The modern Portland Streetcar that debuted in 2001 connected the Good Samaritan Hospital in Northwest Portland to the Portland State University campus in Southwest.
In 2005, the line was extended to Riverplace, and on Friday, October 20, 2006 the line finally reached the South Waterfront district (The Oregonian, 21 October 2006).
The Portland Streetcar launched service Friday into the South Waterfront district, complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and music to mark the line’s extension to Southwest Moody and Gibbs. Bela Balogh of the Meester and Meester Trio –part of the Portland group 3 Leg Torso –performs Friday with his partners during a charter ride of the extension, which stops adjacent to the Oregon Health & Science University’s Center for Health & Healing.
In 2007 an eight-block extension to Lowell Street was completed. Construction began on the Eastside Loop in 2010, with the first tracks being laid east of the Willamette on February 1st of that year.
I actually rode the streetcar for the first time that day and made my first trip down to the south waterfront after moving to Portland. I didn’t ride the streetcar that direction again until June of this year. Other than OHSU, the point of the south waterfront still escapes me.
@Robert – Mike Vogel once pointed out that the South Waterfront makes a great film set. But yeah, other than that not much of a destination yet. Though seriously if I had the dough I’d buy a condo there now and hang onto it for a decade – I expect eventually it’ll come into its own.
I started working in the South Waterfront in February of 2006, and I tell you what, the Streetcar coming down here did wonders for my commute.
Although in those five years, I’d guess it’s been down for maintenance or due to construction for about one year aggregate.
So far, it’s been Dubai on Leverage, and it’s going to appear in Grimm a couple times when that gets around to airing.
@Mary Sue – I worked in the South Waterfront from the fall 2005 through end of spring 2007. It was wonderful on particularly rainy days. Before the streetcar I had to take the 35 to Macadam.