1. Jasmine Block
Streetcar Realignment
Civil Engineering Senior Capstone 2010, Group 1,
Project Manager:
Tom Gayne
Primary Client Contact:
Portland Department of Transportation
COLLABORATING TEAM:
CORY CLAUSEN
ASHAN FERNANDO
TOM GAYNE
TYLER HAGEL
CARLO LOZANO
KOUROS MONSEF
DANIEL NGUYEN
LEUMIS RICHARDSON
ALI ZAHER
Submitted June 4 2010
FINAL REPORT ON PROPOSED STREETCAR ALIGNMENTS
2. Jasmine Block Streetcar Alignment
1PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
FINAL REPORT ON PROPOSED STREETCAR ALIGNMENTS
Special thanks to:
The success of the Portland State University Urban Plaza as a vibrant
community space has been under study by Portland Development Commis-
sion (PDC). The PDC has decided to re-align the Portland streetcar running
between SW Montgomery and Harrison streets crossing perpendicularly 4th
and 5th AVE, also-known-as the Jasmine Block.
This report documents the steps taken to date and the anticipated
further action needed to establish the most cost efficient method for build-
ing the Portland Street Car around or through the Jasmine Block. In the final
report the four different options considered will include a breakdown of the
cost / benefit analysis along with discussion about the difficulty in quantifying
the benefits associated with the Portland Streetcar system and the particulars
of its alignment. The designs presented will look into detailed traffic analysis,
delay times with lost/gained revenue, parking availability, construction cost
with impacts along with a subjective assessment of other benefits and goals
of interest both to the development partners for the OSC and the greater
Portland metro population. These parameter will be documented in the final
report which will help city planners, project engineers and local policy-mak-
ers to decide what the most desirable alignment might be for the Portland
Streetcar through the Jasmine Block.
3. 2PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
Background of site
The proposed site for the Oregon Sustainability Center is between SW
Montgomery and Harrison streets between 4th and 5th Ave. Known as the
Jasmine Block, the site is owned by the City of Portland. The OSC will be
funded partially by future tenants along with city and state funding. The
budget for the Streetcar re-conmguration is to be incorporated into the overall
OSC project budget. The current Streetcar conmguration through this corridor
was implemented as a temporary design to allow time for the OSC developers
to put forth general plans for the site and to acquire the necessary funding to
break ground. The current Streetcar alignment around the OSC as a solution
is undesirable by all parties involved.
There are several issues with the current Streetcar layout which need
to be addressed. The current alignment involves a single track around the
existing block that is utilized by two way streetcar trafmc. As such there are
occasional delays as one car waits for a period of time while the car in the
other direction clears the right of way. This is complicated by the southbound
station platform being located on 5th Ave, adjacent to a Light-Rail stop. With
two lanes on 5th already designated as bus-only lanes the streetcar platform
utilizes the only general purpose trafmc lane. When the streetcar is at this
station waiting for right of way to clear the sole general trafmc lane on 5th is
blocked for a signimcant period of time. While scheduling optimization has
helped minimise necessary wait times for both streetcar operations and gen-
eral trafmc now, the current alignment is unsatisfactory.
4. 3PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
Safety Issues
Part of the purpose of the realignment is to address some perceived safety
concerns about the sites current alignment. The key factors that should be
considered in assessing safety are vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists.
Operation records of the Portland Streetcar shows no fatal accidents
involving the streetcar. Since 2001 there have been only 12 accidents (4
major) with no serious injuries. While this record is partly due to restrictive
operational procedures for the Streetcar, such as limited top speeds, PDoT has
expressed safety concerns with the current alignment notwithstanding the
lack of data demonstrating a hazard.
One of the concerns expressed by PDoT is that the south bound train
operates counter-now to the one way trafmc on SW 4th Ave for one block.
That is a perceived safety issue for the cars traveling northbound on 4th with
a southbound train present.
The positioning of the southbound streetcar platform on 5th also causes
complications with the bike lanes on 5th avenue. Currently the lane passes
behind the platform on the sidewalk area. Riders have the choice of either
riding on the sidewalk or entering the bus lanes while negotiating several
in-road rail lines. These safety concerns are primary factors in the new design
selection criteria, along with a general desire by the OSC development coali-
tion to incorporate the Portland Streetcar line(s) and platform into the actual
building site.
5. 4PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
Scope
To conduct a cost/ benefit analysis of running the street car line or
lines through center of the Jasmine Block as compared with current
alignment.
FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED IN COST/ BENEFIT ANALYSIS
1. PRIMARY COSTS / BENEFITS
Operating costs of streetcar, light rail and buses
Capital costs of constructing lines and station, including the likely
increased structural cost of the building
Cost of removal of existing platform and track
Parking revenue from on street parking
2. SECONDARY COSTS / BENEFITS
Delay reduction for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles
Car travel costs from delay time
Cost of protecting / modifying utilities on site
IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES TO CONSIDER MANIPULATING
Alignment of tracks and location of platforms
Methods and specimcs of signalization
Lane usage on 4th and 5th avenues
FACTORS THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN ESTIMATION
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6. 5PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
Required clearances between building and high voltage streetcar
cables
Streetcar and car trafmc needs from south waterfront district are
expected to expand considerably over time
There is a foreseeable increase in frequency of light rail and a re-rout-
ing of bus trafmc due to the creation of the Portland - Milwaukee
light rail line
5th and Montgomery will be studying a “green street” application.
Consider competing interests and co-ordination of efforts
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7. 6PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
Proposed alignments
Due to the conmned geometry of the site relative to the streetcar a limited
number of design alternatives were apparent. See Appendix A for illustrations
of design alternatives.
0: NO BUILD
Keep the existing alignment and build the OSC around it. (Presented as a
baseline comparison only.)
1: DUAL TRACKS
Run both NB and SB tracks diagonally through the center of the block,
removing the current perimeter track.
2: SINGLE CENTER TRACK
Run the SB track through the center of the Jasmine Block and keep the
existing perimeter track for NB use only.
3: HARRISON ST.
Keep the existing perimeter track as is and build a SB track down Har-
rison St.
SHAPING THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT
THE STREETCAR PROGRAM
HAS BEEN VISIONED, DE-
SIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED
WITH THE EXPLICIT GOAL OF
FACILITATING THE DEVELOP-
MENT OF INCREASED URBAN
DENSITY WHILE SIMULTANE-
OUSLY HAVING A POSITIVE
IMPACT ON THE LIVABILITY
OF THE INNER CITY.
INTRINSIC TO THE GOALS OF
THE SYSTEM IF BALANCING
THE NEEDS OF VARIOUS US-
ERS OF THE URBAN TRANS-
PORTATION NETWORK AS A
WHOLE. ONE OF THE TENETS
OF THE STREETCAR DESIGN
IS TO ENABLE AND ENCOUR-
AGE THE MULTI-USE OF ANY
RIGHT OF WAY THAT THE
STREETCAR MAKES USE OF.
8. 7PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
Construction Costs
Details of the cost estimation are provided in Appendix D indicating
major items associated with the project. Values of line Items are provided
by the City of Portland and GBD. According to Portland Streetcar, Inc. the
estimated cost for the streetcar re-route through the Jasmine Block (double
or single track) will be around $3,000,000-4,000,000. Detailed needs and
costs were calculated with the assistance of GBD.
Key features taken into consideration include construction time, street-
car and street closure and special design considerations associated with the
streetcar and Oregon Sustainability Center. 14 days of closure of the street-
car are expected during the construction process. This closure is expected
to create operational problems such as movement of passengers from one
side of the work site to the other. Coordination with Trimet to develop
alternative modes of temporary transportation for the people who would be
impacted by the streetcar closure is needed.
The overall goal for the construction phase of the street car project will
be to install the rail and have the streetcar running within a suitable time-
frame (i.e. within 2 weeks). According to Kay Dannan of Portland Streetcar,
the construction for the two center track alignment and the single center
track alignment would both be accomplished in 2-3 months. If the twin
track alignment is implemented the current rail along Montgomery Street
will be removed. This nececcitates additional trafmc re-routing or street
closure.
A major goal for the streetcar re-route is to keep construction time,
trafmc detours and streetcar closures to a minimum. For either the double
track or single track plans similar closures are necessary. The spreadsheet
cost estimate provides items that would be associated with the construc-
GETTING OFF THE GRID
THERE ARE PROVISIONS
FOR THE DETENTION OF
STORMWATER ON SITE
PLANNED. RUNOFF FROM
THE STREETCAR TRACKS
IS PROPOSED TO BE RE-
TAINED BY BIO-SWALES
AMONG THE TRACKS
IN THE INTERIOR OF THE
BLOCK FOR SUBSEQUENT
DISCHARGE TO THE ON
SITE TREATMENT FACILITY.
9. 8PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
tion phase of the streetcar re-route project. The items associated with the
streetcar and trafmc closures vary from temporary signage and fencing to
temporary walkways installed for pedestrians to move through the area if
necessary. A general budget is included for “Mobilization” which includes
hired personal for controlling trafmc, installing signs/temporary barricades
or fencing, and mobilization rails and concrete.
There are special design considerations for the streetcar running under
the Oregon Sustainability Center. As the streetcar will travel directly under
the cantilevered portion of the Oregon Sustainability Center, power line
placement issues arise such as whether or not the lines should be attached
to the building or if poles should be installed near the tracks to support
the lines. Another consideration is the type of barricade (if any) that will
separate pedestrians from the streetcar tracks in the Oregon Sustainability
Center. Although the streetcar will be traveling at a marginal speed, the
area may have a high volume of people. Installing fencing or renective
posts may be designs to consider that will affect the overall costs of the
streetcar re-reroute project.
10. 9PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
If the twin central track design were implemented, the Montgomery
Street rails would be removed. If the single track design were to be used,
the Montgomery Street line will remain intact and continue to be used for
the eastbound street car. These assumptions were used to establish a dif-
ferential cost between the two alignments of interest. The table below indi-
cates the summed costs of the two alignments. The specimcs of furnishing
and installation of items and cost of removal of the existing facilities along
Montgomery Street are provided in the cost estimate in the Appendix D.
Streetcar Alignment Cost Comparision
Double Track Single Track
Hard Construction Cost $2,426,924.40 $2,049,009.40
Estimating / Inflation contingency 10% $242,692.44 $204,900.94
Subtotal $2,669,616.84 $2,253,910.34
Construction Contingency 20% $533,923.37 $450,782.07
Subtotal $3,203,540.21 $2,704,692.41
Engineering / Management 20% $640,708.04 $540,938.48
TOTAL $3,844,248.25 $3,245,630.89
Difference in alignment costs $598,617.36 less expendsive for single track layout.
11. 10PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
Impact on Streetcar Operational Costs
If two tracks are run diagonally through the Jasmine Block there will be
a long-term monetary savings due to the decrease in time required to run
the streetcar around the block. Currently the streetcar runs on an 84-minute
round-trip schedule, which will be reduced to 81 minutes after the reorienta-
tion of the tracks. The longer round-trip travel time is due to the limitations
of the streetcars cornering ability. For both passenger comfort and safety, the
vehicle speed must be greatly reduced while navigating the sharp right and
left turns that currently exist. After the proposed track changes the streetcar
will be able to travel at optimum speed.
The operating cost of the Portland Streetcar is $145.00 per hour. This cost
will be used to calculate the annual savings of a two-track alignment through
the block. There are currently 72 trips per day, saving 3 minutes for each
round-trip or 216 minutes per day. This 3 hour and 36 minute daily savings
in operations would result in 6.7 times the savings per week (fewer Sunday
runs). The result is 1254 hours per year saved or $181,864 in annual operat-
ing savings.
[Data is a result of a conversation between the PSU Streetcar Re-routing
Team (that would be us) and Rick Gustafson]
Livable spaces
Track realignment through the Jasmine Block is necessary to the success
of the planned development and will result in benemts that will not immedi-
ately appear on a balance sheet. The revised track alignment will create an
urban plaza that brings people together in a common space, fostering com-
munity and economic development. The Oregon Sustainability Center (OSC)
is to be one of the most sustainable buildings in Oregon. Part of the design
LIVABLE SPACES
THE STREETCAR’S PRESENCE
IN THE CURRENT URBAN CEN-
TER IS A WELCOME, IF NOT
KEY COMPONENT OF WHAT
HAS RAPIDLY BECOME A POP-
ULAR PUBLIC SPACE IN THE
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS.
THECROSS-BLOCKALIGNMENT
OF THE TRACKS AND PLACE-
MENT OF A PLATFORM FACIL-
ITY IN THE SPACE WITHOUT
SO MUCH AS A SINGLE INJURY
ACCIDENT IN THE STREETCARS
HISTORY OF OPERATION HAS
SHOWN THAT STREETCARS
CAN INTERACT COMFORTABLY
WITH NON MOTORIZED USERS
OF DOWNTOWN OPEN PUBLIC
SPACES.
12. 11PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
is to deliberately have no accommodation for parking. Public transportation
through an urban square is key to the squares success as it allows access to
the space without creating or interfering with trafmc and is accessible to a
broad cross-section of the community.
The creation of an urban square on the Jasmine Block by the streetcar
and the Oregon Sustainability Center will draw economic development to the
area. According to a 2008 report prepared by the Portland Department of
Transportation and Portland Streetcar Inc., over $3.5 billion dollars has been
invested within two blocks of the streetcar alignment since 2001.1 Business
are more likely to invest near mxed public transportation options such as
streetcars because of the permanence of the streetcar infrastructure and the
certainty that comes with it. When the streetcar track was routed through
the adjacent block that is currently occupied by the Portland State University
Urban Building a plaza, which has become a frequent gathering place for
people, was created. This plaza has drawn businesses such as Pizzicato and
Seattle’s Best Coffee bringing revenue for the city, which over time will offset
the initial construction costs of the streetcar. 1
The Oregon Sustainability Center will have very limited parking surround-
ing the building and is designed without a designated use parking facility. As
the building will benemt from easy access to sustainable transportation such
as provided by the streetcar, locating the southbound station in the center of
the block will enhance the OSC’s image as a role-model in the promotion of
alternative transportation methods. The streetcar being integral to the build-
ing is in line with the concept of the Oregon Sustainability Center and the
concept for the future that it demonstrates.
1. Portland Streetcar Development Oriented Transit; Portland Department of Transportation and Portland Streetcar
Inc.; April 2008; Web Accessed May 10, 2010; http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/pdf/development_200804_report.pdf
THE “LIVING BUILDING”
THE OSC WILL BE BUILT UN-
DER THE LIVING BUILDING
CHALLENGE. THE LBC IS THE
MOST ADVANCED MEASURE
OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE
BUILT ENVIRONMENT TODAY.
THIS PROGRAM ENTAILS THE
MOST INNOVATIVE METH-
ODS AND MANDATES OF
GREEN BUILDING AVAIL-
ABLE, INCLUDING DEEM-
ING THAT 100 PERCENT OF
ENERGY REQUIREMENTS BE
PRODUCED ON SITE.
13. 12PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
Traffic Modeling and Analysis
To determine delay times for trafmc a micro-simulation was conducted
of the blocks immediately surrounding the OSC. VISSIM was used to model
the network. Models were created to determine the impact on trafmc for
each of three conmgurations: No build, two diagonally through center and a
single track through center with the northbound streetcar utilizing the exist-
ing tracks. The trafmc parameter analyzed in the models was delay time. The
network model was provided by Kittleson and Associates, and was used to
determine trafmc delay through all corridors adjacent to the OSC site. The de-
lay was determined by demning travel time corridors within the network, the
simulation was ran using AM peak hour volumes, also provided by Kittleson
and Associates. The AM peak hour was determined to be the most critical
time for this particular network.
The travel time corridors demned were from 4th and Hall to Harrison
Street two blocks either east or west, of 4th, 4th and Hall to 4th and Mill, and
Harrison and 1st to 5th and Hall, Harrison and 6th, and 4th and Mill. Travel
time corridors were also demned for the streetcar. The corridors demned were
from the northbound Harrison platform the platform in the Urban Plaza, and
from 5th and Mill to the southbound Harrison platform. These corridors were
chosen to account for every possible travel route affected by the streetcar
reconmguration. The delay is calculated by the ideal travel time, or the travel
time with no stops, minus the actual travel time for each corridor, and for
each vehicle. The delay outputs obtained were the average delay through the
previously demned routes per vehicle including streetcar. Each simulation was
for one hour and three simulations were done for each conmguration using
the same trafmc volumes. Montgomery street was used only for streetcar in
the models to account for the upcoming green street project, which would
potentially eliminate automobile trafmc on the street.
A QUESTION OF IMPACT
THE OSC IS DESIGNED TO
BE A DEMONSTRATION OF
HOW CONSTRUCTION AND
MANAGEMENTTECHNIQUES
CAN AFFECT THE IMPACT
THAT THE URBAN LIFESTYLE
HAS ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
AS TRANSPORTATION IS
ONE OF THE SINGLE LARG-
EST DISCRETE SOURCES OF
GHG EMISSIONS, THE EF-
FECT THAT SITE DESIGN OF
THE OSC HAS ON TRANS-
PORTATION MODE CHOICE
AND EFFICIENCY PLAYS AN
IMPORTANT ROLE IN SUS-
TAINABILITY OF THE DEVEL-
OPMENT OVERALL
14. 13PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
No signal times were changed in any of these models. Inductor loops
were added to the intersections at 5th and Montgomery for the northbound
track running diagonal through the Jasmine block, and to the intersection at
4th and Harrison for the southbound track running diagonal. These inductor
loops were implemented into the existing signal conmgurations, so the street-
car green-times remained the same for all three models.
The simulation results concluded only a small change in trafmc delay
under both new design conmgurations. Under the two-track design, the aver-
age delay increased 3.5 percent per vehicle. For the single-track design, the
delay increased six percent per vehicle. Simulation results have been tabulated
in the table below. Streetcar delay alone was not considered to be signimcant
in the design selection criteria, so was included with automobile trafmc for
the purpose of this model.Raw VISSIM settings and outputs are included in
Appendix E.
Reduced Data from VISSIM
Delay times, Seconds
Test # No Build Single Track Double Track Modified Double Track
1 36.1 37.9 40.9 40.3
2 29.8 34.9 31.1 34.4
3 32.1 31.2 29.5 36.3
Avg 32.67 34.67 33.83 37.00
15. 14PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
The Portland streetcar is a public transportation facility that serves the
downtown metro region. The City of Portland has allocated the majority
of the funds it collects from metered parking to fund streetcar operations.
The addition of the new Max lines to the Bus Mall on Fifth and Sixth Av-
enues has resulted in a loss of available parking. These parking intrusions
directly affect local business as well as impact the streetcar operation bud-
get. The alignment running both streetcar tracks through the center of the
Jasmine block allows for metered parking to be added to 4th Avenue. The
addition of this parking would generate revenue for the streetcar system
relative to using the existing 4th avenue and Montgomery tracks for the
northbound train.
The proposed construction of the Oregon Sustainability Center on
the Jasmine block will not offer on-site parking. Generating business and
ofmce space in an urban environment without offering adequate parking
generally is a violation of zoning code for the City of Portland. The City
hopes the Sustainability Center occupants and users will choose alternate
modes of transportation, reducing demand for parking facilities. PDC’s
hope is that this type of building philosophy will encourage more efmcient
and sustainable forms of transportation. Routing the Streetcar through the
Jasmine Block and having a station on-site serves this purpose.
Nonetheless, though many commuters will opt to use the public tran-
sit system or biking there will be users that choose to drive. During peak
Effects on Parking
Revenue for one metered
parking spot for the City of
Portland.
Parking rate $1.60/hour
Parking Rate Hours
8am to 7pm Monday - Friday
11pm to 7pm Sunday
Total hours of metered
parking for a week 72 hours
Weekly Parking Revenue
$1.60/hr * 72 hr/wk = $115.20/wk
Annual Parking Revenue
$115.20/wk * 52 wk/yr = $5990.4/yr
Assume 80% Occupancy
$5990.4/yr * (0.8) = $4792.32/yr
Each parking spot added on
the site is expected to generate
$4800 revenue annually.
16. 15PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
business hours these commuters have few options nearby for parking.
Driving through the area looking for parking creates additional emis-
sions and downtime for the commuters. Driving around city blocks
negotiating a parking location could be daunting with high pedestrian,
bike, vehicle, bus, light rail and streetcar volumes.
Having fewer short term parking locations also impacts local busi-
nesses. Small businesses such as coffee shops, restaurants and bou-
tiques see loss in revenue due to the lack of availability in parking.
Short term parking is also a necessity for all buildings in order to have
mail operations and delivery services. Most buildings also require a
loading dock to load and unload goods that will need to serve the oc-
cupants in the building.
17. 16PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
OPTION 1: REROUTING ONE – TRACK THROUGH THE JASMINE BLOCK
This alignment reroutes the southbound track through the Jasmine block
while maintaining the existing northbound track. This proposal will not have
any parking gain due to the existing track on SW 4th Ave and SW Montgom-
ery St. The main advantage of routing the southbound track through the
Jasmine Block eliminates the streetcar from traveling in the opposite direc-
tion of trafmc on Fourth Avenue while reducing costs from placing two tracks
rather than one.
Based off of an original image by Tim Martin of
Separated Alignment
does not permit any
more parking than is
currently present
SINGLE TRACK OPTION
18. 17PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
OPTION 2: REROUTING BOTH TRACKS THROUGH THE JASMINE BLOCK.
This option considers routing both north and south bound street car tracks
through the Jasmine block freeing up space on both Montgomery and 4th
Avenue for metered parking. While helping local businesses in this area the avail-
ability of short term parking also is a substantial revenue source. Removal of the
existing track enables parking to be provided on both sides of the road. (Cur-
rently the east side of fourth has no parking available to give extra clearance for
general purpose lanes and the streetcar.) Total addition of metered parking by
considering Option 2 is 23 parking spots, based on examination of photographs
of the site, measurements of available GIS maps and existing parking arrange-
ments on other blocks of 4th Avenue.
PARKING CAPACITY
ASSUMING $4800 OF PARK-
ING REVENUE PER SPACE:
# OF SPACES: 23
REVENUE PER EA. $4800.00
TOTAL REVENUE: $110,000.00$110,000.00
19. 18PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
Of four initial proposals only two were examined at length. The fourth
alignment, routing a line down Harrison was discarded by the clients (all par-
ties stating emphatically that costs were prohibitive). The single track align-
ment with the 4th Avenue track being shifted into the general purpose lanes
was not pursued in depth as the impact on trafmc is likely similar to the basic
single track alignment while the costs fall somewhere in between the single
track and double track estimates.
Thus the two alignments examined are the basic single track and the
double track alignments.
SINGLE TRACK ALIGNMENT
Basic attributes of this alignment are as follows:
Estimated construction cost of $3,245,630.89
Does not provide parking revenue.
Does not reduce Streetcar operating costs.
Encumbers future potential Montgomery Green Street plans.
6% increase in vehicle wait time predicted.
DOUBLE TRACK ALIGNMENT
Basic attributes of this alignment are as follows:
Estimated construction cost of $3,844,248.25
Parking revenue of $110,000 annually (or more dependant on rates)
Reduces Streetcar operating costs by $180,000 annually.
Montgomery Green Street becomes unencumbered.
3.5% increase in vehicle wait time predicted.
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FINDING THE RIGHT METRIC
A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE
GENERAL UNCERTAINTY IN
URBAN TRANSPORTATION
DESIGN IS THE DETERMINA-
TION OF WHAT TO MEASURE
AND THE RELATIVE VALUES
AND DESIRABILITY OF THESE
MEASUREMENTS.
WHILE THE PORTLAND BUREAU
OF TRANSPORTATION SPECIFI-
CALLY CONSIDERS VEHICLE
WAIT TIMES TO BE A COST TO
BE MINIMIZED, THE PORTLAND
STREETCAR COMMISSION AS-
SERTS THAT WELL DESIGNED
AND BALANCED CONGES-
TION IS NOT ONLY MANAGE-
ABLE BUT NECESSARY AND
DESIRABLE FOR PROPERTY
VALUES, SUSTAINABILITY
GOALS AND LIVABILITY IN THE
URBAN ENVIRONMENT
Conclusion
20. PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT 19
From this examination the two track alignment through the center of the block is clearly the preferred option.
The only drawback to the twin alignment identimed by the project team is the increased cost of construction. This
cost is estimated to be approximately $600,000 greater than the single track alignment. Conversely the twin track
alignment has many attractions both tangible and intangible. Of primary interest to this investigation is the function
of the OSP property, the Montgomery Green Street and the overall monetary costs to the City of Portland. The twin
track alignment provides a much more comfortable and pedestrian friendly environment on the site. Pedestrians are
not squeezed between the OSP and the Streetcar when walking on the sidewalk or while using the proposed Mont-
gomery Green Street. The Streetcar is able to move faster through the area with wider turns providing a more com-
fortable ride for the passengers. Potentially the twin alignment has a net positive revenue impact of nearly
$300,000 per year. Neglecting the time-value of money over a two or three year interval, the amortization period
of the higher cost of construction is on the order of two to three years. While no clear life span was indicated for
the facility an assumption is made that the Streetcar will be in operation on the site for more than 3 years.
We, the authors of this report conclude the following:
Having a relatively minor added cost and a substantial tangible and intangible benefit over the single track
alignment, running both the northbound and southbound Streetcar tracks from the south-east to north-west
corner of the Jasmine block is the strong recommendation of this report.
21. 20PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
APPENDIX A
Local Site Conditions
Site Context
Montgomery
Green Street
Park Blocks
Oregon Sustainability
Center
Image credit: GBD Architects
22. 21PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
APPENDIX B
Illustrations of proposed alignments.
Proposal II
Double tracks through center of block
Image credit: GBD Architects
23. 22PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
APPENDIX B (cont)
Proposal III
Single track through center of block, existing track left in place and dedicated to northbound use
Image credit: GBD Architects
24. 23PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
APPENDIX B (cont)
Proposal IIIb
Single track through center of block, existing track shifted into general traffic lane and dedicated to north-
bound use. This enables the addition of curb side parking for the block.
Image credit: GBD Architects
25. 24PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
APPENDIX B (cont)
Proposal II
Single track through center of block, existing track left in place and dedicated to northbound use
SW MONTGOMERY
Image credit: GBD Architects
26. 25PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
APPENDIX C
Project Schedule Chart
2010
February March April May JuneJanuary
Duration W1 W2 W3 W4 W1 W2 W3 W4 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W1 W2 W3 W4 W1 W2 W3 W4 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5
3 w
Form Team Contract 2 w
Contact Client 2 w
Create Scope 3 w
6 w
Observe Streetcar for applicable data 2 w
Talk with Others Involved for Data 6 w
2 w
8 w
Perform Cost-Benemt Analysis. 3 w
1 w
4 w
3 w
Streetcar Project Schedule
Deliverables
Team Phase
Data Collection Phase
Finals week 1 w
Spring Break 1 w
Time Off
with.
VISSIM.
Design Intersection/Streetcar stop 4 w
Check in with client 2 w
Prepare report 2 w
Prepare Presentation 2 w
Present 1
Analysis
Closure phase
33. 32PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
APPENDIX F
Meeting Minutes
Week 1 (January 13th-16h)
The project team was assembled, and a scope of the project and a team contract were created.
The project team also got divided into two subgroups.
Week 2 (January 17th-23rd)
First contact with the clients was made as well as a meeting date.
Week 3 (January 24th-30th)
The meeting with the clients led the group to a better demnition of the project.
The two sub groups merge into one group again.
The team mnalized the project scope as well as team contract.
A meeting with Dr. Fish is done, that allowed him to see the progress of the group.
Week 4 (January 31st-February 6th)
A draft timeline for the scope of work to be performed is created.
A meeting with Dr. Fish is done that allowed him to go over the timeline.
Week 5 (February 7th-13th)
Group members create different design possibilities.
Week 6 (February 14th-20th)
Meeting with Rick Gustafson, streetcar designer, to get background information of the streetcar.
34. 33PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | JASMINE BLOCK STREETCAR ALIGNMENT
APPENDIX F
Meeting Minutes
Week 7 (February 21st-27th)
Meeting with Kyle Anderson, architect, to learn more about the OSC.
Week 8 (February 28th-March 6th)
The group split up the parts needed for the end of the term presentation and paper.
Week 9 (March 7th-13th)
The group compiled all the material into one paper, and gave the end of the term presentation.
Week 10-11 (March 14th-27th)
The group took time off
Week 12 (March 28th-April 3rd)
The group meets up and began to decide what is needed to be done this term.
Week 13 (April 4th-10th)
Group split up tasks and decided to only meet once a week on Fridays unless addition meetings were needed.
Week 14-18 (April 11th-May 15th)
Meeting go successful once a week to go over progress of each individual.
Week 19-20 (May 16th- 29th)
The group members begin to write their sections of the report.
The mnal presentation is looked at, discussed, and what each person will present is mgured out.
Week 21 (May 30th – June 5th)
The group members mnalize the report and practice for the presentation.
