Majority of Portland’s new housing was built along the streetcar corridor in 2016, with thousands more units on the way
New data shows long-term plans to coordinate transit investments and housing growth are bearing fruit in Portland
Portland Streetcar.
Portland, Ore.—New data released Monday by Portland Streetcar shows that the early vision for a streetcar system that spurs housing development and improves transit access is generating results. Conducted by EcoNorthwest, the data analysis shows that 3,130 new multifamily housing units were built along the Streetcar corridor in 2016, the most in the system’s 16-year history. Another 5,600 units are currently planned or under construction.
Housing along the streetcar corridor
“It seems simple, but Portland Streetcar is successful because it connects where people live with where they need to go every day,” said Portland Streetcar Executive Director Dan Bower. “And as the streetcar has expanded, it’s become a magnet for new housing.”
The link between the Streetcar and housing isn’t an accident—when the route was first drawn in the mid-1990s, city leaders and planners envisioned the streetcar running through neighborhoods that filled with housing and where people could get to school, work, or the grocery store without driving across town.
Portland’s housing growth is happening along the streetcar route
Since Portland Streetcar opened in 2001, nearly half of all multifamily housing built in Portland has been located within ¼ mile of the Streetcar route. As housing construction in the city has exploded in the past couple years, even more new of the city’s new housing is being concentrated in the Streetcar corridor. In 2016, 54 percent of new multifamily units were built along the Streetcar route. Over the past 16 years, streetcar ridership has grown steadily along with housing construction, with over 15,000 riders per day and 4.7 million total riders last year.
The link between the Streetcar and housing construction extends to affordable housing. Over one-third of all regulated affordable housing units in Portland are located along the Streetcar corridor and another 645 regulated affordable housing units are currently planned or under construction on the alignment.
A one-page summary of the housing data is available for download at: https://storage.googleapis.com/streetcar/files/R3_Streetcar_2017-Econ-Dev_one-pager.pdf
About the Portland Streetcar
As the first modern streetcar system to be built in the United States, the Portland Streetcar serves 15,000 riders each day on the A/B Loops and the North/South (NS) Line. Ridership is expected to grow to 20,000 riders per day by 2025.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Portland Streetcar
Amid declining transit ridership nationwide, Portland Streetcar sets ridership record in April
May 15th, 2018 by Portland StreetcarThe Portland Streetcar averaged 16,650 weekday riders in April
Majority of Portland’s new housing was built along the streetcar corridor in 2016, with thousands more units on the way
Oct 9th, 2017 by Portland StreetcarNew data shows long-term plans to coordinate transit investments and housing growth are bearing fruit in Portland
Along Portland’s streetcar route, each new housing unit adds a regular streetcar rider
Oct 6th, 2016 by Portland StreetcarNew data offers insight into future demand for streetcar systems around the country.
