Portland, Ore., Making It Easier to Get Around

Portland, Ore., is making it easier for tourists to get around the city by adding a visitor center downtown, a streetcar and, coming this fall, an extension of the light rail system to the airport.

The streetcar, which is to operate daily beginning Friday, covers a 4.8-mile route past Portland State University, the Portland Art Museum, Pioneer Courthouse Square (a couple of blocks away), the artsy Pearl District and the Northwest District/Nob Hill area, with its restaurants and upscale stores. It will run every 15 minutes starting at 5:30 a.m. Mondays to Fridays and 7:30 a.m. on weekends, until at least 11 p.m. (1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays).

Most of the route is within the downtown “Fareless Square” zone, where transit rides are free; trips to the Northwest District will cost $1.20. Bus tickets will also be good on the streetcar. For information, call (503) 823-2900 or visit https://www.portlandstreetcar.org.

On Sept. 10, the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon plans to open a 51/2-mile extension that will carry its MAX light rail system to Portland’s airport. For $1.20, passengers will be able to ride to or from downtown in less than 40 minutes. The route is now served by a bus line ($1.20; will end when the rail link opens), taxis (about $25), shuttles (about $15) and hotel courtesy vans (free to guests).

Last month the Portland Visitors Assn. opened an information center at Pioneer Courthouse Square. The old center, at the World Trade Center Building, 25 S.W. Salmon St., continues to operate but will be closed after Labor Day. Telephone (877) 678-5263, https://www.travelportland.com.