Quick Guide to Getting Around Downtown Portland
Best Transportation Choices for Shops, Restaurants, History
Mar 15, 2009
Parking in Downtown Portland can be next to impossible. To avoid this problem, visitors to Downtown Portland can choose from a variety of transportation options. From walking, to riding the Max line, to TriMet buses or Portland Streetcars, these stress-free options make visiting Downtown Portland fun and worthwhile. Whether here to shop, see historic sites, visit a gallery, attend events or another Rose City attraction, visitors can enjoy these hassle-free transportation options.
Walking
One of the most enjoyable options for getting around downtown Portland is to walk. With many attractions located within the centralized downtown area, walking makes perfect sense. Even if the weather is not cooperative, the downtown streets are still busy, as umbrellas line the sideways. Visitors who choose to walk can stop in any of the intriguing shops along the streets to warm up and dry off. With ample coffee shops and eateries located in Downtown Portland, walking in any weather makes sense.
Maps of Downtown Portland are available from many of the downtown shops and restaurants. The City of Portland Department of Transportation publishes a SW Portland Walk and Bike Map readily available online or from PDOT.
Max Lightrail/ Trimet
The Max Yellow-Line runs to through the Expo Center and City Center in Portland. The Max is a quick option for travel through the city and surrounding areas. The blue line runs from Hillsboro to Gresham, making it easy for guests to visit the downtown area. Riding the Max takes away the problems of finding parking spaces.
Portland Streetcars
Portland Streetcars run on a 4-mile one-way route from Northwest Portland starting at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital at NW 23rd Avenue, through the Pearl District and Downtown, and then Portland State before reaching a terminus at the South Waterfront District and OHSU. Route information and maps can be found at the Portland Streetcar website. Portland Streetcar fares are the same as TriMet's, accepting all valid TriMet passes/tickets. There is no charge to passengers riding entirely within Fareless Square.
Fareless Square
Downtown Portland offers a Fareless Square for those visitors and residents utilizing public transportation options in the downtown area. All trips beginning and ending within Fareless Square are free. This includes TriMet buses, Portland Streetcars and Max trips. Fareless Square includes most of downtown Portland.
Smart Parking
If choosing to park, an excellent resource for determining the amount of parking in Downtown Portland is the online Smart Park real time update of available parking spaces. The Smart Park site gives visitors an up-to-date count of Smart Park spaces in these lots. This gives visitors an idea of how busy the downtown area is during a given time. According to the Downtown Portland site there are more than 20,000 parking spaces with garages and lots and on-street parking in the downtown area. The Downtown Portland website also provides great information on events and attractions in downtown Portland.
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