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Light Rail Transit Experience in Portland, Oregon


There are several web sites that deal with Portland's light rail experience and future prospects. A state-wide Oregon vote on November 5, 1996 defeated funding for extending the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) system with a South-North line. Several analyses of this issue and an evaluative historical context are provided.

A study from Jonathan Richmond at Harvard University finds that light rail in Portland and elsewhere comes up short in comparison to bus service. A article on the study from the Portland Oregonian of July 8, 1998.

Oregon Transportation Institute - a collection of evaluative analyses on Portland's rail transit history and likely future.

Cascade Policy Institute - articles and commentary on the Portland transit experience.

Ten Top Light Rail Myths -commentary on Portland's MAX light rail extension plan from the Cascade Policy Institute.

The Myth of the Vanishing Automobile and other articles about transit planning in Portland.

Transit analyst Wendell Cox compares Portland and Seattle using Census Data from 1990.

The official web site of the public agency Tri-Met that operates MAX and other public transportation in metropolitan Portland.


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Last modified: February 07, 2011