THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 15, 1996 TAG: 9609140502
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: 130 lines
If Portland, Ore., had no light rail or buses, the city would have to build six parking garages 40 stories tall to handle the downtown workers who now commute using mass transit.
Nearly 40 percent of downtown employees travel to work on light rail and buses in the Pacific Northwest city, which is drawing raves for its innovative transportation system and inner-city revitalization.
Portland's accomplishments were spotlighted last week at the second annual Rail-Volution conference. The conference aimed to build coalitions of states, cities and communities to promote rail transit as a way to build vibrant economic hubs.
``Portland is a phenomenon of transit rebirth,'' said Denny Zane, consultant with Urban Dimensions and former mayor of Santa Monica, Calif. ``They're a model of land use and transportation.''
South Hampton Roads is studying Portland's success as Tidewater Regional Transit plans a proposed $376-million light-rail line connecting downtown Norfolk with the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. That system would eventually link up with the Norfolk Naval Base, the airport and suburban hubs.
Portland's metropolitan area, with 1.5 million residents, unveiled its 15-mile MAX system in 1986 amid skepticism from some citizens and community leaders. One transit official recalls being pelted with tomatoes at a public meeting discussing the $319 million project.
But critics were silenced when 200,000 people rode the rail in its opening days. Since then, ridership has continued to surpass expectations with an average daily ridership of 24,000. That's a 35 percent jump since the line opened. The trains run at capacity during rush hours.
Construction is under way for a $940-million, 18-mile extension of the system. Another $850 million, 21-mile expansion is being planned.
Residents are now solidly behind the system's growth, as bond issues to fund the construction have won 65 percent to 75 percent voter approval.
Transit officials credit the region's collaborative approach among government agencies, businesses and citizens for its success.
``Partnerships and shared responsibility are the keys to our success,'' said Phil Bogue, Board of Directors president for Tri-Met, the Portland area's regional transit agency. ``There are 24 cities and three counties in the region and we maintain a strong consensus.''
As evidence of its cooperative spirit, the Portland area boasts the country's only elected metropolitan governing body that covers parts of three counties.
``There is a remarkable environment in Portland,'' said Greg Baldwin, partner in a national consulting firm, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership. ``The politicians act more like managers and entrepreneurs.
``They consider and execute very, very good projects.''
Another city that is heralded for its light-rail system, St. Louis, Mo., is also praised for its collaborative, inclusive manner of transportation planning.
St. Louis has a joint transportation planning group. It includes the state transportation department, the local transit authority and the metropolitan planning organization, which share office space. A grass roots organization, Citizens for Modern Transit, is also involved in planning.
This cooperation was cited as the impetus behind the recent awarding of several federal grants to double MetroLink's 18 mile route.
When MetroLink opened in 1993, the average weekday ridership was projected at 12,000. Before its first anniversary, the rail was moving double that number. Today, it transports about 42,000 commuters daily.
Both St. Louis and Portland involve citizens in the planning of transit in the earliest stages.
``We make the transportation customer the center of what we do,'' said Susan Stauder, transit planner for the Bi-State Development Agency.
In Portland, citizens and business owners are invited to help plan rail alignments and stations in intensive community summits. Even children are brought into these summits.
So when rail becomes a reality, the community has a sense of ownership and pride. And they become light rail's biggest defenders.
Take the town of Gresham, the so called end-of-the-line of Portland's MAX. Residents feared rail would only shuttle people out of Gresham and it would be the demise of their community. By the time the line was under construction, all 600 residential dwellings in the way of construction were sold voluntarily. No condemnation proceedings were needed.
Today, Gresham is thriving. It has doubled in size and has become the fourth-largest city in the state.
Similarly, in some areas outside Portland along the expanded rail line, property values have doubled in anticipation of light rail's completion in 1998.
Officials, however, admit that not everyone is happy with the path the region is following. About 38 percent of residents said in a survey that they thought Portland's biggest problem was that it is expanding too fast.
``There's a lot of tension still,'' said newly elected Congressman Earl Blumenauer, who once served on Portland's City Council, County Commission and in the Oregon state legislature.
He said the Portland area has decided to continue to concentrate its money and efforts on transit growth, both bus and light rail, at the expense of building roads.
But that's nothing startling for a city that tore out a riverfront highway and turned it into a 37-acre waterfront park; that hasn't added road capacity to its downtown area in the past 20 years; and that closed 22 blocks of downtown streets to cars and opened a transit mall for bus traffic only. Within the one-mile transit mall, people can ride the buses fare-free.
``That's been one of the most cost effective marketing devices,'' Blumenauer said. ``It's a way to get more regular bus riders.''
Buses, both within the downtown area and in the suburbs, have been an integral part of connecting people to light rail.
Further discouraging car use, all of Portland's buses are equipped with bicycle racks, and rail vehicles are accessible to bikes. And the city limits the number of parking spaces downtown. A three-story parking garage was razed to develop a square which has become the city's focal point for community gatherings.
Portland has also demonstrated that light rail can have a dramatic impact on shaping growth.
Since the decision to build MAX, more than $1.3 billion worth of development has occurred next to the line, including $50 million worth of apartments, an $85 million convention center, a $262 million arena for the Trail Blazers basketball team and a $200 million mall renovation.
With the development, downtown Portland lays claim to the Pacific Northwest's largest shopping center. Downtown businesses now account for 40 percent of the Portland area's sales, up from 7 percent. Saturday and Sunday rail ridership is almost as great as weekdays.
Light rail also is responsible for cleaning up Portland's air quality. Before rail, the city violated air pollution standards 150 days a year on average. Last year, the city did not exceed the standard.
Officials say MAX has been only one of several contributors to Portland's success. Many of the changes were already taking place and light rail just became a catalyst for even more change.
``Light rail has been a key to organizing growth on a regional level,'' said Bogue, Tri-Met's president.
``We think it's a good investment. Light rail is a means to the end result of a more livable community. . . . Clean air. Shapes growth. Moves people.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Nearly 40 percent of downtown employees in Portland, Ore., travel to
work on light rail and buses.
KEYWORDS: LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM PORTLAND, OREGON by CNB