California Can Learn from Portland Oregon's Transportation Planning

I came across this article that compares Portland, Oregon's mass transit program with Los Angeles'. I lived in the Bay Area for ten years and was pretty happy with the public transportation system, but after reading this article I see the need for improvement. I can get around pretty easily without a car but there are times when it is not the most convenient.

Using the Airport

Perhaps the biggest difference between Portland and L.A. is something you notice within minutes of walking off a plane: A light rail line stops at the airport terminal. For $2.05, you can board a train that takes about 40 minutes to reach the central business district.

Accessible Downtown

One of the worst things about downtown L.A. is the number of parking lots. The lots have made it difficult to create the kind of critical mass of people that attracts businesses important to a thriving city center.

Neighborhoods Connected by Street Car

Of all the transit-related things Portland has done, perhaps none has gotten more attention than the revival of the streetcar in 2001. The line has since been expanded and runs in an eight-mile loop through downtown. It also connects a new neighborhood along the Willamette River to the relatively new Pearl District and the older northwest side.

I think that some of the lessons highlighted in the article are great examples for any major metropolitan city. I think that with the passage of SB 375, which requires regional transportation plans to include a sustainable communities strategy.