Portland's aerial tram turns 5

By KATU.com Staff Published: Jan 27, 2012 at 1:49 PM PST
Portland's aerial tram turns 5
Photo courtesy Flickr user elisfanclub (Creative Commons).

PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland's aerial tram that carries passengers to and from Oregon Health & Science University and the South Waterfront is marking its fifth anniversary.

Since the tram opened in 2007, it's made nearly 250,000 trips and carried nearly 7 million passengers. It's one of only two aerial trams used for urban transit in the United States.

The cabins (one is named Walt and the other Jean) travel 3,300 linear feet between the South Waterfront terminal at Southwest Moody Avenue and Gibbs Street and the upper terminal at the Kohler Pavilion on OHSU's main campus. They go 22 miles per hour and each trip is just three minutes long.

To celebrate the tram's five years in service, the public is invited to drop by on Saturday, Jan. 28 for demonstrations, displays and activities that will include:

  • Tours of the engineering room and control tower
  • Local art and photography of the tram
  • Hiking and biking routes from the tram's upper and lower towers
  • Information about development in the South Waterfront District
  • Information about 'Get to Know Your Tram Month,' which is coming up in June
  • Food cart No Fish, Go Fish will be there

The event will run from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the OHSU Center for Health and Healing next to the lower terminal. There is no cost to attend.

There's also a fun contest on the tram's Facebook page where you can win a private tour.