Portland Aerial Tram
The Portland Aerial Tram or OHSU Tram is an aerial tramway in Portland, Oregon, that connects the city's South Waterfront district and the main Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) campus, located in the Marquam Hill neighborhood. It is one of only two commuter aerial tramways in the United States, the other being New York City's Roosevelt Island Tramway. The tram travels a horizontal distance of 3,300 feet (1,000 m) and a vertical distance of 500 feet (152 m) in a ride that lasts three minutes.
| Portland Aerial Tram OHSU Tram | |
|---|---|
The Portland Aerial Tram car nearing the upper station | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational |
| Character | Commuter |
| Location | Portland, Oregon |
| Country | United States |
| Termini | South Waterfront neighborhood OHSU Hospital |
| No. of stations | 2 |
| Open | December 15, 2006 |
| Website | gobytram.com |
| Operation | |
| Owner | City of Portland Government |
| Operator | OHSU |
| Ridership | 10,000 per weekday. |
| Technical features | |
| Aerial lift type | Aerial tramway |
| Manufactured by | Doppelmayr |
| Operating speed | 22 mph (35 km/h) |
The tram was jointly funded by OHSU, the City of Portland, and by South Waterfront property owners, with most of the funding coming from OHSU. It is 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 transportation network that includes the Portland Streetcar, MAX Light Rail, and TriMet buses. After opening in December 2006, the tram carried its one millionth passenger on October 17, 2007 and its ten millionth rider on January 8, 2014. A round-trip ticket costs $8 but is free for OHSU patients and certain visitors; OHSU employees and students ride free by showing their ID badges.
The tram cost $57 million to build—a nearly fourfold increase over initial cost estimates, which was one of several sources of controversy concerning the project.