I don't have a problem with the streetcars operating on the street, I just have a problem with what roads are being chosen for such streetcar routes. A route should be designed to be efficient and not subjected to present-known problems that occur daily on 99E. It may be all smooth and beautiful mid-afternoon, but it only takes a small type of event to cause a ripple effect across the whole arterial during evening rush.

Portland didn't want to go through the lengthly process of changing its zoning properties 200 feet east or west of the highway, which would have had an impact on its funding structure should they pursue an alignment on one of the side streets. Now we all get to ride a streetcar subject to operating less efficiently than a car would in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Remember, the streetcar cannot change lanes, and its loading and unloading areas are much more restricted than an average bus.

For a sample of what kind of delays the streetcar might have, go to 11th and Burnside at rush-hour and see how long it takes for it to move two blocks. Now imagine this situation at Hawthorne, Morrison/Belmont, Burnside/Couch, I-84, and Broadway...

You'll see.