Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Portland Streetcar extended service by four stops Friday to a loop around the South Waterfront area. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports.

About 800 people a day use the aerial tram from OHSU to South Waterfront -- a number that’s expected to grow as more high-rises are built.

Indeed, by the end of the decade, city planners say 5000 people will be living in the area -- and they hope many will use the streetcar.

Opening the extension, Governor Ted Kulongoski said alternative forms of transport are a critical piece of the fight against global warming.

Ted Kulongoski: "Next to coal-fired energy plants. The number one pollutant of CO2s in the atmosphere is the automobile. And the more we  build, whether it’s light rail or streetcar, and get people out of automobiles, it’s good for the environment, it’s good for the economy and it’s good for America."

To celebrate the extension, both the streetcar and the aerial tram are free this weekend.