In Portland, Oregon, construction is well underway

In Portland, Oregon, construction is well underway on a new streetcar line connecting neighborhoods to downtown. The approximately five miles of tracks in the first phase are laid on streets 36 feet wide curb to curb, with parking on both sides. Cars and streetcars will share the same lane. The $42 million project is funded with a mixture of federal transportation money, grants from HUD, a local improvement district, and the sale of municipal bonds backed by a 20-cent rate increase in downtown parking garages. The first line connecting Northwest Portland with Portland State University is expected to be operational in July 2001.