Portland is making great use of its tram system. In addition to ferrying hospital staff up and down the hill it's a tourist attraction as well offering great views of the Mt. St Helens volcano, and multiple other snow covered peaks. Unfortunately this tourist lacked a camera and had little cell phone battery for photography.
Portland has a premier network of low floor downtown trams and LRT style options that offer a get on, get off convenience that is unparalleled in any North American City I have visited. The difference between the Calgary system and the Portland system is very stark, there the tram adds seamlessly to lifestyle and convenience, in Calgary it just takes lots of people downtown to work. The system works from the moment you arrive at the airport to your hotel doorstep, and to any neighbourhood within Portland you'd like to visit. In combination with high investment in bridges, bike routes, and busses, there is no real need for car ownership during the work week there.
Before arriving in Portland, I had expected to rely heavily on Uber to get around, but never once did we feel compelled to need a driver. In good weather (such as what we had) bikes would be an even better option, however we didnt make use of the bike share service, though it looked good.
I didnt see much about Portland that was not truly fantastic in the few days we were there. This City is a place we can really learn a lot more from. I think the downside to Portland is very costly housing in the desirable districts, and congestion on all the roads and bridges leading out of the core. This isn't a problem when visiting, but could be for residents. We also looked at a house with a $14k tax bill, that was atrocious. Hopefully another visit to Portland can take place and more of the State can be visited. The wonderful vegetarian cafes and many breweries will be missed!
