A new bridge in Portland, Oregon carries pedestrians, cyclists, buses, trams and light rail metro – but no cars or trucks.
The Tilikum Crossing over the Willamette River opened on 12 September 2015. Perhaps not surprisingly, it is in Portland, Oregon, one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the USA. In connecting and extending the public transport system, and providing a route over the river for bicycles and pedestrians – but not for cars – it marks a departure from conventional traffic engineering solutions in urban America. In opting not to cater for private vehicles, the design was able to avoid creating a wall of ramps and highways on either side, and saving on costs in the process.
The bridge is used by the 7.3 mile Orange line which becomes the sixth light rail line in the Tri-Met rail system, connecting suburbs on the south east of the river to the city centre and the rest of the network.ten new stations were built. It has new “park and ride” connections, but also secure “bike and ride” facilities. It is seen as reducing car-based commuting while also unlocking development potential. Already there are signs that the real estate market is responding to the opportunities created by the infrastructure.
it is very much a metropolitan regional project, with 14 funding partners. The city region expects to grow by 400,000 people by 2035.
