Streetcar Loop Moves Another Notch Forward


The Omnibus spending bill that President Obama signed into law earlier this week (to keep the government from shutting down) included a $45M appropriation for the Streetcar Loop project. This is the first installment on $75M of ‘Small Starts’ funding for the program (the balance expected to be appropriated next fiscal year).

But… we’re not done yet. The Federal Transit Administration still needs to write a full funding grant agreement before we get a check. And since there are still no politically appointed leaders at FTA, the agency is being run on an acting basis by career staff, many of whom were part of the effort under the Bush administration to deny funding to the project despite what we believed to be clear congressional intent.

Paperwork, paperwork…


23 responses to “Streetcar Loop Moves Another Notch Forward”

  1. Ahhh, the legacy of our past. Maybe the stimulus won’t happen with all of the past conservative hires.

    They don’t want the President to succeed (Rush is their Leader), right?

    Ray

  2. Mayor Adams said Spring 2010 for start of construction in his press release. Too bad we can’t start sooner! Regardless, congrats to Chris, chair of the Streetcar CAC and all the rest of the crew.

  3. so i take it then that construction would not begin in may as originally planned?

    As long as we get a full funding grant agreement by May 1 we’re fine. Otherwise the schedule starts slipping. Of course, sooner is better. We could likely start some of the utility work earlier.

  4. Yesterday’s City Council approval of a soccar franchise and locating a new baseball park in the Rose Garden area may be a snag in the works. I have to agree with Blazer management who oppose the idea.

    Perhaps the most crucial element of our streetcar system is its ability to help guide growth. A ballpark does not qualify as suitable growth because it would not compliment current Rose Quarter uses and attracts streetcar riders only during a game.

    Thanks a lot, Sam.

  5. Baseball is played in spring/summer; basketball in fall/winter/spring…there cannot be a better fit for the Rose Quarter than a baseball park.
    And right next to a Streetcar stop to boot; walking distance from MAX. What is not to like?
    Blazers may have something up there sleeve, but with all Allen’s dough, they have done nothing to make the Rose Quarter work. Of course the area will never really take off until the freeway is buried or better removed. Go Bevos! Go Timbers!

  6. I apologize for veering off-topic, but the MLS decision is a tragedy for baseball, IMO. That is a baseball park with a very long and venerable history; too damn many like it have been torn down. The structure dates back to 1926 and it is a gem of a park, especially since the remodel. I sat through a double-header with my dad in the late 50s, so I can attest to the sentimental value.

    I appreciate soccer, but that’s a baseball park, and I sincerely doubt that MLS is going to fly in Portland.

  7. Sorry JeffF, Civic Stadium/PGE Park was a Greyhound/Horse Racing/Football Stadium at its start and should be reverted to it’s original intent (Football only please ;-)). Sightlines for baseball are terrible. I also was taken to Civic Stadium back in the 1960’s to see the Beavers (great time). I will love to watch baseball in the new AAA stadium in the Rose Quarter with my son.

    Give Portland and future father/son gatherings at the ballpark a true baseball park experience. Things changes. This is not a change that should be that upsetting. Again, things change and we will move on for this planet that we call Home.

    Back on topic: I do hope the paperwork isn’t slowed down.

    Ray Whitford

  8. Ray Whitford Says:

    Sorry JeffF, Civic Stadium/PGE Park was a Greyhound/Horse Racing/Football Stadium at its start and should be reverted to it’s original intent (Football only please ;-)).

    Dog & horse racing were introduced seven years after it was built for revenue, Ray. It doesn’t work for football, if only because it’s missing half the grandstand. And I think the sightlines are great, but that’s a personal opinion. An emotionally-charged opinion at that. I’m likewise very sad to see Eugene’s Civic Stadium being destroyed, but PK Park will be very snazzy when complete.

    And, yes, this is wildly o/t and I will quit.

  9. And, yes, this is wildly o/t and I will quit.

    OK, maybe I’ll start up a separate thread about MLS and the fate of major sports facilities, past and future, as access/mobility to those venues is an on-topic issue.

  10. a concern i have with the eastside streetcar is that it will permanently keep broadway, weidler, mlk and grand as one way couplets. i really wish these streets could be reverted back to two-way streets particularly broadway and grand which at least have stretches that are “neighborhood main streets”. vancouver, wa recently reverted some streets downtown back to two-way and saw positive change overnight.

    imagine grand and broadway as slow speed, pedestrian-oriented local “main” streets with two-way traffic and both directions of streetcar, then ‘lower mlk’ and weidler as faster two-way thru-streets not all that different than they are now.

  11. it will permanently keep broadway, weidler, mlk and grand as one way couplets

    Why would it? In Northwest, the streetcar travels along Lovejoy and Northrup two parallel two-way streets. Streets which, incidentally, some people want to turn into a couplet

  12. Chris, can you speak directly to the discrepancy between Mayor Adams’ email this morning that included the Spring 2010 start date in the last paragraph, and the previously published timeline, which indicated that “pre-construction” would start this month and full construction would begin this June? I am confused.

  13. If the streetcar is in the western lane of MLK and the eastern lane of Grand, there would be no problem turning both streets back to two-way streets.

  14. On MLK/Grand we are in the ‘outside’ lanes. On Broadway/Weidler, we’ll be in the ‘inside’ (i.e., left-side) lanes, which would clearly be a problem for future de-coupling.

  15. Baloney, Lenny. A Rose Quartr baseball park will sit empty during basketball season, and visa versa. Duh. A ‘complimentary’ use would be something besides another sports arena. Not that long ago, a proposed remodel of Memorial Colliseum meant to turn it into a sports gym, office and shops which would’ve been a ‘complimentary’ use. Hey. A sports arena is a “luxury”, a high cost “luxury”, affordable to those who have more “money” than they know what to do with. Wheee! Rich Mr Paulson, he’s a multi-millionaire. This is no time for “luxury”, Mr Anderson.

  16. Baseball is played in spring/summer; basketball in fall/winter/spring…there cannot be a better fit for the Rose Quarter than a baseball park.

    What the Rose Quarter really needs are daytime attractors. The place is a dead zone when there isn’t a game or concert or something. Another stadium for evening use wouldn’t help much.

    Ideally, we’d find a conversion for the Memorial Coliseum that would bring people in 10-6 p.m. Maybe something like OMSI (although obviously not OMSI itself, since it already has a home) or a public market. Something that could take advantage of all the Rose Quarter parking without interfering with games and concerts.

  17. I guess I’m just a sports nut as well as a rail-fan, so when you can put the two together I forget about social justice.

  18. On Broadway/Weidler, we’ll be in the ‘inside’ (i.e., left-side) lanes, which would clearly be a problem for future de-coupling.

    Could they reverse the travel directions of the tracks? They would have to build a crossover at the western end and probably build new track from Broadway/Grand to 7th/Wiedler. But one issue on both couplets is that the tracks could not easily be moved if a desired two-way street design calls for an adjustment of lane positions.

    Also, one other thing: At the happy hour you mentioned that TriMet is expected to fund $1 million in operations costs. Where is that million dollars supposed to come from? Or is the payroll tax increase required to go towards new services?

    One idea I have is to connect the 6 and 70 like they were going to, but extend the 14 to Goose Hollow so it replaces Line 6 service to there, but I’m not sure that would save enough.

  19. I hadn’t thought about reversing directions. It would mean new connections to MLK/Grand probably.

    As to the $1M, sources were not identified. But as part of the Federal application, TriMet and the City of Portland promised to commit $1M each to operations. That, coupled with farebox revenue should be sufficient to operate from OMSI to the Pearl.

  20. Chris Smith wrote: But as part of the Federal application, TriMet and the City of Portland promised to commit $1M each to operations.

    Thanks for confirming that once again, TriMet’s regional bus riders are being counted upon to subsidize the City of Portland Streetcar while TriMet continues to cut its own services to the region.

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