Portland Streetcar System - Page 26

Derek · #**501** Posted: **Jul 27, 2012, 1:34 AM**

Yeah but what if there are cars in front of the streetcar?

maccoinnich · #**502** Posted: **Jul 29, 2012, 10:45 PM**

That's a good question, and I don't know the answer. At a guess, the streetcar operator can submit a request so that it has a go signal, and all other traffic has red.

Anyway, there's a new streetcar map, which I think looks pretty damned good. Of note, the existing line is to be called NS, and the new line is to be called CL. Nice that they're showing the future PMLR line already. Click for link to larger PDF.

And lastly, opening ceremony on 9/22:

Quote:

Portland Streetcar Central Loop Grand Opening Celebration
September 22, 2012

The Portland Streetcar is excited to open its newest line, the Central Loop, on September 22, 2012. The celebrations will start at 10:00AM with a Press Event and speeches at the OMSI Plaza in SE Portland. Service will begin by 11:00AM following the press event and the departure of the first, ceremonial train. The Central Loop will connect with the existing streetcar on 10th & 11th in Downtown Portland. From there it will cross the Broadway Bridge traveling along Broadway, Weidler, 7th, MLK and Grand connecting to the Rose Quarter, Lloyd District, Oregon Convention Center, the Central Eastside Industrial District and OMSI. This is the first streetcar project in the country to be funded with a Federal Grant and includes new vehicles made by United Streetcar located in Clackamas, Oregon.

Schedule of Opening Events

Saturday, September 22, 2012
10:00AM Press event and speeches on the plaza in front of OMSI in SE Portland
10:00AM – 3:00PM Entertainment and vendor booths on the OMSI Plaza
10:00AM – 4:30PM "Streetcars Build a City" Exhibit at the Architectural Heritage Center on SE Grand at Alder
11:00AM – 5:00PM Community Showcase featuring local businesses and entertainment at the Oregon Convention Center Plaza on NE Oregon between Grand and MLK
11:00AM – 5:00PM Urban Art Network's Art Fair at NW 11th & Northrup
11:00AM – 5:00PM Oregon Rail Heritage Center Grand Opening

Streetcar will be free to all passengers September 22 – 23, 2012 as part of the celebration.

2oh1 · #**503** Posted: **Jul 30, 2012, 7:54 AM**

So... the NS loop goes east and the CL loop goes west. No, wait. The NS loop means North/South, so that one goes from the waterfront to the west...

...who comes up with this stuff?

Naming one the Central Loop would have made sense if they named the other something like WW for "Waterfront/West."

bvpcvm · #**504** Posted: **Jul 30, 2012, 2:07 PM**

I don't think of the NS line as going east/west at all. Its major component goes N/S along the spine of downtown/the Pearl, then takes a jog over to 23rd. And a jog at PSU, but then continues generally south to SOWA.

You can read past minutes of the Citizens' Advisory Committee on www.portlandstreetcar.org, where they discussed, at length, how to name the routes, if you want to know "who comes up with this stuff".

maccoinnich · #**505** Posted: **Jul 31, 2012, 6:04 AM**

Honestly, I think the names are the fine.

tworivers · #**506** Posted: **Sep 4, 2012, 4:18 AM**

^^^designed by my girlfriend.

Derek · #**507** Posted: **Sep 4, 2012, 4:47 AM**

Nice!! I noticed that sign (or one of them) the other day, and it definitely caught my eye. She did a great job.

2oh1 · #**508** Posted: **Sep 4, 2012, 8:28 AM**

I wonder how much of a drop in passengers the streetcar is seeing now that it's no longer free. I suppose it'll be a while before we really know.

bvpcvm · #**509** Posted: **Sep 5, 2012, 4:50 AM**

that new logo reminds me of the muni logo

bvpcvm · #**510** Posted: **Sep 19, 2012, 1:53 PM**

just a reminder that the new streetcar line opens on saturday at 7:30am. streetcar is free all weekend.

Derek · #**511** Posted: **Sep 19, 2012, 8:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2oh1

I wonder how much of a drop in passengers the streetcar is seeing now that it's no longer free. I suppose it'll be a while before we really know.

I've still noticed loads of people still on it, at least in The Pearl.

zilfondel · #**512** Posted: **Sep 21, 2012, 12:15 AM**

I'm going to go ride it on Saturday! Sounds like fun.

maccoinnich · #**513** Posted: **Sep 23, 2012, 4:53 AM**

Loop opened today! Streetcars were incredibly crowded.

Derek · #**514** Posted: **Sep 23, 2012, 6:14 AM**

Honestly, the line names are stupid. Other than that though, it was awesome being able to ride it over to the Eastside today! As you can see in the above pictures, they were packed with people. Good stuff!

bvpcvm · #**515** Posted: **Sep 23, 2012, 4:23 PM**

Honestly, I thought the opening was a bit of a fiasco. We waited 35 minutes for CL train, only to have two arrive within about 10 seconds of each other. We got in the second one, since it was less crowded, but since they were so close together, we made very slow progress. It didn't help that the "Made in the USA" wagon ahead of us had a broken ramp, so the driver had to get out and open it manually at every stop. When we finally got to Grand, things seemed better; we were moving at a pretty good clip - and then the entire line lost power at around Taylor and we had to walk to OMSI. We ended up returning over the Hawthorne bridge rather than taking the streetcar back to the Pearl. On the positive side, we stopped at Luc Lac on 2nd and had yummy Vietnamese food.

llamaorama · #**516** Posted: **Sep 24, 2012, 1:40 PM**

So I'm assuming United has got it's things in order now? Or are they running spare vehicles from the original fleet?

Shilo Rune 96 · #**517** Posted: **Oct 27, 2012, 12:19 AM**

Washington DC Streetcar News:
DDOT Reveals Details from RFI Responses to 22-Mile Priority Streetcar System

(Washington, DC) Support of the overall concept and for a two-step Request for Qualifications (RFQ)/Request for Proposal (RFP) procurement process, as well as identification of project complexities, were among the emerging themes of the responses to the recent DC Streetcar Request for Information. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will begin follow up steps related to points raised in the submissions.

“Responses to the RFI identified key areas of the project where additional analysis is needed prior to issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP),” stated DDOT Director Terry Bellamy. “This is exactly the type of information we were hoping for when we issued the RFI. It will allow us to produce a more informed and therefore, a more effective RFP.”

The project areas identified by the respondents for additional analysis include:

Complexities of integrating bus and streetcar operations;
Plans and status of the environmental review process for streetcar segments;
Information on potential funding streams; and
Inclusion of streetcar vehicles with the overall procurement.

The DC Streetcar team is beginning follow-up steps related to these topics. The process will include internal analysis and additional industry outreach. DDOT Director Terry Bellamy will host an industry forum and webcast in November to discuss the feedback gained from the RFI process and share the District’s plans moving forward. Additional industry sessions will cover the overall program as well as individual project components. The results of these steps, along with input from the Mayor’s Streetcar Financing and Governance Task Force, will inform the future RFQ/RFP process.

“Proposals of this magnitude are often time and resource intensive. Respondents indicated support of a two-step process where firms or teams would be short-listed after a Request for Qualifications,” said DDOT Chief Engineer Ronaldo “Nick” Nicholson.

Responses Details

Of the 20 responses received, seven were received from complete or nearly complete teams, five indicated intent to form and lead a team if/when an RFQ is issued and eight did not indicate their teaming intentions. A complete list of companies can be found on DCStreetcar.com.
Submissions were received from a variety of firms including construction, infrastructure development, capital/financing, professional services (engineering, planning, etc.), transit operations and vehicle manufactures.
Worldwide: Responses came in from the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Australia, China and Japan.

http://www.dcstreetcar.com/3/post/20...r-system1.html

bvpcvm · #**518** Posted: **Dec 8, 2012, 4:35 AM**

New streetcars delayed further

MarkDaMan · #**519** Posted: **Jan 25, 2013, 4:59 AM**

Jan 24, 2013, 11:30am PST
Oregon Iron Works delivers first eastside streetcar
Ben Jacklet, Business Journal Staff Writer

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/...&ed=2013-01-24

Quote:

Oregon Iron Works has delivered the first of six locally made production streetcars for the long-delayed $148 million eastside Portland streetcar line.

The line was supposed to be operational by April 2012 but has been delayed for months as Oregon Iron Works and its spinoff United Streetcar have struggled with production and supply chains to build the first made in the U.S.A. streetcars in more than 50 years.

...

Mr. Walch · #**520** Posted: **Jan 25, 2013, 6:43 AM**

Is it just me or was the decision to buy Oregon made streetcar a horrible plan in retrospect? So many delays and cost over runs. I thought this was going to be a story of the revival of domestic manufacturing but instead it has been a huge case for out sourcing because apparently Americans can't make street cars.