Feature

by Rebekah Farquhar

She said that on a clear day, riders can see all of Portland and five surrounding mountains

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index
Previous Features | Send mail to The Voice

Tram Cars Connect
Waterfront to OHSU

The Portland Aerial Tram connects Oregon Health and Science University's waterfront clinic to the main complex on Marquam Hill. The tram, which holds 79 passengers, can transport 720 passengers per hour. --Rebekah Farquhar, photo

The Portland Fire and Rescue Bureau shot a one-foot-long lead weight and a rope across Interstate-5, over residential streets, and up Marquam Hill to Oregon Health and Science University.

Their job was a final step in constructing an aerial tram between OHSU's South Waterfront clinic and the main facilities on Marquam Hill. Jennie Beyerl, a city worker on the tram construction project up on Marquam Hill, said she could hear the gun blasts from the waterfront. Workers used the projected rope to guide steel cables between the two tram stations.

I first noticed the tram while driving on I-5 when workers constructed the support tower, shortly before the Marquam Bridge ramp. At first, I thought it was geometric art; only later did I realize it was the only tower supporting the tram.

The tram provides a transportation link between OHSU's main medical and education campus on Marquam Hill and the expanding campus at South Waterfront. Mark Williams, the South Waterfront project director for OHSU, said that it was the most efficient way to move people between the two campuses.

While guiding me on a tour, Ms. Beyerl said that the tram has 3,400 feet of steel cables supporting the tram cars. The four cables supporting the two tram cars each have one billion pounds of force on them, as well as a 60,000 pound counterweight on the upper end, she said.

Like the interior of some MAX cars, seating on the tram was extremely limited. Although the car holds up to 79 people, it has only two seats, with poles and handrails evenly spaced throughout the car for the standing passengers. The day I rode the tram, most passengers were either in scrubs or suits. A young child in a hospital gown took her first ride in the front of the car, her face pressed against the glass. If filled, the tram can transport 720 passengers per hour.

The trip from the waterfront to the top of the hill was smooth except when the tram car and cable pass over the intermediate support tower above I-5. The tram car operator warned the passengers of an upcoming bump, requesting that they not think the sky was falling. I was glad that I was grasping a pole. Ms. Beyerl said that the rope arcs over the tower, causing the bump. "The swing is more of a physics thing," she said. "You're going at a steep incline, and then all of a sudden you're flattening out, so there's going to be some swing and inertia effects."

While ascending, we passed the descending tram car. It was close enough to see people inside the other car, although we could not have reached out and touched them. The trip to the top of the hill took less than three minutes.

The bump was still present when traveling down, but the swaying on the return trip was minimal. The wind blew heavily while we were descending, but Ms. Beyerl said that the cars operate in sustained winds of up to 50 mph with "minimal discomfort to riders."

She said that on a clear day, riders can see all of Portland and five surrounding mountains. The car windows are frosted three feet above the floor, so I could look directly over the city, but not into the backyards of residents living below the tram path.

The Portland Aerial Tram is one of two urban trams in the United States, according to city commissioner Sam Adams. "This will serve as a daily transportation option up and down the hill," Mr. Adams said, "but it will also serve as a tourist attraction."

Public response to the project has been mixed, according to Troy Doss, the South Waterfront project manager for the city. He said that neighbors were initially opposed to the tram, but he doesn't think that will be a long-term problem, as most residents now are unconcerned. "It generates no vibration, it makes no noise, and it's above the tree canopy," Mr. Doss said, "so you'll have a hard time noticing it."

The biggest complaint has been the high cost. Mr. Adams said, "The cost and original budget was $15 million, but now it is $57 million." He attributed the increase to a rise in raw material costs and other construction projects on Marquam Hill that changed the tram's path.

The tram is open to the public, although the city projects that 85 percent of riders will be from OHSU. The tram opened to the public on Jan. 27, 2007, and the fare is $4.

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index
Previous Features | Send mail to The Voice