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Encyclopedia > Portland Aerial Tram

The Portland Aerial Tram is an aerial tramway under construction in Portland, Oregon. It will connect the city's South Waterfront district with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and the Marquam Hill neighborhood surrounding the university, and introduce another mode of transportation in Portland. The tram is scheduled to be completed in mid to late January 2007.[1] Its costs, estimated at $15 million in 2003, reached an estimated $55 million as of February 2006.[2] The construction of the aerial tramway. ... Nickname: City of Roses, Stumptown, Bridgetown, PDX Location in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: Country United States State Oregon County Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Mayor Tom Potter Area    - City 376. ... The South Waterfront (or SoWa) is a new high-rise neighborhood under construction in Portland, Oregon on former brownfield industrial land south of downtown. ... Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is a public university in Oregon with a main campus in Portland, Oregon, (and three hospitals there) and a smaller campus in Hillsboro. ... Homestead, Portland, OR Homestead (PDF Map) is a Southwest Portland neighborhood in the citys West Hills. ... Like transportation in the rest of the United States, the primary mode of local transportation in Portland (Oregon) is the automobile. ... January is the first month of the year and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

This is the single intermediate tower while it was under construction. The tower is adjacent to the northbound lanes of Interstate 5.
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This is the single intermediate tower while it was under construction. The tower is adjacent to the northbound lanes of Interstate 5.

The tram will travel a horizontal distance of 3300 feet in a ride planned to last 3 minutes.[3] Its upper terminal will be adjacent to OHSU, 140 feet above grade, and connected to the ninth floor of a new patient care facility on the university's campus. Its lower terminal in the South Waterfront will be the focal point for a mass transit center and development in the surrounding area by OHSU and others. A single intermediate tower will support the tram's cables between the two terminals, allowing the tram to rise 500 feet over Interstate 5. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1000x1333, 495 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Portland Aerial Tram Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1000x1333, 495 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Portland Aerial Tram Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Terminal Station was also the name of a railway station in Chattanooga, Tennessee; see Chattanooga Choo Choo. ... A grade (or gradient) is the pitch of a slope, and is often expressed as a percent tangent, or rise over run. It is used to express the steepness of slope on a hill, roof, or road, where zero indicates level (with respect to gravity) and increasing numbers correlate to... Skytrain Bangkok. ... Interstate 5 (abbreviated I-5) is the westernmost interstate highway in the continental United States. ...


The tram cars will carry a maximum of 78 passengers per trip, with cars leaving every 5 minutes.[4] Transportation officials estimate the tram will carry over 1,500 people a day initially, with up to 5,500 by 2030.[5] On October 29, 2006, the tram's two cars arrived from Switzerland after a week-long delay.[6] The tram is expected to be complete in December, 2006 with an extensive testing phase during which only OHSU staff will be permitted to use the tram. Public usage will likely not be permitted until February, 2007. October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


The tram cabins are shaped and painted to look like "bubbles floating through the sky"; the surface of the cabins will reflect and refract light, minimizing their visual impact to the neighborhood underneath. The cabins will be designed to limit passengers' view of the Lair Hill section of the South Portland neighborhood below. Willamette River from Johns Landing South Portland is a long narrow neighborhood just south of Downtown Portland, Oregon, hemmed in between the Willamette River and the West Hills. ...


An inaugural run of the tram was conducted on November 9, 2006.[7] Two tram construction workers were the first to "ride" the tram while actually harnessed to the roof and suspending arm. November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Contents

Early history

In late 2001, OHSU purchased property in the South Waterfront (then known as North Macadam) area, with plans to expand there. After studying several ways, including shuttle buses, gondolas, tunnels, and even funiculars, to connect OHSU's primary campus with this area of planned expansion, the university sought city support of an aerial tram. A shuttle, in general, is something which travels back and forth between places in a regular and relatively frequent manner. ... A Venetian gondola A gondola is a traditional Venetian rowing boat. ... A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ... Angels Flight, Los Angeles, California with gantlet track configuration Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with full length parallel tracks The Gütschbahn in Lucerne, Switzerland – from an 1893 guidebook A funicular, also called funicular railway, inclined railway, inclined plane, or, in the United Kingdom, a cliff railway, is a system of...


In early 2002, Portland Aerial Transportation, Inc. (PATI) was formed as a non-profit board.[citation needed] One of its first public actions was to request the Portland Office of Transportation, also known as PDOT [sic], to undertake an independent analysis of the connectivity options considered earlier by the university and its development supporters. In May, the city council accepted PDOT's process proposal and also accepted PATI as the project sponsor. PDOT undertook an assessment, which led to the same conclusion OHSU had reached earlier: an aerial tram was the preferred approach. PDOT also recommended a second tram linking the Marquam Hill area with a nearby transit center on SW Barbur Boulevard. The city council accepted PDOT's recommendations and asked PDOT and PATI to proceed to the design phase, including a design competition. Both were also asked to work with residents of the affected neighborhoods to identify any ways to mitigate the tram's impact and identify other desired neighborhood improvements which should accompany the project. A non-profit organization (often called non-profit org or simply non-profit or not-for-profit) can be seen as an organization that doesnt have a goal to make a profit. ... Sic is a Latin word meaning thus or so. In writing, it is italicized and placed within square brackets — [sic] — to indicate that an incorrect or unusual spelling, phrase, or other preceding quoted material is a verbatim reproduction of the quoted original and is not a transcription error. ...


The design competition started out by identifying four firms which would participate in the contest. The competition officially began in January 2003, with firms from New York City, Amsterdam, and Los Angeles/Zurich as finalists. The winner, the firm from Los Angeles/Zurich (Angélil / Graham / Pfenninger / Scholl), was announced on March 26, 2003.[8] The construction estimates at that time were $15.5 million. By November, PATI chose Doppelmayr CTEC to design, fabricate and install the tram. The first public review of the project's status was held in November. Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... Amsterdam Location Flag Country Netherlands Province North Holland Population 741,329 (1 August 2006) Demonym Amsterdammer Coordinates Website www. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Area    - City 1,290. ... Location within Switzerland   Zürich[?] (German pronunciation IPA: ; usually spelled Zurich in English) is the largest city in Switzerland (population: 366,145 in 2004; population of urban area: 1,091,732) and capital of the canton of Zürich. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Doppelmayr CTEC is an aerial lift manufacturer based in Salt Lake City, Utah and Saint-Jérôme, Quebec and originally known as CTEC. It is the successor to Thiokols ski lift division, founded in 1976 by Jan Leonard and Mark Ballantyne, who had worked for Thiokol since the...


Cost estimates rise

In April 2004, the second public review was held, to present the projects recommendations prior to a May review by the city council. The costs by then were estimated to be $28.5 million.[9]


In April 2005, the price was readjusted to $40 million[9], with a construction delay of six months. Higher steel costs, a weakening dollar, and engineering modifications are blamed for these changes.


Construction began in August 2005; by October, The Oregonian was reporting that steel costs had led to bids pushing the project's price (with contingency funds) to $45 million. The increased cost is expected to be met through South Waterfront urban renewal contributions which would have otherwise been spent on streets and parks. October 2, 2004 edition. ... Blight often stands side-by-side with new structures during urban renewal efforts. ...


According to Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams, who inherited responsibility for the project midway, a cheaper alternative, which would have changed the tower's designs to a lattice style used in electrical transmission towers, is not being considered because the result would look like an "ugly ski lift at a bad ski resort"[10] and leave the city with what Adams called an "ugly postcard" that could last 100 years. Sam Adams is the newest city commissioner for the city of Portland, Oregon. ... A pylon is a tall steel lattice structure used to support overhead electricity conductors for power transmission. ... A chairlift A chairlift is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a constantly moving loop of steel cable strung between two end terminals and generally over intermediate towers. ... British postal card, used in 1890 A postcard or post card is typically a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope and at a lower rate than a letter. ...


The spiraling costs led to a month-long independent audit and risk assessment, which was published February 1, 2006, at a point where construction was over a third complete. While complimenting the tram as "a dramatic, one-of-a-kind facility that will become a Portland landmark," the report noted the design was difficult to construct, requiring the tall, thin, complex tower and the tall, heavily loaded upper terminal to be built within very tight tolerances. Special risks cited include: February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

  • an extremely restricted site for construction of the upper terminal;
  • a complex, European mechanical/electrical system with a sophisticated American steel structure and infrastructure — the integration of the two has technical challenges and risks conflicts between the two business cultures and management procedures.
  • the need to install tramway cables over an interstate highway and two streets which are also state highways.

The audit/risk assessment increased the estimate of the final project cost to $55 million, which includes a $5 million contingency fund. This amount is after a $457,000 lower station shelter was eliminated.


Controversy

Some critics cite the tram as an example of corporate welfare for OHSU with limited public benefit.[11] Many residents of the Corbett-Terwilliger and Lair Hill neighborhoods, over which the tram will pass, claim the cars will be an invasion of privacy and lead to lower property values.[12] Initially residents were promised that overhead power lines would be buried as part of the project, but as cost overrides mounted, this plan was scrapped.[13] Some view it as a gaudy attraction to bring tourists to the city. The largest source of criticism has been the rising cost of constructing the tram. This is largely an issue because OHSU initially claimed it would only need a very small amount of government funding to complete the project.[14] While the taxpayer share has grown, OHSU is paying for 85 percent of the total cost of the tram yet it will be operated as public transit facility.[citation needed] Corporate welfare is a pejorative term, first coined by Ralph Nader in 1956, describing a governments bestowal of grants and/or tax breaks on corporations or other special favorable treatment from the government. ...


References

  1. ^ About the Tram. Oregon Health Sciences University. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  2. ^ Moore, Scott (February 2, 2006). Audit: Tram Costs Shoot Skyward—Again. The Portland Mercury. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  3. ^ The Portland Aerial Tram. Portland Office of Transportation. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  4. ^ 'Soap bubble' OHSU tram cabins head for Portland. KATU. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  5. ^ Redden, Jim (July 6, 2006). Pricey to build, what cost to ride?. Portland Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  6. ^ Bradshaw, Nick (October 30, 2006). Portland's tram cars arrive. KGW. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  7. ^ Crews test one of the new tram cars. KATU (November 9, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  8. ^ Project History/Background. Portland Office of Transportation. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
  9. ^ a b Portland Aerial Tram Project Funding History (PDF). Sam Adams. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  10. ^ Adams, Sam. Sam Adams's blog. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  11. ^ Dundas, Zach (April 21, 2004). The Lady and the Tram. Willamette Week. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.M
  12. ^ Redden, Jim (May 3, 2005). Tram OK lifts the gate on growth. Portland Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-11-17.
  13. ^ Murphy, Todd (November 4, 2005). City, neighbors are poles apart. Portland Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  14. ^ Murphy, Todd (October 11, 2002). Nice tram, who pays?. Portland Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is the present-day (2005) name for a university that can trace its roots back to the 1860s. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Portland Mercury is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... Katu was a fictional character who first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #300. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Portland Tribune news stand The Portland Tribune is a free newspaper published twice weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays) in Portland, Oregon. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... KGW, Northwest Newschannel 8 is an NBC affiliate serving the Portland, Oregon area. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... Katu was a fictional character who first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #300. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Willamette Week is an alternative newsweekly published in Portland, Oregon. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Portland Tribune news stand The Portland Tribune is a free newspaper published twice weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays) in Portland, Oregon. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Portland Tribune news stand The Portland Tribune is a free newspaper published twice weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays) in Portland, Oregon. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... A Portland Tribune news stand The Portland Tribune is a free newspaper published twice weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays) in Portland, Oregon. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Aerial Tram (382 words)
The cabins for the Portland Aerial Tram, fabricated by
The Portland Aerial Tram is a 3,300 linear foot aerial tram rising 500 feet over Interstate 5, the Lair Hill neighborhood, and Terwilliger Parkway and connecting OHSU and the Marquam Hill to the South Waterfront District.
Because the aerial tram is part of the public transportation system and open to the public, planners expect ridership to exceed this estimate.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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