The Portland Aerial Tram or OHSU Tram is an air tramway in Portland, Oregon, carrying commuters between the city's South Waterfront district and Oregon Health & amp; University of Science (OHSU) campus, located in the Marquam Hill neighborhood. It is one of only two commuter air transport routes in the United States, the other is the Roosevelt Island Tramway in New York City. The tram covers a horizontal distance of 3,300 feet (1,000 m) and a vertical distance of 500 feet (150 m) in a trip that lasts three minutes.
The tram is co-funded by OHSU, the City of Portland, and by South Waterfront property owners, with most of the funds coming from OHSU. Owned by the city and operated by OHSU. While most passengers are affiliated with OHSU, it is open to the public and operated as part of Portland's public transport network that includes Portland Streetcar, MAX Light Rail and TriMet buses. After opening in December 2006, the tram carries one million passengers on October 17, 2007 and ten million riders on January 8, 2014. A round-trip ticket costs $ 4.70 but is free for patients with OHSU and certain visitors; OHSU employees and students ride free by showing their ID badges.
The tram costs $ 57 million to build - an increase of almost four times the initial cost estimate, which is one of several sources of controversy related to the project.
Video Portland Aerial Tram
Description
Route
The tram consists of two stations and one intermediate tower. Two tram cars operate in a pendular mode on parallel trajectories and are drawn in unison by machine-driven hauls at the lower terminal; when one car is in the upper terminal, the other at the lower terminal, and vice versa. The downstairs station is next to the OHSU facility in South Waterfront neighborhood, adjacent to a stop on the Portland tram line, which connects the South Waterfront area with downtown Portland. The top station is located adjacent to the OHSU Hospital, on the Marquam Hill university campus. Both stations are exactly east and west of each other separated by a horizontal distance of 3,300 feet (5/8 mi, 1 km) and a vertical distance of 500 feet (150 m). The maximum vertical distance between the tram and the ground is 175 feet (53.4 m).
Tram route crosses Interstate 5 as well as major highways such as Barbur Boulevard, Oregon Route 10 (Naito Parkway), and Oregon Route 43 (Macadam Avenue). The intermediate tower is located east of Interstate 5 close to South Waterfront station. As a result of this configuration, many trips are significantly increased above ground, making the tram visible for a certain distance, and providing tram drivers with a great view of the eastern metropolitan area and the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and Washington. An alternative to boarding a tram is a public road that requires a 1.9-mile (3.1 km) route with lots of traffic lights and intersections. This route includes the short busy US route 26, as well as the winding Sam Jackson Park Road that rides up the Tualatin Mountains to the hospital campus.
Structure and cabling
Down (South Waterfront) tram machine home station in basement of reinforced concrete and also has ticket facility and control room.
The top stations are steel towers and 140 feet (42.7 m) free towers above the class and tram balancer houses. The hospital is structurally separated from the nearest OHSU Hospital and is connected to the ninth floor of the hospital over the overpass over SW Campus Drive, which is winding in the middle of the University. Structural separation between the tram and the hospital is needed to avoid the vibrations of tram engines that interfere with micro-operations performed in hospitals.
The 197-foot (60 m) central tower allows the tram to get elevated quickly after leaving the lower station to provide sufficient distance above Interstate 5. The tower has a width of 22 feet and a length of 20 feet at its base (6.7 mx 6 m ), 8 feet by 8 feet (2.4 m by 2.4 m) at the smallest point - nearly two thirds of the tower - and 32 feet 8 feet (9.8 m 2.4m) at the top. It rests on a 5ft (1.5m) dock cap supported by 35 piers. The tower was built near Vancouver, Washington, and struck three parts into the Willamette River.
Nearly 1,250 tons of steel and 450 tons of concrete are in two platforms and intermediate towers; the lateral load on the upper platforms ranges from 500,000 to 800,000 pounds (400 short tons) (2.2 million to 3.6 million newtons) of strength.
Each tram runs on a pair of 2 inch (49 mm) steel line straps, for a total of four cables. The combined tracks are fastened to more than one million pounds (4.4 million newtons). The fifth cable - the haul - is a continuous loop that rotates around the drive windmill at the bottom station, connecting to one car, wind through the weighted sling at the top station, then to another car, before joining himself. The length of the haulage is more than 7000 feet (2100 m).
Car
Each tram car weighs about 12 tons, with cabin dimensions 25 feet by 11 feet (7.5 m x 3.3 m). Each car has a capacity of over 13 tons and there is ample room in the cabin for 78 passengers and one operator. The tram cars were built by Gangloff AG, Bern in Switzerland, and were shaped and painted to look like the vision of the architectural firm "bubbles floating in the sky". The surface of the cabin reflects and refracts light, minimizing their visual impact to the environment beneath it. North and south cars are named Jean and Walt respectively, after Jean Richardson, the first female engineering graduate of Oregon State University, and Walt Reynolds, the first African-American to graduate from OHSU, later known as the University of Oregon Medical School.
Drive and security system
Trams are driven by three independent propulsion systems. The main drive is a variable 450 kilowatt (600 hp) variable frequency motor. Two hydrostatic diesel engines are also part of the design: one is a standby drive, which allows operation during a power outage; the other is an emergency evacuation drive. A 40-ton counterweight offsets the weight of the car. The tram is capable of operating at speeds of up to 22 miles per hour (35 km per hour).
In addition to the redundant drive system, the tram has many other design features intended to ensure the safety of passengers and people on the ground under the route. The communication system allows tram car operators to communicate with the control room. Automated surveillance and control systems monitor the condition of the rope and drive system. The tram is designed to operate safely in the earthquake-prone Pacific Northwest, with structural design that exceeds the US quake's standards, and operates in continuous winds of up to 50 mph (80 km/h).
Operational information
The tram operates from Monday to Friday from 05.30 to 21.30 and on Saturdays from 09:00 to 17:00, Pacific Time. The tram is closed on Sundays and major holidays, except Sunday afternoon service is available. The tram is free for OHSU employees, students, patients, and visitors. TriMet, C-Tran, and Portland Streetcar pass a respectable monthly and yearly. Travel by tram usually lasts for three minutes.
Transport officials initially estimated the tram would carry more than 1,500 people per day, a figure expected to rise to 5,500 by 2030. The initial forecast proved conservative: the tram attracted one million riders in the first 10 ½ month operation, and an average of 10,000 riders per business day in 2016.
Maps Portland Aerial Tram
History
In late 2001, OHSU bought property in the South Waterfront area (then known as North Macadam), with plans to expand there. After studying several ways, including shuttle buses, gondola lifts, tunnels, and even funiculars, to connect the main OHSU campus at Marquam Hill to this planned expansion area, the university sought city support from an air tram.
Plan and design
In early 2002, Portland Aerial Transportation, Inc. (PATI) was formed as a nonprofit board. One of his first public acts was to request the Portland Bureau of Transportation (then known as the Portland Transportation Office, and abbreviated as PDOT sic ) to conduct an independent analysis of the previously considered connectivity options. by the university and its proponents of development. In May 2002, the city council accepted the proposed PDOT process and also received PATI as the project sponsor. The PDOT assessment leads to the same conclusions that the previous OHSU has achieved: air tram is the preferred approach. PDOT also recommended a second tram connecting the Marquam Hill area with the nearest transit center at SW Barbur Boulevard. In July 2002, the city council received a PDOT recommendation and asked PDOT and PATI to proceed to the design phase, including the design competition. Both are also required to work with residents of the affected environment to identify ways to reduce the impact of the tram and identify other desired environmental improvements that must accompany the project. One result of the process is Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge, which finished mid-2012.
The design competition begins by identifying four companies that will participate in the contest. The official competition began in January 2003, with companies from New York City, Amsterdam, and Los Angeles/Zurich as finalists. The winner, Angu  © lil/Graham/Pfenninger/Scholl based in Los Angeles/Zurich, was announced on March 26, 2003. In November, PATI chose Doppelmayr CTEC to design, build and install trams. The first public review of project status was November 2003.
Build and open
Construction began in August 2005, working on both platforms and intermediate towers that occurred during the summer of that year. Most of the construction took place in 2006. The installation of machinery and other equipment occurred during the spring and early summer of 2006, followed by cabling during late summer and early fall.
On October 29, 2006, two tram cars arrived from Switzerland after a weeklong delay. The tram launch was conducted on November 9, 2006. Four tram construction workers were the first to test the tram while being tied to the roof and holding the arm. Tests on the tram will continue until November. The tram was opened for OHSU employees on December 15, 2006. The tram was opened to the public on January 27, 2007.
Funding and excessive costs
The project underwent significant cost overruns during its construction. The final cost is almost four times the initial estimate, a development that almost led to the cancellation of mid-tram construction. Operating costs are almost double the original projection. When the city approves the tram project, it is understood that OHSU will pay most of it. While the share of taxpayers has grown, OHSU pays 85% of the total tram costs even though it is operated as a public transport facility.
Initial estimate and funding
The initial budget for the tram, published in November 2002, was $ 15.5 million, excluding "soft costs" such as project management and architect fees. Sources of funding for $ 15.5 million include a direct cash contribution of $ 4 million from OHSU, $ 9.5 from local upgraded districts set up to fund tram construction, where OHSU shares are $ 4.8 million, and $ 2 million from the city of Portland, through the Portland Development Commission. Other property owners in the South Waterfront Local Improvement District pay the remaining $ 3.7 million.
In April 2004, a second public review was held to present project recommendations prior to review by the city council. The cost at the time was estimated at $ 28.5 million, including soft costs. The part of town at that time was $ 3.5 million. In April 2005, the price was adjusted again to $ 40 million with a six-month construction suspension. Higher steel costs, a weaker US dollar, and engineering modifications are blamed. In October, The Oregonian reported that steel costs had caused bids to drive project prices (with emergency funds) to $ 45 million. The increase in costs is expected to be met through South Waterfront urban renewal contributions that should be spent on roads and gardens.
Project review
In January 2006, Portland city commissioner Sam Adams, who inherited city control over the project, took several actions in response to an ever-increasing cost. The executive director of PATI was ousted, and a month-long independent audit and risk assessment were conducted; the results were published on February 1, 2006. At this point, the construction finished more than a third.
The audit revealed that OHSU managers learned early in 2003 that the tram would cost more than its original $ 15.5 million, in part because of a change in the location of the upper terminal to accommodate the planned hospital construction, but had withheld the information from the city. leader. This has led to harsh public criticism of OHSU's management, with city commissioner Randy Leonard accusing the university leadership of "an outrageous shell game... all at the expense of taxpayers". As a result, the city of Portland threatened to withdraw funds from the mid-tram construction, which would probably stop the project. OHSU protests loudly, threatens a lawsuit if the tram is canceled, and claims that the city is responsible for making budget shortfalls. Negotiations between the city, OHSU and contractors occurred, with a revised funding plan and budget agreed in April 2006, with a 3-2 city council vote. This revised funding plan requires concessions from all parties involved, and calls for a final budget of $ 57 million, with a city contribution of $ 8.5 million, or nearly 15% of the overall budget. This final budget is fulfilled.
Operating costs
Tram operational costs are also higher than expected. Initially, it was estimated to cost $ 915,000 per year, but is now estimated to be $ 1,700,000. As a result, the tariff - initially estimated at $ 1.70 - is set at $ 4.70, almost the same as the daily ticket at Tri-Met ($ 5.00). Rates are waived for OHSU employees, students, patients, and visitors, and those with monthly or annual transit tickets at Tri-Met, C-Tran, or Portland Streetcar. Operating costs are divided between city and OHSU in proportion to the number of passengers. (If 85% of passengers are linked to OHSU, OHSU pays 85% of operating costs.)
Community response
Even before the cost increases that disrupted the design and construction of the tram, the project has been criticized by the public. Many residents in the neighborhood under the route of the tram to the presence of the tram. The cost of increasing itself, and the perceived intrigue of public officials, has become controversial. Some people regard the project as an inappropriate use of public funds at any price, either because of the lack of benefits for those not associated with OHSU, or for opposing those projects in general.
Objection of the underlying environment
Many residents in Corbett-Terwilliger and Lair Hill neighborhoods, where tram passes, fear that the cars will be a privacy violation and lead to lower property values. Initially, residents were promised that the power grid above would be buried as part of the project, but as excessive costs increased, the plan was canceled. Environmental opponents of the tram have mentioned other reasons for opposing tram construction, including the fact that the Northern Korbis neighborhood is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some residents filed suit against the city and OHSU, claiming that they have "air space" on top of their property. The city then offers to buy houses directly under a tram route with fair market value.
In the early years after completion, the tram was unpopular with some living under its route. In April 2007, homeowner Justin Auld, who lived under a tram route, posted a sign on his backyard fence that stated "FUCK THE TRAM" in capital letters. The sign is not visible from the road, only from the air. The publicity around the sign prompted city officials to negotiate with the homeowner, and the sign had been moved and the wording of the oath was closed.
Concern over costs
Both OHSU and the city of Portland have received much public criticism for the swelling of development costs. The local TV station KATU questioned the relative price of the Portland tram compared to the new tram at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, built by the same company, and (in 2007) projected to carry 28 percent more passengers, but only for $ 25 One million.
However, tram supporters claim that many improvements are justified, or because of circumstances beyond the control of the developer. The auditor's report, commissioned in 2006, praised the tram as "a dramatic, one-of-a-kind facility that will become Portland's landmark," and notes that the design is difficult to build, requires towers, tall sheets, complexes and high upper terminals and full of charge must be built in very strict tolerance.
In addition, it has been claimed that re-planning delayed the tram settlement. One tram designer noted that "if we add all our time back to trying to save money, we might lose a year maybe we save $ 2 million, but what do we lose? If we have an extra year, it will mean so much. "
Concern over corporate welfare
Some critics, at the time of construction, cite the tram as an example of corporate welfare for OHSU with limited public benefits. A 2001 study conducted by the OHSU before the designed tram projected that the tram would have 4,700 riders per day by 2030, with less than a fifth (850) of those non-OHSU users. While the lower station has easy public access, access to the upper station requires navigation through the OHSU hospital. The Cascade Policy Institute, a local libertarian research group, criticized the project for "running the political process by small groups of self-interest", and expressed doubt that tram construction would lead to new jobs.
Others argue that while the problem of increasing public costs is real, the importance of continued growth of OHSU for the city economy should be taken into account as well. Not only is it the largest company in the city, but the OHSU is an important and effective vehicle to attract federal funding, totaling more than 168 million dollars for 2005, and highly skilled workforce to the area. The current campus growth on Marquam Hill is limited by road access and parking, an expansion likely to cause more dramatic damage to the surrounding community.
Architectural and visual impact
The tram has been praised for its visual impact. Critics Jeff Jahn of PortlandArt.net called the tram "the most significant new architectural part to be added to Portland since Michael Graves' Portland Building in 1980". The tram has also won several architectural awards, including the American Institute of Architects' Los Angeles chapter 2006 NEXT Honor Award, and the 2007 Presidential Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Steel Construction.
According to city commissioner Adams, a cheaper alternative that would turn the tower design into a lattice style used in electric transmission towers, was not considered because the result would look like an "ugly ski lift in a bad ski resort" and leave town. with what Adams called an "ugly postcard" that could last 100 years. Critics of the tram also expressed concern over the tram destructive sights for homeowners from the West Hills town, mainly from Gibbs Street, under the tram.
References
External links
- Official website
- Archive of tram-related articles from The Oregonian , including tramcar diagram
- The South Portland Neighborhood Association
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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