops near Portland State University. (May 2007 photo
courtesy Wikipedia)
considered to be as much of a develop-
ment tool as a transit mode. Supporters
say that past projects have produced far
more development, at greater density,
along streetcar routes than other parts
of the same neighborhoods.
In this case, project staff claims that
new development near the line in South
Waterfront has the potential to bring
in as much as $7 million a year in new
property taxes, and more than $5 mil-
lion in System Development Charges.
As to the expense, proponents say
that $80 million of this represents
the current value of the right of way.
They hope to get the Federal Transit
Administration to pay for 60 percent
of the cost, and to use the right of way
value as part of the local match, bring-
ing Portland’s share of the cost down
to just $30 million in cash.
In Lake Oswego, streetcar supporters
say that the route is the missing ingredi-
ent to make the projected Foothills high-
density development work. Many op-
ponents believe this to be the case, and
are against the project for this reason.
Nor are the suburbanites alone. Last
month the South Portland Neighbor-
hood Association board gave a divided,
and half-hearted, vote of support to the
project.
One of those who voted against it,
Jim Gardner, said he feared the project
would be an impetus to increase the
zoning density in the Johns Landing
area. “Johns Landing could become
another South Waterfront, with 325-
foot towers blocking views and more
traffic,” he said.
At Lake Oswego opponents ques-
tioned many aspects of the project,
including its costs. Project manager
(Continued on Page 7)