These attributes make streetcars uniquely suited for concentrated urban areas. Streetcars are expected to expand throughout the city. This first line is an important model that displays this form of transit to the public, presenting positive street and sidewalk improvements, and showing that construction is simple and without major impact. Transit provides people access and an alternative to the car. Many people cannot or should not drive.
Good transit allows people to go out and have fun without worrying about operating a car.
A transit system operates efficiently and provides quick and easy access to multiple destinations. A system is mobile and fixed. A fully developed system provides a traveler access to multiple destinations through a typical day, which may include rides on buses, streetcars and trains. Portland is a young city with an immature transit system far from the critical mass required to make transit a more attractive option than cars. While this benefits those fit and wealthy, the majority of people are at a significant competitive disadvantage.