Streetcar Expansion Update

At the Pearl District Neighborhood Association Planning and Transportation Committee meeting Tuesday March 17th, the Portland Bureau of Transportation gave an update on the Portland Streetcar eastside expansion.

As you may have read, a $45 million appropriation for the Streetcar Loop Project was included in the spending bill President Obama signed into law last week.  So, the project moves forward.  The contractor for the project was selected two weeks ago and construction is anticipated to begin later this summer.  No details about road or bridge closures are available at this time. 

Streetcar Route: Northrup vs. Lovejoy Loop

Initially, streetcars from the eastside [from OMSI, going north on Grand, west on Broadway, crossing the Broadway Bridge, and entering the Pearl via the Lovejoy Ramp] will make a loop into the Pearl and return across the Broadway Bridge to the east side [via the Lovejoy Ramp, crossing the Broadway Bridge, going east on Weidler, south on 7th Avenue, west on Oregon Street to the Convention Center, then south on MLK to OMSI].  Two options were considered for this loop:  the Lovejoy Loop uses NW 11th, NW Hoyt St., and NW 10th to create a loop back to Lovejoy; the Northrup Loop uses NW 10th, NW Northrop, and NW 11th to create a loop back to NW Lovejoy and the eastside.

The neighborhood association prefers the Northrup Loop because it provides greater expansion possibilities into the northwest district and provides service to the north Pearl.  The Lovejoy Loop, while slightly less expensive, doesn't provide these expansion opportunities. At this moment, it appears that the Northrup Loop has been given the green light.

One intersection in the Pearl that's giving planners trouble is NW 9th and NW Lovejoy at the base of the Lovejoy ramp.  The issue: with parallel streetcar tracks in the roadway, it is difficult to accommodate post office trucks that make left turns off NW Lovejoy south onto NW 9th.  One possible solution is to eliminate the left turn and have the post office trucks use NW Hoyt to NW 9th.  

Another issue is how to accommodate bikes that travel down the Lovejoy ramp into the Pearl.  Since this project will turn Lovejoy into a one-way street eastbound at NW 10th Ave., many bikes will want to cross at 9th and head south, particularly PNCA students. The change in lane configurations will make this intersection more dangerous for bicyclists.  

One possible solution is to force bikes to cross NW 9th using a green "Copenhagen" bike box, and then cross Lovejoy to head south on NW 9th.  Traffic light timing would control this flow.  Another proposed solution is to install a bike traffic light, like the one at NW Lovejoy and NW Broadway on the Lovejoy ramp.  

Engineers are still working on a plan for this intersection, when they have a solution we'll let you know.

In the map above, the bridge across the Willamette at the south end of the loop is not included in the current funding.  That bridge is scheduled to be built in 2015 and will carry the MAX, streetcar, buses, bikes and pedestrians, but no cars. Read more about this bridge project.  

Download a larger Streetcar Loop Map.