On September 9, 2009, Portland City Council adopted a resolution to accept the Streetcar System Concept Plan.  Staff are now in the process of making final edits and clarifications to the report.  A final City Council version should be available in March 2010.  Please check this page periodically for updates.  

Bureau of Transportation staff would like to thank the citizen-led System Advisory Committee and all the District Working Group volunteers in Southeast, East, Northeast, North and Northwest Portland who helped make the Streetcar System Concept Plan project a success.  The time and effort these Committee and Working Group members dedicated to the project helped shape the project to reflect neighborhood issues and priorities.

Bureau of Transportation staff would also like to thank all the citizens and interested parties who testified at Planning Commission and City Council, attended the Streetcar System Concept Plan public workshops, came to neighborhood meetings when potential streetcar corridors were being discussed, or called/e-mailed staff to ask a question or request information.  Your input is important to making long range decisions on transit and transportation infrastructure.

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The Draft Portland Streetcar System Concept Plan is still available.   Click here to download a copy of the report (5 MB, pdf).  You will need a copy of Adobe Reader to open the file.  A free version of the Adobe Reader can be downloaded by clicking here. 

On August 11, 2009 the Portland Planning Commission held a hearing on the plan.  Planning Commission minutes can be found by clicking here. 

Staff presented the Streetcar System Concept Plan to City Council on September 9, at 2:30 PM, at City Hall.  Click here to view the resolution adopted by City Council.   

 Supplemental Technical Reports

To view or download copies of SSCP Supplemental Technical Reports, click on the links below:

A - Screening and Evaluation Methodology Report

B - Screening and Evaluation Results by Phase (Matrices and Maps)

C - Transit Technology Review

D - Network Design

E - Streetcar's Influence on Portland Neighborhoods

F - Public Involvement Report

Additional Appendices to the Public Involvement Report can be downloaded by clicking here.

The Project

The Streetcar System Concept Plan (SSCP) is a 20 to 50 year long range planning study that will identify transit corridors in the City of Portland with the highest potential for more detailed analysis in the future.

The Bureau of Transportation and the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, coordinating with Metro, TriMet, and other City bureaus will use this study to look at how transit infrastructure investments can work with pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development projects to create more walkable and sustainable neighborhoods.

The Goal

The goal of the SSCP is to identify an interconnected citywide system of streetcar corridors integrated with the City's transportation and land use network. The Portland Streetcar System Concept Plan can play a key role in shaping the City by:

• reinforcing walkable and economically diverse neighborhoods and vibrant main streets
• encouraging sustainable and equitable development and infrastructure
• supporting reduction of vehicle trips
• supporting greater accessibility, housing options, employment, and economic development

It may take a few years before any potential streetcar corridors identified in the final Streetcar System Concept Plan will advance to the level of more detailed analysis and study.

Current Streetcar Projects 

In the near term, the current streetcar projects in the final engineering and planning stages are the Eastside Loop and the Portland to Lake Oswego corridor. Both of these projects are examples of the kind of detailed analysis required for a concept corridor identified in the Streetcar System Concept Plan to move forward. These projects illustrate the level of detailed planning/analysis and design/engineering required before construction can begin.

Please see:

Eastside Loop alternatives analysis evaluation report

Lake Oswego to Portland transit and trail alternatives analysis