Portland Aerial Tram
Encyclopedia
| Portland Aerial Tram | |
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| City | Portland, Oregon Portland, Oregon Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States... |
| Country | United States |
| Operated by | Oregon Health & Science University Oregon Health & Science University Oregon Health & Science University is a public university in Oregon with a main campus, including two hospitals, in Portland and a smaller campus in Hillsboro... |
| Type | bi-cable aerial tramway Aerial tramway An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion... |
| Vertical distance | 500 feet (152.4 m) |
| Horizontal distance | 3300 feet (1,005.8 m) |
| Duration of one-way trip | 3 minutes |
| Maximum speed | 22 mph (35 km/h) |
| Number of cars | 2 |
| Passenger capacity | 78 per car |
| Daily round trips (passengers) | 3,700 (one-way-trips) |
| Began service | December 2006 |
| Tramway manufacturer | Doppelmayr CTEC Doppelmayr CTEC Doppelmayr is an aerial lift manufacturer based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, and a subsidiary of the worldwide Doppelmayr Garaventa Group. The North American company was formed in 2001 after the merger of Garaventa of Goldau, Switzerland, and Doppelmayr of Wolfurt, Austria.... |
| Official website | Portland Aerial Tram |
The Portland Aerial Tram is an aerial tramway
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, carrying commuters between the city's South Waterfront
South Waterfront
The South Waterfront is a high-rise district under construction on former brownfield industrial land in the South Portland neighborhood south of downtown Portland, Oregon, U.S. It is one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in the United States...
district and the main Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University is a public university in Oregon with a main campus, including two hospitals, in Portland and a smaller campus in Hillsboro...
(OHSU) campus, located in the Marquam Hill neighborhood
Homestead, Portland, Oregon
Homestead is a Southwest Portland, Oregon neighborhood in the city's West Hills. The neighborhood is home to Marquam Nature Park , which offers urban hiking in the form of the Marquam Trail, which one can follow to Downtown. The neighborhood also features a scenic boulevard, SW Terwilliger Blvd....
. It is the second commuter aerial tramway in the United States (after New York City's Roosevelt Island Tramway
Roosevelt Island Tramway
The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway in New York City that spans the East River and connects Roosevelt Island to Manhattan. Prior to the completion of the Mississippi Aerial River Transit in May 1984 and the Portland Aerial Tram in December 2006, it was the only commuter aerial tramway...
). The tram travels a horizontal distance of 3300 feet (1,005.8 m) and a vertical distance of 500 feet (152.4 m) in a ride that lasts three minutes.
The tram was jointly funded by OHSU, the city of Portland
Government of Portland, Oregon
The Government of Portland, Oregon, a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include a Mayor, a City Council, and a City Auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that...
, and by South Waterfront property owners, with the bulk of the funding coming from OHSU. It is owned by the city and operated by OHSU. While the majority of passengers are affiliated with OHSU, it is open to the public and operated as part of Portland's public transportation network
Transportation in Portland, Oregon
Like transportation in the rest of the United States, the primary mode of local transportation in Portland, Oregon is the automobile. But Portland's reputation as a well-planned city is due to Metro's regional master plan in which transit-oriented development plays a major role...
that includes the Portland Streetcar
Portland Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. It is currently a single line that is almost long and serves some 12,000 daily riders, but a second line is expected to open in 2012.As with the heavier-duty MAX...
, MAX Light Rail, and Tri-Met buses. After opening in December 2006, the tram carried its one millionth passenger on October 17, 2007.
The tram cost $57 million to build—a nearly fourfold increase over initial cost estimates, which was one of several sources of controversy concerning the project. A round-trip tram ticket costs $4; the tram is free for OHSU employees, patients, students, and visitors.
Route
The tram consists of two stations and a single intermediate tower. Two tram cars operate on parallel track ropes and are pulled in unison by a haul rope which is driven by an engine at the lower terminal; when one car is at the upper terminal, the other is at the lower terminal, and vice versa. The lower station is located beside an OHSU facility in the South Waterfront neighborhood, adjacent to a stop on the Portland Streetcar line, which connects the South Waterfront neighborhood with downtown Portland.The upper station is located adjacent to OHSU Hospital, on the university's Marquam Hill campus. The two stations are exactly east and west of each other separated by a horizontal distance of 3,300 feet (5/8 mi, 1 km) and a vertical distance of 500 feet (150 m). The maximum vertical clearance between the tram and the ground is 175 feet (53.4 m).
The tram route crosses over Interstate 5 as well as major thoroughfares such as Barbur Boulevard, Oregon Route 10 (Naito Parkway), and Oregon Route 43 (Macadam Avenue). The intermediate tower is located east of Interstate 5 close to the South Waterfront station. As a result of this configuration, much of the journey is significantly elevated above the ground, making the tram easily visible for some distance, and providing tram riders with good views of the eastern metropolitan area and the Cascade Mountains
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
of Oregon and Washington. The alternative to riding the tram is via public roadways which require a 1.9-mile (3.1-km) route with numerous stoplights and intersections. This route includes a short stretch of busy U.S. Route 26, as well as twisty Sam Jackson Park Road which ascends the side of the Tualatin Mountains
Tualatin Mountains
The Tualatin Mountains are a range of hills on the western border of Multnomah County, Oregon, United States...
to the hospital campus.
Structures and cabling
The lower (South Waterfront) station houses the tram's engines in a reinforced concrete basement and also has ticketing facilities and the control room.The upper station is a freestanding steel and concrete tower 140 feet above grade and houses the tram's counterweight. It is structurally separate from nearby OHSU Hospital
Oregon Health & Science University Hospital
Oregon Health & Science University Hospital is a Level I trauma center and teaching hospital in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of Oregon Health & Science University , the facility has 534 beds. Located on OHSU's Marquim Hill campus south of Downtown Portland, the hospital is adjacent...
and connects to the hospital's ninth floor via a skybridge
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
over Terwilliger Boulevard
Terwilliger Boulevard
Terwilliger Boulevard is a street in Portland, Oregon, U.S. It begins at southwest 6th Avenue and Interstate 405 near Portland State University. It passes through the neighborhoods of Marquam Hill, Southwest Hills, and Burlingame and by Lewis and Clark College before ending at Oregon Route 43 in...
. Structural separation between the tram and the hospital is necessary to avoid vibrations from tram machinery interfering with delicate microsurgery
Microsurgery
Microsurgery is a general term for surgery requiring an operating microscope. The most obvious developments have been procedures developed to allow anastomosis of successively smaller blood vessels and nerves which have allowed transfer of tissue from one part of the body to another and...
performed in the hospital.
The 197 foot (60 m) intermediate tower allows the tram to gain elevation quickly once leaving the lower station to provide adequate clearance over Interstate 5. The tower is 22 feet wide and 20 feet long at its base (6.7 m by 6 m), 8 feet by 8 feet (2.4 m by 2.4 m) at its narrowest point—nearly two-thirds up the tower—and 32 feet by 8 feet (9.8 m by 2.4m) at the top. It rests on a pier cap 5 feet (1.5 m) thick supported by 35 piers. The tower was fabricated in nearby Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, and barged in three pieces up the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
.
Nearly 1,250 tons of steel and 450 tons of concrete are in the two platforms and the intermediate tower; the lateral loads on the upper platform range from 500,000 to 800,000 pounds (2.2 million to 3.6 million newtons) of force.
Each tram car travels on a pair of 2 inch (49 mm) steel track ropes, totaling four cables. The track ropes combined are tensioned at over one million pounds (4.4 million newtons). A fifth cable—the haul rope—is a continuous loop which winds around the drive bullwheel
Bullwheel
A bullwheel is a large wheel on which a rope turns, such as in a chairlift. In that application, the bullwheel that is attached to the prime mover is called the drive bullwheel, with the other known as the return bullwheel....
at the lower station, connects to one car, winds through a counterweight
Counterweight
A counterweight is an equivalent counterbalancing weight that balances a load.-Uses:A counterweight is often used in traction lifts , cranes and funfair rides...
ed bullwheel
Bullwheel
A bullwheel is a large wheel on which a rope turns, such as in a chairlift. In that application, the bullwheel that is attached to the prime mover is called the drive bullwheel, with the other known as the return bullwheel....
at the upper station, then to the other car, before joining itself. The haul rope length is over 7000 feet (2100 m).
Cars
The tram cars each weigh approximately 12 tons, with cabin dimensions of 25 feet by 11 feet (7.5 m by 3.3 m). Each car has a capacity of over 13 tons and there is sufficient room in the cabin for 78 passengers and one operator. The tram cars were built by Gangloff Switzerland in Bern and were shaped and painted to look like the architectural firm's vision of "bubbles floating through the sky". The surface of the cabins reflects and refracts light, minimizing their visual impact to the neighborhood underneath. The two cars are named Jean and Walt, after Jean Richardson, the first female engineeringEngineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
graduate from Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
, and Walt Reynolds, the first African-American to graduate from OHSU, then known as the University of Oregon Medical School.
Drive and safety systems
The tram is propelled by three independent drive systems. The primary drive is a 450 kilowatt (600 hpHorsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
) variable-frequency electric motor. Two hydrostatic diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s are also part of the design: one is a standby drive, permitting operation during a power outage
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
; the other is an emergency evacuation drive. A 40-ton counterweight offsets the weight of the cars. The tram is capable of operating at speeds up to 22 miles per hour (35 km per hour).
In addition to the redundant drive system, the tram has numerous other design features intended to ensure the safety of passengers and persons on the ground under its route. Communications systems permit the tram car operators to communicate with the control room. Automatic supervisory and control systems monitor the condition of the ropes and the drive systems. The tram was designed to safely operate in the earthquake-prone Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, with a structural design exceeding U.S earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
standards, and operate in sustained winds of up to 50 mph (80 km/h).
Operational information
The tram operates from Monday through Friday from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM and on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Pacific TimePacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
. The tram is closed on Sundays and major holidays, except afternoon summer Sunday service is available. The fare
Fare
A fare is the fee paid by a passenger allowing him or her to make use of a public transport system: rail, bus, taxi, etc. In the case of air transport, the term airfare is often used.-Uses:...
is $4.00 per round trip, collected when traveling from South Waterfront to Marquam Hill. The tram is free for OHSU employees, students, patients, and visitors. An annual pass is available for $100. Tri-Met, C-Tran, and Portland Streetcar passes are honored. A ride on the tram normally lasts three minutes.
Transportation officials originally estimated the tram would carry over 1,500 people a day, a figure that was expected to rise to 5,500 by 2030. Those initial estimates proved to be pessimistic: the tram actually attracted one million riders in its first 10½ months of operation, an average of 3,700 riders per day.
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 busesPublic transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
, gondola lift
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
s, tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s, and even funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
s, to connect OHSU's primary campus on Marquam Hill with this area of planned expansion, the university sought city support of an aerial tram.
Planning and design
In early 2002, Portland Aerial Transportation, Inc. (PATI) was formed as a non-profit board. One of its first public actions was to request the Portland Office of Transportation, also known as PDOT,sicSic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
to undertake an independent analysis of the connectivity options considered earlier by the university and its development supporters. In May 2002, the city council accepted PDOT's process proposal and also accepted PATI as the project sponsor. PDOT's assessment 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. In July 2002, 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 ways to mitigate the tram's impact and identify other desired neighborhood improvements which should accompany the project. One of the proposals is the Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge
Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge
The Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge is a approximately pedestrian bridge under construction in Portland, Oregon, United States. It will connect the Lair Hill neighborhood with the South Waterfront area...
which is expected to be complete in 2012.
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
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
/Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
as finalists. The winner, Los Angeles/Zurich-based Angélil / Graham / Pfenninger / Scholl, was announced on March 26, 2003. In November, PATI chose Doppelmayr CTEC
Doppelmayr CTEC
Doppelmayr is an aerial lift manufacturer based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, and a subsidiary of the worldwide Doppelmayr Garaventa Group. The North American company was formed in 2001 after the merger of Garaventa of Goldau, Switzerland, and Doppelmayr of Wolfurt, Austria....
to design, fabricate and install the tram. The first public review of the project's status was November 2003.
Construction and opening
Construction began in August 2005, with work on both platforms and the intermediate tower occurring through the summer of that year. The bulk of the construction occurred in 2006. Installation of the engines and other equipment occurred during the spring and early summer of 2006, which was followed by installation of the cables during the late summer and early fall.On October 29, 2006, the tram's two cars arrived from Switzerland after a week-long delay. An inaugural run of the tram was conducted on November 9, 2006. Four tram construction workers were the first to test ride the tram while harnessed to the roof and suspending arm. Testing on the tram continued through November. The tram opened to OHSU employees on December 15, 2006. The tram opened to the public on January 27, 2007.
Funding and cost overruns
The project suffered significant cost overrunCost overrun
A cost overrun, also known as a cost increase or budget overrun, is an unexpected cost incurred in excess of a budgeted amount due to an under-estimation of the actual cost during budgeting...
s during its construction. Final cost was nearly four times the initial estimate, a development that nearly led to the tram's cancellation mid-construction. Operating costs are nearly twice original projections. When the city approved the tram project, it was understood that OHSU would pay for most of it. While the taxpayer share has grown, OHSU paid for 85% of the total cost of the tram though it is operated as public transit facility.
Initial estimates and funding
The initial budget for the tram, published in November 2002, was $15.5 million, excluding "soft costs" such as project management and architect's fees. Funding sources for the $15.5 million include a direct $4 million cash contribution from OHSU, $9.5 from local improvement districts set up to fund tram construction, of which OHSU's share is $4.8 million, and $2 million from the city of Portland, via the Portland Development CommissionPortland Development Commission
The Portland Development Commission is the urban renewal agency created by the city of Portland, Oregon. It promotes development, housing projects and economic development within the city's eleven urban renewal districts....
. Other property owners in the South Waterfront Local Improvement District pay the remaining $3.7 million.
In April 2004, the second public review was held to present project recommendations prior to a May review by the city council. The costs by then were estimated to be $28.5 million, including soft costs. The city's share at that time was $3.5 million. In April 2005, the price was readjusted again to $40 million with a construction delay of six months. Higher steel costs, weakening US dollars, and engineering modifications were blamed. By October, The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
reported that steel costs had led to bids pushing the project's price (with contingency funds) to $45 million. The increased cost was expected to be met through South Waterfront urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
contributions which would have otherwise been spent on streets and parks.
Review of the project
In January 2006, Portland city commissioner Sam Adams, who inherited the city's oversight of the project, undertook several actions in response to spiraling costs. The executive director of PATI was ousted, and a month-long independent audit and risk assessment was undertaken; its results were published February 1, 2006. By this point, construction was over one third completed.The audit revealed that OHSU managers knew as early as 2003 that the tram would cost well in excess of the original $15.5 million figure, partially due to a change in location of the upper terminal to accommodate planned hospital construction, but had withheld that information from city leaders. This resulted in harsh public criticism of OHSU management, with city commissioner Randy Leonard accusing the university leadership of an "outrageous shell game...all at the expense of taxpayers". As a result, the city of Portland threatened to withdraw funding from the tram mid-construction, which would probably have scuttled the project. OHSU protested vigorously, threatening a lawsuit should the tram be canceled, and claimed the city was responsible for making up any budget shortfall.
Negotiations between the city, OHSU, and the contractors ensued, with a revised funding plan and budget being agreed upon in April 2006, by a 3-2 vote of the city council. This revised funding plan required concessions from all parties involved, and called for a final budget of $57 million, with contributions from the city at $8.5 million, or nearly 15% of the overall budget. This final budget was met.
Operating costs
The tram's operating costs are also higher than expected. Originally, it was expected to cost $915,000 annually, but is now expected to be $1,700,000. As a result, the fare—originally estimated at $1.70—is set at $4, about the same as two one-way all-zone tickets on Tri-Met ($4.60). The fare is waived for OHSU employees, students, patients, and visitors, and those with transit passes on Tri-Met, C-Tran express passes (for routes going to Downtown Portland from Vancouver) or the Portland Streetcar. Operating costs are divided between the city and OHSU in proportion to the ridership. (If 85% of passengers are OHSU-related, OHSU pays 85% of the operating cost.)Community response
Even prior to the cost increases which plagued the design and construction of the tram, the project has been subject to criticism from the public. Many residents in the neighborhoods under the tram's route object to the tram's presence. The cost increases themselves, and the perceived machinations of public officials, have been controversial. Some consider the project an unworthy use of public funds at any price, either due to a lack of benefit for those not associated with OHSU, or due to opposition to such projects in general.Objections from underlying neighborhoods
Many residents of the Corbett-Terwilliger and Lair Hill neighborhoods, over which the tram passes, were concerned the cars would be an invasion of privacy and lead to lower property values. Initially, residents were promised that overhead power lines would be buried as part of the project, but as cost overruns mounted, this plan was scrapped. Neighborhood opponents of the tram have cited other reasons for opposing the tram's construction, including the fact that the North Corbett neighborhood is a historic districtHistoric district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Some residents filed a lawsuit against the city and OHSU, claiming that they own the "airspace" above their properties. The city later offered to purchase homes directly under the tram route at fair market value.
Even after its completion, the tram remains unpopular with some living underneath its route. In April 2007, homeowner Justin Auld, living under the tram route, placed a sign on his roof stating "FUCK THE TRAM" in large block letters. The sign is not visible from the street, only from the air. Officials had looked into whether or not the sign violated any laws. The publicity surrounding the sign prompted city officials to quietly negotiate with the homeowner, and the sign has since been moved and the expletive covered.
Concerns over the cost
Both OHSU and the city of Portland have taken much public criticism for ballooning development costs. Local television station KATUKATU
KATU, virtual channel 2, also known as K2, is an ABC-affiliated television station broadcasting on digital channel 43 in Portland, Oregon, USA. It has been owned by Fisher Communications of Seattle, Washington, which has been the owner of the Seattle's ABC affiliate KOMO-TV, ever since it began...
questioned the relative price of the Portland tram compared to a new tram at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a ski resort at Teton Village, Wyoming. Located northwest of Jackson and due south of Grand Teton National Park in Teton County, it is named after the historically significant Jackson Hole valley. The region is served by the Jackson Hole Airport.-Ski area...
, which was built by the same company, and (as of 2007) was projected to carry 28 percent more passengers three and a half times the distance and eight times the height, but costing only $25 million.
The tram's supporters, however, claimed that many of the increases are justified, or due to circumstances beyond the developers' control. The auditor's report, commissioned in 2006, complimented the tram as "a dramatic, one-of-a-kind facility that will become a Portland landmark," and noted that 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:
- an extremely restricted site for construction of the upper terminal
- combining complex, European mechanical/electrical systems with sophisticated U.S. steel structure and infrastructure presented technical challenges and risks from conflicts between the two business cultures and management procedures
- the need to install tramway cables over an interstate highway and state highways
In addition, it has been claimed that the re-planning delayed the tram's completion. One of the designers of the tram noted that "if we added up all the times we went back to try to save money, we probably lost a year. Maybe we saved $2 million, but what did we lose? If we had an extra year, that would have meant a lot."
Concerns over corporate welfare
Some critics cite the tram as an example of corporate welfareCorporate welfare
Corporate welfare is a pejorative term describing a government's bestowal of money grants, tax breaks, or other special favorable treatment on corporations or selected corporations. The term compares corporate subsidies and welfare payments to the poor, and implies that corporations are much less...
for OHSU with limited public benefit. A 2001 study done by OHSU prior to the tram's being designed projected that the tram would have 4,700 riders per day by 2030, with less than one fifth (850) of those being non-OHSU users. While the lower station has easy public access, access to the upper station requires navigating through the OHSU hospital. The Cascade Policy Institute
Cascade Policy Institute
Cascade Policy Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan libertarian public policy research organization based in Portland, Oregon that focuses on state and local issues. The institute, founded in January 1991, seeks to "explore and advance public policy alternatives that foster individual liberty,...
, a local libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
research group, criticized the project for being "railroaded through the political process by small groups of private interests", and expressed doubt that tram construction would lead to new jobs.
Others argue that while the issues of increasing public costs are real, the importance of continued growth of OHSU for the city's economy must be factored in as well. Not only is it the largest employer in the city, but OHSU is an important and effective vehicle to attract both federal funding, totaling more than 168 million dollars for 2005, and a highly skilled workforce to the area. The growth in the current campus on the Marquam Hill is limited by access roads and parking, an expansion of which would likely cause more dramatic harm to the surrounding communities.
Architectural and visual impacts
The tram has been praised for its visual impact. Critic Jeff JahnJeff Jahn
Jeff Jahn is a curator, art critic, artist, historian, blogger and composer based in Portland, Oregon, United States.Jeff Jahn's cultural activities in Portland, Oregon frequently receive attention outside the region on CNN, Art in America, The Art Newspaper and Art News etc...
of PortlandArt.net called the tram "the most significant new piece of architecture to be added to Portland since Michael Graves
Michael Graves
Michael Graves is an American architect. Identified as one of The New York Five, Graves has become a household name with his designs for domestic products sold at Target stores in the United States....
' Portland Building in 1980". The tram has also won several architectural awards, including the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
' Los Angeles chapter’s 2006 NEXT Honor Award, and the 2007 Presidential Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Steel Construction
American Institute of Steel Construction
The American Institute of Steel Construction, often abbreviated AISC, is a not-for-profit technical institute and trade association for the use of structural steel in the construction industry of the United States. It is headquartered in Chicago, IL. Their mission is to make structural steel the...
.
According to city commissioner Adams, a cheaper alternative which would have changed the tower's designs to a lattice style used in electrical transmission towers
Electricity pylon
A transmission tower is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. They are used in high-voltage AC and DC systems, and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes...
, was not considered because the result would look like an "ugly ski lift
Ski lift
The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...
at a bad ski resort" and leave the city with what Adams called an "ugly postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
" that could last 100 years. Critics of the tram have also expressed concern over the tram's spoiling views for the homeowners from the city's West Hills, particularly from Gibbs Street, under the tram.
External links
- Portland Aerial Tram Home Page
- Archive of tram related articles from The Oregonian
- South Portland Neighborhood Association
- Diagram of Tram Car from The Oregonian website