A Portland Street Car ride, although modernized, will send you back in your memory to a simpler time. At the start of the 20th century, locals hopped the street cars as a regular mode of transportation around the streets of the city.
Now, it's another one of the many ways of moving about. It makes shopping and dining that much easier for the visitors to our city. Personally, I'm like a little kid when it comes to riding our light rail or the streetcars. I think it's really fun! ;)  The Portland Streetcars are about 66 ft long, 1/3 the length of a dual-car MAX train, and can hold up to 140 passengers. Their design and construction are very modern, including air conditioning and ample space and accommodations for handicapped riders. The streetcars run on a continuous 8-mile loop around the Portland area, meshing with the flow of traffic and making 46 stops along the way. The Portland streetcar route runs from Good Sam(aritan) Hospital, along NW 23rd Avenue, through the Pearl District, Portland State University, the Waterfront District and then connects up with our Portland Ariel Tram. Plans are continuing to expand out even more in the coming years. We're never satisfied with being mediocre in our community service. Download a Portland Street Car Route map right here. To ride the street car, check at any of the regular stops along the route and you'll find real-time updates on the reader boards as well as on the Internet. They run about every  10-12 minutes from an early 5:30am to 11:30-45pm on the weeknights. The weekend rides start a tad later at around 7:00am until 10 or 10:30pm. You can contact TriMet for stops and exact times at (503) 238-7433. You can also see where the streetcars are right now, real-time, by clicking here. The tickets for the TriMet busses, MAX and the Street Cars are all interchangeable. You can pay for a ride by dropping exact change, $1 or $5 bills in the fare box onboard or by using a transfer. You can also purchase annual passes for the streetcar. Of course, you can always ride for free in the areas of the Free Rail Zone (formally known as Fareless Square). We're so awesome that we also run old-time streetcars or trolleys on the weekends. Fares are free, but donations are very much appreciated. The Portland Streetcar is an enjoyable way to travel up and down the streets of downtown Portland. Inexpensive and convenient, make sure you take a ride next time you're here. For additional travel information and customer service, call 503-238-RIDE (7433)
Portland Streetcar Service Alerts>
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