A Portland Perspective
Having lived in Portland for many years, I have enjoyed the benefits of much of the variety of mass transit options available within the urban and suburban metro area. The mix of options include an aerial tram, the MAX light rail, trolleys, buses, street cars, our international airport, our feet for walking, and of course our world class biking infrastructure. All of which contribute to the high level of livability within the Portland metro area.
One of the features mentioned in the article but overlooked by the commenters is the contribution to the local economy made by United Streetcar. Many years ago the City of Portland made a strategic decision to help grow the local economy and to build its fleet of streetcars by supporting the work of United. The synergy has worked quite well, leading to some of the best jobs in Oregon for what has become a growing industry. Some farsighted thinking on the part of a select group of local citizens.
The revitalization of both urban and suburban areas has been directly attributed to the work of the local and regional government agencies and the local populations in a cooperative environment. Partnering with local developers and city planners has resulted in some of the best examples of how to grow a regional economy intelligently and avoiding much of the problems associated with urban sprawl. Love it or hate it, the urban growth boundary has contributed to the livability of the area and has become a model of sustainable local land use, recognized throughout the world.
Don't get me wrong, Portland is not a utopia, it has its share of problems; but on a whole, the transportation system in Portland is quite well thought out and implemented to the benefit of its local citizenry.
We also take advantage of some of the country's lowest electric rates, courtesy of the Bonneville Dam, which is essentially a giant solar collector if you consider how the water gets to the dam.
So with the combination of intelligent urban planning, a cooperative population, a relatively cheap power supply, and a wide variety of mass transit options, Portland is one of this country's best examples of how to make things work.
