In Portland, Oregon, the Westside Max light rail

In Portland, Oregon, the Westside Max light rail line opened in September, 1998, and looks like a big success. Just two weeks after the 18-mile, $800 million line opened, light rail ridership in Portland was 22 percent above projections. Part of the credit goes to transit-oriented development (TOD). Communities along the line agreed to promote high-density, mixed-use development near station areas, and many adopted specific planning and zoning ordinance in the last two years to make that happen. The line was constructed through many undeveloped areas. Recently, 7,000 housing units and tens of thousands of new jobs are planned or have been created near station areas in developments designed according to the TOD ordinances. The best of these projects are new urbanist places, including Orenco Village and The Round. Two more light rail lines are in planning stages — one extending north to the airport, and the other going south. More TOD is planned along these lines.