1.29.2007

it's a bird ... it's a plane ... oh, it's a tram

They did it. After much controversy and a super steep price tag, my adopted home town now has a tram from nowhere to nowhere. That is, from the South Waterfront to Pill Hill and the hospital/OHSU. It's big enough news to make the New York Times this morning. Rarely does little old "Portland, Ore" make the national news.

I don't think I'd ever have a reason to ride the Tram, but if I'm honest if I lived there I'm sure I would have been there in the first few days to take a ride just because. I think the $57 million could have been better spent, and I wonder what it must be like to be driving north on Interstate 5 and have a 78 passenger tram travel overhead. Still, it is kind of cool in a crazy kind of way.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now if they can build one of those to help me out with my 42 mile commute to work. It may not sound bad, but at rush-hour each way...it is one and a half hours each way. Sigh.

Anonymous said...

If you want to experience the Tram magic, you can always head to the East Side of Manhattan and take a ride to Roosevelt Island and back. I used to live on RI, and I can't say the Tram was ever that useful -- or reliable -- but it is certainly unique. I'll play tour guide if you ever want to check it out! :-)

Susan Rose Francois, CSJP said...

Thanks Mollie, but didn't people get stuck on that tram? ;-)

We should totally meet for coffee or lunch or something some day. Maybe I'll spring out of lockdown some time in the spring and we can meet in person??