Interstate Avenue Light Rail Project
This is a 5.8 mile addition to the existing 33 miles of light rail in the Portland area. This section has an estimated cost of $350 million, including $257.5 million in federal pork, $25 million from the bus system, $30 million from the cash starved City of Portland and $37.5 million from regional transportation funds.
Projected ridership is about 7,000 (14,000 boardings) by 2005. Simple division of $350,000,000 by 7000 gives $50,000 per rider. If that $50,000 were invested at 8%, it would yield $12,000 every 3 years which is enough to buy every one of those 7000 people a new car and include free gas. Every three years! Congestion would not increase because the city would have no excuse to bring thousands of new residents into the area under their "transit oriented density" program. Further Interstate Ave. would retain all four lanes instead of losing 1/2 of its automobile capacity.
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| N. Prescott St | N. Prescott St | N. Killingsworth | N. Lombard | Overlook | N. Portland Blvd |