At the request of the City of Lake Oswego, the project to further study a full-length streetcar connection between Lake Oswego and Portland was suspended in 2012.
The project partners remain committed to ensure future planning efforts and projects do not preclude the future development of a transit investment that would make best use of public facilities, including the Willamette Shore Line right of way, to meet travel demand between the two cities. Further discussion will continue to explore the feasibility, project development needs and financial resources for a streetcar project to the minimum operable segment from South Waterfront to the Sellwood Bridge as a partial, interim solution to the travel needs of the corridor.
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
On Dec. 3, 2010, the Federal Transit Administration, Metro and TriMet issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement, studying the potential benefits and impacts of three alternatives in the corridor. The environmental analysis examines the full range of direct, indirect and cumulative effects of the alternatives.
Locally Preferred Alternative recommendation
On Feb. 28, 2011, the Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project Steering Committee made its recommendation for the streetcar as its preferred alternative to proceed for further study.
The committee, made up of elected and appointed officials from each of the project jurisdictions, based its recommendation on recommendations from the community advisory committee who also supports the streetcar alternative, the project management group who advocates streetcar as best meeting the project purpose and need, and the nearly 500 public comments received by the project between Dec. 3, 2010 and Jan. 31, 2011.
The steering committee Locally Preferred Alternative recommendation was forwarded to project partner jurisdictions for review and action in spring 2011. Portland Streetcar Inc. and the cities of Lake Oswego and Portland voted to approve the steering committee recommendation.
The cities' approvals raised issues for further analysis, which the mayors asked be resolved before the counties, TriMet, regional advisory committees and the Metro Council take action. In response, additional analysis was conducted and a report issue to project partners in January 2012.